CASTAWAY FOUNDRIES
affordable bronze casting
Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
CASTAWAY FOUNDRIES affordable bronze casting Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ |
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Are Chinese foundries as good as
Western foundries? One would think that the answer would be obvious since China is the birthplace of bronze. However - it isn't all that simple. Due to various political and economic factors, many foundries in China do not meet Western standards in terms of quality. But some do - and those are the ones we use!!! In fact, we use the foundries which the top Chinese sculptors themselves use. There is much more commissioning of public and corporate sculpture happening right now in China than in the West. Hence large foundries, and a great deal of expertise - but you would really have to do your homework and research for a while to find the best foundries... For bronze castings, must I provide a hard copy of my original or will a mould suffice? It is best to provide a hard copy - this will enable the work to be checked against it at both WAX and then METAL stages. We can always have a new mould made in China in the bronze foundry to reproduce from rather than sending your original mould. How can it be so cheap? We are able to offer you great savings because Western labour and material prices far exceed those of China today. As in most Chinese factories and large companies, the workers in the foundries we use actually live on-site in special accommodation buildings, have their meals together, and go home to their families during their days off (if they live close by), or in any event during the Chinese holidays. The lower cost of living in an art foundry in China translates into cheaper labour costs. So we can offer cheap bronze casting. Can you cast a single piece? Yes. But savings over Western prices are greatest for large (monumental) sculpture, or limited edition bronze and unlimited editions rather than for small "one-of" pieces. Is there any likelihood of "illegal" or "unauthorized" copies of my work being made? No. The foundries and studios we use are 100% trustworthy. If they wish to display a sample of one of your sculptures in their foundry gallery, they will always ask for permission first. Can you guarantee your patinas will satisfy me? We hope you will be satisfied, but we cannot undertake any guarantees with regards patinas... Colours are too subjective. We will make every effort to follow your instructions, but your screen monitor settings may alter what we have shown you on our website, the colour you may have picked may not look the same on the surface of your particular sculpture, etc. If the patina isn't exactly how you envisioned it, you will need to have it done again in your home country at your own expense as shipping it all there and back again is going to take too much time and end up costing a whole lot more! See our bronze Patination Chart. What are the details of your foundries in China? Our policy is to provide full details (location, contact name of Chinese foundry manager, etc.) only to sculptors wishing to visit the foundry, and in any case only after orders have been placed and a deposit received. We will ask you to sign a "fairness" agreement. See Working Methods page. |
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