How are custom pieces designed, prototyped and produced?

 

Our pieces are completely design and made by us using small tools and lost wax casting techniques. 

Here are our production and design processes - incredibly labor intensive - no mass manufacturing here!

  

DESIGN

 There are various ways to design pieces that are production-worthy:

Manually

  1. Sketch the prototype by hand
  2. Carve the prototype to scale using hard carving wax and hand-carving tools

Digitally

  1. Create our own 2D artwork digitally on a computer using assorted industry professional software and human skills
  2. Expand the artwork into a 3D software module using assorted industry professional software and human know-how
  3. Digitally create an original model in wax, plastic, or metal through use of a 3D printer or precision milling machine
  4. Perfect every detail by hand - there is no replacement for artisan hands - regardless of the process

 Ad Hoc

  1. Using Combinations of the above techniques.

 

Wax Making and Cooling Center

  

Carving and Milling tools - we skilfully operate these machines:

 

 

 

3D Printer and 3D Wax Carver

 

Prototype/Model Making

  1. Prepare the model for casting (if wax or plastic)
  2. Set up the pieces by hand into a tree using specialty equipment
  3. Invest the tree flask using a vacuum investor manually, hand controlling every step
  4. Allow the investment to harden
  5. Steam the wax out of the invested flask using a production steamer
  6. Heat the Flask to a carefully pre-calculated temperature in an industrial kiln
  7. Melt the metal to a carefully predetermined temperature in an electronically controlled crucible
  8. Vacuum cast the melted metal into the heated flask - done by a skilled employee
  9. Control-cool the Flask
  10. Blast the investment from the tree using a water stream and wearing protective gloves
  11. Clip the piece from the tree by hand and finish it to model-perfection by hand
  12. Create rubber molds using a vulcanizer or other equipment (each one is hand cut)

 

Vacuum Casting Equipment                        Industrial Kiln

 

Electronic Alloy Melter            Crucible Coolers

 

 

Production

  1. Production wax the pieces from the molds by hand, a piece at a time - using an injection waxing machine and cooling belt
  2. Proof and set up the pieces into a tree by hand - requires skill and experience
  3. Invest the tree flask using a vacuum investor - a totally hand controlled an human supervised process
  4. Allow the investment to harden
  5. Steam the wax out of the invested flask using a production steamer - keeps the whole process cleaner
  6. Heat the Flask to a carefully pre-determined temperature in an industrial kiln
  7. Melt the metal to a carefully predetermined temperature in an electronically controlled crucible
  8. Vacuum cast the melted metal into the heated flask - each flask done manually - flask by flask
  9. Control-cool the Flask
  10. Blast the investment from the tree using a production devestor - in protective gloves
  11. Clip the pieces from the tree and clean and finish them by hand using a series of small tools

 

 

Finishing Tools