Bob Darr demonstrates bronze casting

In March,  Bob Darr, the director of the Arques Wooden Boat School demonstrated the traditional bronze casting process for the students in the Youth Boat Building Apprentice Program.
The tool he cast is called a "dolly" and will be used by the students when they start to rivet together the boat they are building this year.
The demonstration took place over three weeks.
Step One was creating a sand mold using a wooden model of the tool.
Step Two was melting the bronze, which was recycled from old boat propellers, and pouring it into the mold.
Step Three was cracking the mold and releasing the rough tool. The tool is then cleaned up and is ready to go to work!
 

Pouring hot bronze into mold.

Bob melting bronze in a crucible

The open mold with raw Dolly

Raw & finished Dollys and wooden master