CASE STUDY ON CASTING AND JOINTS OF STATUES IN

MDIS CAMPUS

INTRODUCTION.

A statue is a sculpture, representing one or more people or animals, free-standing and normally
full-length and at least close to life-size, or larger.
A small statue, usually small enough to be picked up, is called a statuette or figurine, while one
that is more than twice life-size is called a colossal statue.
The definition of a statue is not always clear-cut; equestrian statues, of a person on a horse, are
certainly included, and in many cases, such as a Madonna and Child or a Pietà, a sculpture of
two people will also be.
Statues have been produced in many cultures from prehistory to the present; the oldest known
statue dating to about 30,000 years ago. The world's tallest statue, Spring Temple Buddha, is
128 metres, and is located in Lushan County, Henan, China.
Many statues are built on commission to commemorate a historical event, or the life of an
influential person. Many statues are intended as public art, exhibited outdoors or in public
buildings. Some statues gain fame in their own right, separate from the person or concept they
represent, as with the Statue of Liberty.

STATUE OF LIBERTY
BACKGROUND.
There are 33 statues of different types and sizes of statues found in MDIS campus
Singapore. Each statue conveys an idea or information of famous personalities or
value of relationships. In this investigative report, you are to accomplish the
following:
1. Take photos of at least 10 statues in the campus.
2. Provide details on Name, Location, Size and Material for each statue.
3. Describe the properties of the materials used for the statue and explain
the advantages and disadvantages of each material.
4. Propose at least 2 methods that may be used to manufacture the
statue
5. Compare and contrast the methods in terms of scale, cost, accuracy
and manufacturability.
6. Propose the best manufacturing method/s to make the statues.
7. Describe the manufacturing steps in detail.
8. Take photos and identify 5 joints observed in any statues.
9. Explain the process and steps of performing the joints.
10.Lesson learned and summary – what have you learned from this
report?

NAME, LOCATION, SIZE & MATERIAL.

 1)
FASHION DESIGNER 2) JUBILANT STUDENT 3) BASKETBALLER
-Block A Entrance -Parking Lot -Block A Entrance
-Medium Size -Medium Size -Medium Size
-Bronze Material -Bronze Material -Bronze Material

4) CRICKET PLAYER 5) JOYFUL STUDENT 6) SCIENTIST

-Block A Entrance -Parking Lot -Block A Entrance
-Medium Size -Medium Size -Medium Size
-Bronze Material -Bronze Material -Bronze Material
 7) LECTURER 8) GRADUATE 9) LION
-Block B Study Lounge -Block B Study Lounge -Main Entrance
-Medium Size -Medium Size -Medium Size
-Bronze Material -Bronze Material -Marble Material

PROPERTIES, ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF BRONZE.

Properties of Bronze Advantages Disadvantages

material Of Bronze Of Bronze
● Highly ductile ● Bronze is an alloy ● Bronze are generally softer, weaker.
consisting copper
● Exhibits low friction and metals (usually ● More expensive than brass and
against other tin) produces an steel.
metals. alloy much harder
than plain copper. ● Bronze has poor resistance to
● Brittle, but less so ammonia and ferric compounds and
than cast iron. ● It resists corrosion cyanides.
and metal fatigue
● Copper-based alloys better. ● Dirt and dust can eat into its surface.
have lower melting
points than steel or ● It conducts heat and ● Corrosion and deterioration.
iron and are more electricity, better
readily produced than most steels. ● Bronze piece is cast in a mould, it
from their has a non-bronze core which left in
constituent metals. place accidentally. This material then
● Wrenches and makes its way through the bronze
● 10% denser than mallets in areas and in time finds its way to the
steel. containing surface, manifesting as tiny white
● Melting point of flammable vapours spots, enlarge over time and must be
 bronze varies and high explosives
depending on the because it does not
ratio of the alloy generate sparks
components and is when colliding with
about 950 °C (1,742 hard surfaces.
°F).
● It picks up fine
● Usually details when cast
nonmagnetic, but and shrinks when
certain alloys set, making it easy
containing iron or to remove from
nickel may have casts.
magnetic properties.
● Bronze alloys
● Bronze is solid in display unusual
room temperature. property of
expanding a small
● Bronze in its “raw” amount when
state is a “pinkish”, solidifying from liquid
salmon colored into solid. Which is
metal, and odorless. desirable for
sculpture casting,
● Insoluble in water. helps to fill a mold.
removed by bronze restoration
experts.
● A sudden appearance of small areas
of light green, rough spots on a piece
of bronze indicates the presence of
Bronze Disease that causes rust in
iron-based metals. This acid forms
copper and tin chlorides which break
down the bronze
● Bronze containing 8 to 14% tin runs
from 7400 to 8900 kilograms per
cubic meter while iron is 7850
kilograms per cubic meter,
comparing both bronze and iron
which bronze is heavier in weight.
● It can react to many pollutants,
especially those containing sulphur
compounds.

