Is it possible to make a clay model and have it cast into chrome?
Precious metal casting is accomplished by something called the “lost wax method”. A wax replica is carved and then set into plaster. After the plaster sets, it is set into a kiln. The heat burns away the wax, leaving a hollow cast inside the plaster. This is tapped by a small hole, liquid metal poured in. The clay and metal are set on a centrifuge and spun to force any trapped air to the surface before the metal solidifies. If a replica of the original cast is desired, the metal is covered in latex, which is then cured. The latex shell is cut away from the metal cast in two pieces. This then becomes a cast for another wax replica, after which the original process begins again. I suppose clay could also be covered in latex and then used as a wax mold.
