Sculptures

WORKS IN BRONZE

All the bronze works by Stebo are cast using the lost wax technique. We exclusively use Bzn7 sculptural bronze. Bzn7 bronze is an alloy comprising 88&perc; copper, 7&perc; tin, 3&perc; zinc and 2&perc; lead.

The main processing stages involve: creation of a negative model in chalk.

The model is entirely coated with pure beeswax, paraffin and Greek pitch to a thickness of about 8 mm, although this may vary depending on the dimensions of the work.

A product called lute is then placed in contact with the wax. It is a special refractory earth that strengthens the wax at the same time as allowing the removal from the negative model. The artist at this stage uses heated chisels to touch-up the wax, eliminate all imperfections and finish the original work.

Master wax craftsmen then use high pressure jets with paraffin nozzles to make sure that the molten bronze penetrates into every detail.

The refractory model is then finalised to make sure that all the wax is encapsulated.

The final model is then placed in the furnace for 4-8 days. Once the model is "cured", the bronze is poured - but only after mounting the metallic mesh and chalk sheaths around the model itself so that the heat of the bronze does not cause damage or imperfections.

The bronze ingots are placed in the graphite crucible capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures.

When the melting point is reached (about 1100 °C), the crucible is hoisted by a special device and its contents are poured into the refractory model.

We then have to wait for several hours before releasing the unfinished casting from the refractory model and then begin finishing and chiselling operations on the resulting work.

Finishing eliminates all the casting imperfections, while chiselling perfects even the tiniest details so that the final work perfectly reflects the concepts created by the artist.

Patina finishing using fixing acids at high temperature gives the bronze its final colour.

The Four Evangelists - 170 cm. drafts - Sanctuary - Madonna del Carmelo - Costa d'Oneglia – IM