Bronze Casting - The Assembled Composition

Next the wax models are assembled into the final composition. Here the three figures - i.e., the cows - were "welded" - with wax, of course - onto a stand, also made of wax. You can see that different types of wax were used - it depends on what is available at the time, and the crystallinity of the wax changes depending on whether it was part of a wax cast, wax used for sealing and welding, or wax used for patching up parts of the original models. Of course the differences in the type of wax make no difference in the final bronze, but do change the texture and appearance of the surface. It is best that the final sculpture be completed as much as possible in wax to minimize having to finish in bronze.

For various reasons - artistic and practical - this model was left it its relatively rough state. If you wanted a nice smooth sculpture it would be best to use finishing wax to smooth out the bumps and keeping working the wax until it was nice and shiny. Sometimes the final wax model is given a brushing with some terpenoid liquid to give it a final sheen.