Resin Sculptures

Iron or Bronze resin make a good affordable alternative than bronze for sculpture. They are cold cast so the foundry costs are a lot lower than with traditional lost wax bronze casting.

The resin is mixed with iron or bronze powder so the finished sculpture has a satisfying weight and looks good.

They can be brittle, like a piece of ceramic, so try not to drop them on a hard floor or they will break.

Bronze resin sculptures are ideal for outside and require little maintenance, iron resin will develop a layer of rust which can look attractive in a garden setting.

If you are displaying the sculpture indoors it will just need a bit a of light dusting now and again.

Where Dreams Come From under a tree in a garden

Caring for a Bronze or Iron Resin Sculpture Outdoors

To keep you sculpture looking its best, then regularly washing and waxing is recommended, similar to how you would look after garden furniture.

If there is a build-up of dust, salt, soil or bird lime the sculpture can be washed in the following way:

  1. Wash down with a non-ionic detergent in cold water, using a soft natural bristle brush to clean any deep texture.
  2. Rinse off with clean water and dry with a clean cotton towel.
  3. Once clean and dry apply a thin even coat of ‘Liberon Black Bison Wax’. Apply this with a soft 2” natural bristle brush (it may be necessary to wrap the ferrule with tape to avoid scratching the bronze resin).  To load the brush with wax drag it backwards and forwards across the surface of the wax several times and remove any excess by wiping on the side of the tin, then rub the wax onto the surface of the sculpture moving the brush in a circular motion and spreading it around as thinly as possible.
  4. The wipe a lot of the wax off with a cloth, the cloth will get very wet with wax, as it dries just dab/stipple the surface to remove any brush marks.

Any graffiti – such as permanent marker or spray paint – should be removed with Methylated Spirit prior to washing.  If this does not remove the marks acetone could be used but use sparingly as this will also remove the wax and possibly affect the patina.

Non-ionic detergent – a class of synthetic detergents in which the molecules do not ionize in aqueous solutions. These detergents do not leave salt traces on the bronze resin.  For example, Simoniz Protection Car Wash is a suitable product.

Liberon Black Bison Wax – Liberon is the brand name of the product, either the dark oak, medium oak or antique pine would work, https://restorate.co.uk/products/liberon-liquid-wax-polish-black-bison