The Building Process

Regardless of the final art form, be it fine gold jewelry, bronze race cars or full size human figures, the processes involved in the "lost wax" casting method are basically the same. The three car body shapes and larger components were sculpted in clay and then used to form rubber or silicone molds to reproduce the original art work in wax. After detail finishing of each wax pattern, the piece is submerged in a slurry of investment material, which after curing, is placed in a furnace where the wax is melted out of the investment mold. This is where the term "lost wax" originates, and it's this burning out process that provides the cavity in the mold for the molten bronze to be poured into.

All of the smaller engine and suspension components are fabricated entirely by hand using various metals such as brass, aluminum or silver. These original patterns are then encased in a rubber material and vulcanized in a hot press to produce a rubber mold. Hot wax is injected into each mold to produce that component in wax, and the wax pieces are attached to a casting sprue and placed inside a stainless steel flask and immersed in a slurry of plaster like material. After furnace curing and wax burnout, the molten metal is poured into the flask with a vacuum assist. The investment is broken apart the the rough castings are ready to be filed, shaped and sanded to their final shape before the polishing phase begins!

The original clay sculpting for the Eagle
Engine patterns in clay, wood,and brass.
 The Lotus 49 body pattern in oil based clay.
       Leather hard Chavant modeling clay.
The clay car bodies are primed for their silicone molds.
The mold making process after the original car pattern is completed.

Ferrari 312 bedded into the mold/casting box.
A wax casting being detail prepped for the foundry.
After the mold investment process, the wax pattern is melted out and molten bronze is poured into the mold.
The mold material is sandblasted off the rough body casting.
7 lbs of Ferrari bronze casting. Now the real work begins.
Hand fabricated half shaft pattern in brass.
A rubber mold for producing rear view mirrors by injecting wax into the mold cavity.
Suspension components attached to a "button" for casting.
A stainless steel flask is placed over the wax suspension pieces.
The flask is filled with liquid investment material which is kiln fired at 1200 deg. to cure and burn out the wax patterns.
After the wax parts are melted out of the investment mold, molten bronze is poured into the cavity under vacuum..
This is the essence of the "lost wax" casting process.
The investment material is sand blasted away before each piece is cut from it's casting sprue. Each will be hand filed to proper shape, then smoothed and polished.
Drilling the Weslake block for the exhaust pipes.
Each of 12 manifold pipes are cast in proper shape to fit correctly. You can't just bend this stuff!
Soldering the bronze oil lines for the Eagle.
Components are pre fit before soldering.
The Weslake engine starts to come together.
Each exhaust component is a solid bronze casting.
All suspension components are drilled and tapped.
Brass fasteners are used to secure the rear suspension pieces to the upright.
The suspension is bolted to the chassis. The wheels and tires are cast of bronze.
This Eagle chassis is ready to accept the Gurney Weslake V-12 engine.
A final assembly of the rear suspension.
The Eagle on it's assembly stanchion with a trial engine fitting.
The Ferrari 312 assembly in bronze.
The engine and transmission are attached to the monocoque.
 Wheels and bronze tires are in place.
A final alignment adjustment.
The enameled body before final assembly.
Ready for induction and exhaust components.
An introduction to a real 312 at Watkins Glen.
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