● Relative density of ● Upon exposure to

~8.8g/cc. air, bronze oxidizes
on its outer layer.
● Its form are almost This patina consists
limitless since it may of copper oxide,
be cast in any shape which eventually
for which a mold can becomes copper
be devised. carbonate. The
oxide layer protects
the interior metal
from further
corrosion.

PROPERTIES, ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF MARBLE.

Properties of Marble Advantages Disadvantages

material Of Marble Of Marble
● Marble is usually a light-
colored rock.
● Hardness about 3 to 4
on Mohs Scale.
● Density about 2.5 to 2.65
kg/m3.
● Compressive strength
about 1800 to 2100
kg/cm2.
● Water absorption less
than 1%.
● Low Porosity.
● Heat resistant to weather
impact.
● Marble is acid sensitive
which is readily dissolved
in acid.
● Marble is medium
grained.
● Luster - dull to pearly
to subvitreous.
● Specific Gravity -
2.86-2.87.
● Transparency -
Opaque.
● Specific Heat
Capacity - 0.88 kJ/Kg
K.
METHODS TO MANUFACTURE BRONZE STATUES.
METHOD/S LOST WAX CASTING
● It is broken at the ● Marble does not
first process is bear handling well
relatively soft and as it will absorb skin
easy to refine and oils when touched,
polish. which leads to
yellow brownish
● Slight surface staining.
transparency, which
is the human skin ● More resistant than
equivalent that a limestone it is
marble sculpture subject to attack by
gives an optical weak acids, and so
depth across the performs poorly in
surface, reminiscent outdoor
of a certain realism environments
when used for subject to acid rain.
figurative works.
● Marble lacks ductility
● Finished marble age and strength,
it becomes harder requiring special
and more durable. structural
considerations when
● The cheaper and planning a sculpture.
less transparent
Limestone is largely ● Fault lines limit the
due to the fineness size to which statues
of the grain is made can be carved.
of marble, which
allows the sculptor
smallest detail in a
way not always
possible to do with
limestone based, it
is also more
weather resistant.
COMPUTER NUMERICAL
CONTROL MACHINING (CNC)
 SCALE Suitable for large and small Can be used for all sizes and any
quantities of parts and shape.
complex shape.

COST Cheaper than machining. Expensive than casting.

ACCURACY High precision and flexibility of High precision and smooth surface.
design.

MANUFACTURABILITY ● Useful for casting alloys ● Good surface finish

that are difficult to ● High speed but high power
machine consumption
● Suitable for most ● Automated cuts improve the
ferrous/ non-ferrous speed and the accuracy
metals ● CNC machine moves in 5-
● No flash to be removed axis so it allows you to cut all
or parting line the sides without the need of
tolerances. manual intervention.
● Free finish.

LOST WAX CASTING CNC MACHINING

METHODS TO MANUFACTURE MARBLE STATUES.

METHOD/S STONE CARVING LASER CUTTING

SCALE Suitable for large and Suitable for large and
 small scale as it can be small scale, and
done alone or by group. complex shape.

COST Cheaper than laser Expensive than stone

cutting as we only use carving as machines
tools to carve, no required to do laser
machines needed. cutting.

ACCURACY Not as accurate as laser Excellent accuracy.

cutting, due to manual
carving by hands tools.
Flexible in design.

MANUFACTURABILITY Low manufacturability High manufacturability

due to more work due to its speed on
process required and carving stone is way
takes longer time to be faster than hand tools
done. and take lesser time to
be done.
STONE CARVING LASER-CUTTING

BEST MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR BRONZE.

