3. Production of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig Monuments

A lot goes into the production and casting of a bronze sculpture. The casting process really is an art in and of itself. Regarding the production of the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig monuments…

Scott says:

“If you ever want to have your mind blown, visit Metal Arts Foundry. I’ve learned that the secret to a great foundry is having men that ‘give a damn’. I’m so appreciative of the boys at Metal Arts Foundry. I’ve worked with them since 1997. They are the best. There are so many steps to the lost wax process, I would only confuse you to enumerate them all. After 32 years of having sculptures cast into bronze, I’m still learning about the process and subtle nuances of production. To take a clay sculpture, make a mold that is cut up into as many is 96 pieces (truth), have it go through a wax stage, investment shell stage, burn out stage, bronzing stage, sandblasting stage, chipping stage, welding stage, and then to have the sculpture patinaed with numerous chemicals, only to look at the finished product, and still see my fingerprints…..fingerprints that were in the original sculpted clay, staring back at me, is boggling. It literally blows my mind.

One of the key things to making everything work seamlessly on this particular install, was to take measurements and see the location first hand. Close to a year before the install, my cousin, Paul, and I drove to The Silos at Magnolia in Waco Texas to measure the installation location myself. It also assisted me to get a feeling and a vibe on the area where Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, had played (in 1929), and the atmosphere they would be placed. I truly feel by doing so, it assisted me in sculpting them.”

If you’d like to see more photos, and learn more about the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig monuments, you can click this link.