What are the technological characteristics of "Fan Tao Method" and "Lost Wax Method" casting bronzes?

When casting bronzes by Fan Tao method, there must be the following marks due to technological reasons: uneven thickness of the vessel wall, casting marks on the vessel belly, vessel bottom and vessel foot, dislocation of patterns at the joint between vessels, red or gray fan soil left in the ears, feet and mirrors, which are very firm and cannot be removed by nails; There will be pads arranged regularly on the abdomen and bottom.

Objects cast by lost wax method can be exquisite and have the effect of hollowing out.

Extended data

1, the model and model of Fan Tao method can only be used once, and bronzes will leave some traces of craftsmanship, which is the characteristic of Fan Tao method.

Fan line: Because the "outer fan" is divided into multiple pieces, there will be a small gap between the fan blocks when the fans are combined. When casting, this small gap will leave casting marks on the bronze surface. Generally, utensils will be polished after casting, but it is not easy to polish where there are many patterns, and the bottom of utensils is generally not polished, so it is easy to see the fan line.

Gasket: In order to adjust the position of the internal and external fans, a copper gasket should be placed between the internal and external fans. After casting, these copper gaskets will remain on the wall of bronze ware. Because the gasket is placed to avoid the parts with ornamentation and inscriptions, it is more common in the bottom and lower abdomen of bronzes.

Bubble: There will be air holes when pouring (that is, where the copper liquid does not flow). Because the ancient bronze melt was deoxidized by charcoal, and because of the limitation of the technological level at that time, a large number of bubbles and slag impurities would appear in the castings. In modern casting, phosphorus copper is deoxidized, and investment casting and sand turning are used, so the casting has good compactness and can imitate the model line, but not the gasket.

Casting lump: the copper liquid left in the pouring hole and exhaust hole is cooled to form casting lump.

In addition, some closed parts, such as feet and ears, often have pyramid-shaped protrusions, the height of which is exactly the thickness of the feet and ears of the casting, so after casting, the mud core will be closed inside the casting.

2. The history of dewaxing in China can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The earliest bronze ware cast by dewaxing method was Wang Xiong Shen Yu of Chu State. In addition, the moire bronze plate unearthed from Si Xia Chu's tomb in Xichuan and the bronze plate statue of Zeng Houyi's tomb in Warring States period unearthed from Leigudun in Suizhou are also typical artifacts made by lost wax method.

From the Han and Tang Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the lost wax method was passed down from generation to generation and was carried forward by craftsmen for a long time. Until now, it is still a common bronze casting technology.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Fan Taofa

Baidu encyclopedia-lost wax method