LOST WAX CASTING ● Flexible design (intricate forms even

forms with undercut)

● High precision (Allows for unique shapes

Die Casting of casting that would be impossible in
Wax Pattern other methods)

● Cost reduction (provides exact shapes

which leads to lower material cost,
reduces initial tooling cost)

● Environment friendly (produced from wax

patterns which in most cases can be
reclaimed and used again)

● The lost-wax casting process can be

LOST WAX CASTING MANUFACTURING used on anyPROCESS.
material that can melt burn
and evaporate to leave behind a mould
In lost wax casting process wax pattern is coated with refractory ceramic material and
cavity. which takes the shape of the casting after
ceramic material is hardened its internal geometry
that wax is melted out and molten metal is poured in the cavity. The lost wax casting is
divided in below mentioned departments for process
● Near control ofcastings
net shape castings. are produced
with high productivity.
Die/Mold Making: For making die it is very important to get perfect drawings of the
specimen to get perfect die cavity as per norms.
Wax Pattern Making : After we get a correct die with perfect dimensions wax is injected in
the die making is the replica of the final piece which is going to be casted.

Wax Pattern Tree: Wax patterns dimensions are properly checked using Vernier caliper
and are mounted on runner systems using sticky wax and finally it looks like wax pattern
tree.

Shell Building : After the wax pattern are completely stick on the runners they are properly
inspected and then are dipped in refractory ceramic material and coated with zircon sand
kept for drying and after a cycle of dipping coating and drying a thick layer is formed on the
wax patterns which is called ceramic shell.

Dewaxing: After the shell is fully dried they are placed on shell stand and inserted in
autoclave dewaxing machine and the wax is taken out from the shell at about 175°C which
leaves the same cavity as the wax pattern inside the shell.

Shell Firing : When the wax is removed from the shell. Shell firing is done to remove the
remains of the wax and increase the permeability of the shell.

Casting: As the shell achieves a certain temperature in shell firing furnace the shell is taken
out and placed on a sand bed and then the metal is poured in the cavity of the shell.

Refractory Ceramic Removal : As the metal is cooled down after pouring in shell the
shell is set to knocking machine to remove the refractory ceramic and get the final casted
parts.

Finishing : The final castings are separated from the runner bars and further taken in
machining department where finishing work like fettling, finishing is done of the casted parts.
If needed certain heat treatments and surface treatments are given.

BEST MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR MARBLE.

STONE CARVING ● Since marble statue not in a

large size, it’s better to use
hand tools, although it takes
time but way cheaper in
cost.

● Flexibility on design.
STONE CARVING MANUFACTURING PROCESS.
● The first step is to obtain tools, equipment and personal safety gear.
● Check if marble block is big enough. Draw the outline of our model on
the block itself with chalk or a crayon. Measure with a compass or just a
ruler.
● First part of the actual carving is to eliminate those areas of the block
that on the outside of our projected figure, on the outside of that chalk
line we drew. We can whack them away with hammer or pointed chisel.
● After we have achieved the rough shape that we want, we switch to
smaller tools, fork-chisel or claw-chisel to refine the shape and/or add
details.
● Start from the eyelids and the wings of noses and fingernails and then
continue with the body parts and so on, with very fine claw chisels. Most
people would carve those with a fine flat chisel.
● Statue is now carved, polish it. Use files first, then take some rough
sandpaper and start sanding. That rough sandpaper will take out the big
digs in our surface but will leave scratches.
● To get the surface faultlessly smooth, we will need at least five or six
sizes of sandpaper. The last ones are used with water. We can also
grind up a pumice stone and make a froth of that.
● Some recesses are so hard to reach with your fingers, have to move the
pulverized pumice around with a bamboo stick. Bamboo doesn’t scratch
marble.

JOINTS ON STATUE.
10) FAMILY OF FIVE

- Parking Lot
- Large Size
- Bronze Material

JOINTS ON THE STATUE

- Legs attached to the ground

- Son’s finger welded to Mother’s hand
- Bag is welded to the Son’s back
- Daughter is welded to Father’s Shoulder
- Baby’s head welded to Baby’s body
11) CAMERAMAN
- Block C Area
- Medium Size
- Bronze Material

JOINTS ON THE STATUE

- Fingers welded to camera

- Mic welded to headset
- Camera set welded to the stand
- Handle at the side of camera welded to camera set
- Stands attached to the ground

PROCESS & STEPS OF PERFORMING JOINTS.

