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Specializing in waxwork study and creation for nearly 24 years, provide one-stop wax museum design and customization services.
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Specializing in waxwork study and creation for nearly 24 years, provide one-stop wax museum design and customization services.
The art of wax figure manufacturing has been around for centuries. Wax figures were used by the Greeks and Romans as offerings to gods and to preserve memories of important individuals. Nowadays, these figures are displayed at iconic museums and tourist spots.
If you are also fascinated by the lifelike appearance and complex details of wax figures, this article is for you. We are going to discuss everything from the materials and tools used in wax figure manufacturing.
Raw Materials Used for Wax Figure Manufacturing
Wax figure manufacturing requires a lot of raw materials, ranging from paraffin and beeswax to resin and silicone. Let's discuss them in detail:
Clay
Clay is an important component that's used by wax figure manufacturers to make accurate figures of influential people. It's a type of fine-grained natural soil material that contains a vast amount of minerals and has a white or light color. You can rely on clay to create an initial sculpture and mold of the subject. Wax is then poured into it and hardened to achieve the desired shape.
Silicone
Silicone is an important material used in wax figure manufacturing due to its excellent flexibility, heat resistance, and high dielectric strength. It's actually modified polydimethylsiloxane with a long-chain alkyl silane group and has some good thickening and lubricating properties.
Typically, silicone wax is ideal if you don't want to miss out on even the slightest detail of your subject. It mimics the appearance of real skin and captures subtle skin textures as well as fine lines and wrinkles.
Other than these, resin and fiberglass are also a part of lifelike figurines. For instance, wax figure manufacturers use resin to create parts like hands and feet, while fiberglass to enhance the overall stability of the sculpture.
Tools Used for Wax Figure Manufacturing
Now that you know the different raw materials used in wax figure manufacturing, let's discuss some important tools that help you carve out intricate details easily:
Saw Blades
To start your wax figure-making project, you first need to cut silicone wax and clay into smaller blocks. For this, saw blades like wax blades, skip-a-tooth blades, and regular metal blades are the best options. Regular blades get clogged easily, impacting your work efficiency, so use skip-a-tooth blades instead of these.
Files
Files are tools that help you design intricate features of the wax figure with high precision. For instance, if you want to work on the delicate parts of the figure, like the nose, eyes, and facial expressions, you can use needle files that are thin yet sharp.
Melting Gun
It's a good idea to have a heat or melting gun with you while making a wax figure. This tool enables you to reheat and manipulate wax on certain parts of the figure for fine-tuning and adjustments.
Some other tools that are used in this process include rings (circular carving tools), calipers, micro motors, and scalpel blades.
Overview of the Process of Making a Wax Figure
Once you have gathered all your tools and raw materials, it's time to create the wax figure from scratch. Some basic steps involved in this are:
● Take measurements and photos of the wax figure from different directions (typically, hundreds of measurements are taken).
● Create a clay sculpture with all the details of the subject. Don't miss out on anything, as this sculpture lays the foundation for the final wax figure manufacturing.
● Create a mold (alginate for the body and plaster for the head) and pour silicone wax into it in layers.
● Let the silicone cool down for at least 50 minutes or an hour.
● Once the silicone wax hardens, get the carving tools and start sculpting complex features like facial expressions, whether they are forehead lines, smiles, or wrinkles.
● Insert hair in the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Give it a cut to match the hairstyle of the subject.
● Insert acrylic eyeballs and teeth in the wax figure.
● Paint it using oil paints to mimic the texture and color of real skin, and that's all!
Tips to Maintain a Wax Figure
If you have created a stunning wax figure and are worried about its maintenance, here are some tips that can relieve your stress:
● Place the wax figure in a glass casing or container to prevent dust accumulation
● Keep the temperature around 10 to 20°C to avoid any damage
● Use a soft brush to wipe off any dust or debris on the sculpture. Be careful not to damage the artwork during this.
● Maintain low humidity levels to ensure the metal supports don't rust
Does the Quality of Silicone Materials Impact the Wax Figure?
Yes, the quality of silicone materials you choose for your wax figure greatly impacts the overall outcome. For instance, if you choose a high-quality silicone like platinum silicone, the wax made from it will be durable and result in figures that can easily stand the test of time. Contrarily, if you use low-quality silicone materials, the wax figure may degrade quicker, losing its shape, texture, and fine details over time.
FAQs
Why is a clay sculpture made before the wax figure?
The clay sculpture serves as a prototype, allowing artists and wax figure manufacturers to perfect the subject's likeness before final wax casting.
Does temperature damage the wax figure?
Yes, temperature extremes may damage the wax figure! For instance, high temperatures can melt or deform silicone wax made from low-quality materials, ruining the hours of hard work.
How much does it cost to make a wax figure?
Experts suggest that it takes over 350 hours to make a wax figure, and we may heard that the costs for a wax figure manyfom $150,000 to $300,000 in internet from the old brand Madame Tussaud wax museum.
Conclusion
Wax figure manufacturing requires a lot of skill and hard work. If you are looking for a reliable manufacturer to design and customize your silicone wax figure,,Grand Orient Wax Art or DXDF Wax Figure is here to help. We have expert artists who beautifully bring your vision to life. The best part is that we offer a 2-year warranty, high resemblance assurance, and even the maintenance of the wax figure, so you don't have to worry about anything at all!
Grand Orient Wax Art service as a mature manufacturer of wax figure.
Zhongshan Grand Orient Wax Art Co., Ltd. is one of the earliest organizations making waxwork creations in China.
