Magazine / Tecnique / Fusione a cera persa

Fusione a cera persa

by Flavio Bassi

The creation of a shape

With the "fusione a cera persa" one obtains a tangible shape starting from an idea.
The "fusione a cera persa" is a technique which comes from far. Its foundations, introduced by the florentine master Benvenuto Cellini in the XVI century, crossed the time and the space.

From the idea to the design

Projecting is the first materialization of the idea.
Still in a partial arrangement, the paper sheet is however the fundamental step for the expression of concepts that before existed in abstract only.

From the design to the wax

Modeling makes the idea tangible.
With manual utensils simple (as files and hacksaw) or electrical (drills, millingcutters) one creates from a block of wax a model of the designed object.

From the wax to the plaster

The wax shape is "sacrificed" and its essence is transferred to a more resistant material: the plaster.
One makes a mould of wax model with a plaster mixture, leaves the mould to exsiccate with the wax inside and then puts it in the oven to cook. With the cooking the plaster solidifies, the wax "disappears" and the plaster gains inside the imprint of the preexistent wax model.

From the plaster to the raw metal

Now is the plaster shape which passes its formal informations to a nobler material as can be a metal like the gold or the silver.
One injects the fused metal inside the plaster mould. After the solidification one obtains a solid metal model of the shape invented at the beginning.

From the raw metal to the pure metal

The cleaning up and the polishing of the metal make the shape pure.
With very thin sandpaper or with rotating brushes one makes smooth and shining the metallic material as one likes.

From the pure metal to the finished jewel

The obtained metal object can be the unique piece jewel.
Well, then the engraver master and the setter master intervene, to decorate the infinitesimal surfaces and to fix the choiced stones. The shape initially invented reaches now its definitive materialization.

From the pure metal to the rubber

The metal object obtained from the fusion can in alternative be model which retransmits its shape informations.
One makes a mould of the metal model with the rubber.

From the rubber to the wax

The rubber passes its informations to the wax.
One injects liquid wax in the rubber mould. At the solidification one obtains a wax model which permits to retake the process exactly in the "from the wax to the plaster" point obtaining at the end a new metal object.