FOR WELDING
1) First, gathering materials

● Get an Arc Welder. Our machine should have a tungsten electrode and a
chamber for shielding gas.
● Argon Gas is a shielding gas which protects the material we are welding from
the environment. Oxygen and water vapor getting into our project will weaken
the weld. The gas we’ll use is argon, possibly combined with some amount of
helium depending on the depth of the weld.
● For Bronze welding, we use Bronze Rod, but these rods come in varieties
with differing amounts of copper, aluminum, and other metals. Ideally, we
want to match the composition of the rod and the thickness of the weld we
need.
● Choose the right Flux. Flux is a substance that cleans metal, protects it, and
facilitates heat transfer. When using a Arc Welder, flux isn’t necessary to do
the welding, but we could use it for cleaning. Choose a flux that matches the
metals in the objects and rods we are welding.

2) Initiating a Weld

● Take safety precautions. Welding should only be started once our skin is
protected. Wear a mask to avoid acids, welding odors, sparks, and stray
fragments. Underneath, wear a welding suit and gloves that covers our arms
and legs.
● Clean the metals. To get a good weld, the surface of the metal we’re using
has to be free from substances such as oxides, grease, and oil. Use a
degreasing solution to remove the grease and oil first. Rust and scale can be
removed by pickling, soaking the metal in a compatible strong acid such as
hydrochloric acid. Use an abrasive such as an emery cloth to remove dirt.
● Flux the parts. If using flux, use a brush to coat the spot where the weld will
happen. The flux looks like a paste and should be spread evenly along the
surface. Coat the Bronze rod too or dip it into the flux. Cover it completely with
the flux.
● Start your welder. If you’re using a Arc Welder, set it to a low current, about
80-95 amps. Halve the current for brazing. An AC (alternating current) setting
is good for keeping the oxide out when using aluminum bronze, but otherwise
a DC (direct current) is a common choice.

3) Completing the Weld

● Heat the welding surface. Start your torch or welder and bring the heat close
to the surface. The metal will have a higher melting point than the Bronze
Rods, but still avoid pointing the heat directly at the surface. Keep the torch or
welder moving, causing the metal to heat up evenly. Look for the metal to
change colors, such as to a dull red or orange.
● Lower the rod to the heat. Hold the torch or welder at an angle so that it
strikes the bottom of the rod. A little heat should reach the metal you are
welding in order to keep it warm. Move the rod along the surface as the filler
material pools and forms the weld.
 ● Allow the weld to cool. Turn off your torch and put away what’s left of your
Bronze Rod. Let the weld set. The weld should be solidified before you
attempt to clean it.
● Clean the weld. If you used flux, you need to make sure all of it is gone or
else it will corrode the metal. Rinse the welded metal in hot water while it is
still hot, if you can. Use a wire brush to remove stubborn scales. For oxide
formed during welding, repeat the process of pickling the metal in an acid
bath, such as hydrochloric acid. Rinse off the acid when done.

SUMMARY.

As we know that Lost-Wax Casting was belong to the Chalcolithic

period (4500–3500 BC) and also Stone Carving, but in fact lots of
industrial company had been using this method nowadays to come up
with different type of product, which mainly on creating sculptures. From
the slides on top, shows that those are really useful manufacture method
to achieve what a structure of a statue must have.

What I learned so far from this report is that we shouldn’t just look at the
final product but also take a good look on the process and steps
required to create the final product. It’s not that easy to just create a
statue without giving any attention to it, we must look into the materials
needed and also method/s required to cast it.
For materials side, we need to compare all sorts of material in the world
and choose the one which doesn’t corrode that easily, harder than other
metals and also conduct heat due to exposure to sunlight, to maintain
the good figure of a statue.

As for method/s used to cast a statue, first of all is to compare the

methods regarding their Scale, Cost, Accuracy and Manufacturability.
By comparing the four, then we can have a final decision on methods to
manufacture statues. Because most of the methods will eventually come
to the same final product, so we must benefit ourselves by choosing the
one which is cheaper in cost, flexible in designs & complex shape, and
yet will give us the best final product we could possibly achieve.

After all of this, I would never treat a statue based on its look and think
it’s just a normal statue. This report truly changes our thinking on statues
by just spending some quality time researching it!