Melting the bronze

This photo depicts bronze ingots being loaded into the crucible to melt. This crucible holds 450 pounds of melted bronze.
While bronze is melting inside the crucible, other ingots, later to be loaded, are placed around the crucible to heat.
The crucible is checked periodically to determine if more bronze should be added. There is a pile of bronze ingots depicted above left of the open crucible.
Students weigh their wax piece and gating before the very first dip in the investment process. That weight is used to calculate the amount of bronze the student must purchase before the piece can be poured. If the wax piece and gating weighs 1 pound, 11 pounds of bronze must be purchased. I have never had a one pound piece. Most of my pieces weigh at least 2 pounds which would require 22 pounds of bronze. Bronze can be purchased at metal supply stores and is currently selling for almost $8 a pound. Students get a small discount. We also re-use gating and cups from prior projects after they have been cleaned and sand blasted. Now you know why bronze sculptures are so expensive: the bronze is expensive!