Combining age-old casting techniques with innovative methods, our family-owned and operated foundry provides personal attention to every aspect of each project. We work closely with the artists whose work we cast, retaining their vision as it is transformed into bronze. We also create and produce designs in consultation with clients who need both artistic and foundry services. Attention to detail ensures a high-quality finished product.
Visit our gallery for photos of more of our designs.
Bronze Plaques
We collaborate with you to create a personal memorial. Bronze plaques may be made in any size or shape, and we will incorporate scenes or symbols that are individually sculpted to your specifications. You may wish to indicate the type of edge or font by referring to the samples in our plaque gallery.
The Casting Process
Casting is an ancient art. At Nisse Foundry & Design, the past and present meet. Sculpture, patterns, and molds are hand-crafted and individually poured. Despite use of some modern aids, bronze casting in this manner forms a link with the past.
Lost-wax casting
This method is used for sculpture and other three-dimensional work. Early castings were made by coating a wax figure in clay or a dung mixture and burning this until the wax melted, leaving a hollow mold into which the molten metal was poured. Nowadays, to reproduce waxes, a rubber and plaster mold is made from the sculpture so that more than one copy is possible. Also, the mold allows the casting to be hollow to avoid shrinkage flaws. A mold is made in as many pieces as necessary to allow the extraction of the original and later the wax replica. A hollow wax replica is made from the mold and chased to recapture the flawless original. This is then fitted with sprews and vents and encased in either a refractory plaster investment or in ceramic shell to form a mold. In either method, the mold is heated to burn off all wax and moisture (usually taking about thirty hours), then the molten metal is poured to fill the space left by the melted wax. Molten bronze is about 2,200 degrees fahrenheit when poured.
Sand casting
This method is used for flat objects such as plaques or other items where a pattern can be made that will have draft in only one direction such that the pattern can be lifted from the sand without tearing the sand. Patterns can be made from wood, metal, hard wax, or any other material that can withstand having sand tamped against it without deforming. The sand is a mixture of silica sand, clay and water in the correct combination. The pattern is placed between two boxes and sand is packed into these boxes. The boxes are separated and the pattern removed. A feeder sprew and vents are cut into the sand and the boxes reassembled together and clamped. Molten metal is now poured into the sand mold through the sprew hole and allowed to set and cool. The boxes are then separated and the casting shaken out of the sand. The sprew and vents are ground off the casting and it is ready for sandblasting and clean up and perhaps finished with a patina.
Click here for photos of the sand-casting process.
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Plaque or sign
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Sculpture casting
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Design submission
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Nisse Foundry & Design
Box 86
Mont Nebo,
Saskatchewan
Canada S0J 1X0
Fax: 306 - 468 - 2252
Telephone: 306 - 468 - 2853
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