The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-27

II must be withdrawn, however. b.
fore the molten metal be poured In.
How does Mr.. Lens accomplish this?
Why. the preventative has transformed
the vegetable matter 30 that by the ap.
pllcation OF heat the model Ia first
dried IN and then turned into a gase-
GUS product that easily escapes. The
mould cavities are then left perfectly
clean and ready to receive the melted
metal.
In the case Of the wax original Of q
statuette he can cast directly from that
model and by doing this he escapes
much Of the work and many Of the
drawbacks ommon 10 any Of The other
! processes. His method Of encasing his
model is such that the delicate plastic
! wax used by tho sculptor Is not de-
fc.rded IN building the mould about II.
And Just as he faithfully reproduces
| every turn and vein In leaf and petal Of
natures making so can he perpetuate
In metal the very spirit Of the waxen
Ggure that bears every loving touch Of
It's creator.
or course this wax original has to be
melted out after the mould hardens.
On the other hand, prevailing practice
requires that the artists sketch shall
be encased In a gelatin mould which
can he taken from around the original
BY halving and fiexing. The parts Of
this mould are hen put together again
and into II Us poured a much harder
wax which Is ID make the impress In
the mould that is to receive the molten
metal.
When this waxcn casting IL removed
from the gelatin mould II generally has
ridges upon It where the mould parts
have been brought together and all Of
these must be removed by the sculptor.
But as the stun is no longer plastic
enough 10 be modelled by the fingers
the artist Is forced to use tools.
To do this work properly takes time
and often the figure IL injured as we'll.
n this is the case another hard wax
casting has TO he made. In this me.
Charical work here II always a risk
that something Of the original charm
Of the sketch may be ob,iterated or
marred. All OF this In done away with
b. the method developed by Mr.. LEM.
But MIR. LEM would be still, a long
a OFF from the goal for which he
has striven for years II he had not
achieved something even moro help
ful. How does he makc II possible for
the molten metal to AL every cavity,
passage and the most delicate racer
impressed ard caused by his model?
Manifestly he must keep his meta.
thoroughly fluid and the marvel of II
is that he does not have to a
highly heated mould or 10 a mechani-
cally made vacuum or pressure applied
through a siphon.
Just the am simple as his mould
is. his metal does all that he desires.
and the reason FOR this il that he has
discovered an earthly composition that
does not absorb the heat from the
molten metal. This Ii q rea discovery
and tho fundamental secret Of his sue
cess.
For n long time MIR. LEM expert
mented with asbestos. magnes.a,
plaster OF paris and other wei, known
materials. hut. none of them answered
The best OF them extracted enough
heat from the metal to check its flow
when feeding through narrow pas
eages especially when n good deal OF
metal had 10 pass be.ond TO Al up OF
20 rouNd out cavities OF considerable
size.
Finally. after a deal ~ patient
searching, he hi, upon TIE mixture q.
carths which he row uses n then h.
knew that he was freed from III.
bonds that had lied his hands In the
past. so n~on-conductivc Ia this com
position that he docs not have to hea'
: rs mould up 20 n hi-l temperature
jul; before tccm.ng his metal into Il
OF course lie warns II. but only for the
purpose of getting rid OF any trace OF
moisture; and when hottest he car
hold il without discomfort in his bare
, hand.
II feel now that | am fairly started
: upon an un'rnmmelled path for m!
r art" he said. "and before long ! an
! going 10 do things IN the way Of cast
: ing bronze figures with god and silve
. decorations ,hat will win ever NOR
d admiration than my recent efforts
n What can model IN Max | can ccr
q ta.uly pe%rpc:uate N metal. The cuC
= Ming of the old masters need ne longe
surprise"