Ceramic shell vs. lost foam for small bronze runs, my shift in thinking

I used to swear by lost foam for anything under 50 pounds, but after a job for a local sculptor in Portland last month, I'm done with it. The foam residue kept causing pin holes in the bronze no matter how I adjusted the vents. Switched to ceramic shell on the same pattern, first pour came out clean with way less grinding time. Anyone else ditched a method they had used for years after one frustrating batch?

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1 Comment

wells.evan2d ago

Wait, you actually got a clean first pour with ceramic shell on the same pattern? That's wild. I was the opposite, I thought lost foam was the only way for small stuff but after a couple batches with tiny pits I just gave up on it too. Shell is a pain to setup but the finish is way better.