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Calcimator

Bronze Casting Cost Calculator

Estimate lost-wax bronze casting costs from sculpture weight, alloy type, complexity, and edition size.

Inputs

Results

Foundry cost per casting

$1,396.50

≈ 11 pairs of sneakers

Raw metal cost$225.00
Total materials$337.50
Foundry labor$658.75
Labor hours7.8
Mold cost per cast$130.00
Kiln/furnace energy$37.50
Total edition cost$11,172.00
Retail price (low)$4,190.00
Retail price (high)$6,983.00
Alloy NameSilicon Bronze
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter finished weight (lbs), select bronze alloy, and set complexity (1=simple, 2=moderate, 3=fine detail).
  2. Enter edition size -- larger editions reduce per-casting cost through amortized mold expense.
  3. Review foundry cost per casting, raw metal cost, materials cost, and labor.
  4. Add artist profit margin to foundry + materials cost to establish your per-sculpture sale price.

How the result changes with Finished weight (lbs)

Finished weight (lbs)Foundry cost per casting
500$17,214.00
1,750$58,839.00
3,250$108,789.00
4,500$150,414.00

What each input means

Finished weight (lbs)
Estimated weight of the finished bronze sculpture in pounds.
Bronze alloy
0 = Silicon Bronze ($7.50/lb), 1 = Manganese Bronze ($5.50/lb), 2 = Aluminum Bronze ($8.50/lb).
Complexity (1-3)
1 = simple solid form, 2 = moderate detail/undercuts, 3 = highly complex with fine detail.
Edition size
Number of castings in the edition. Mold cost is amortized across editions.
Sculpture height (in)
Overall height of the sculpture in inches.

What each result means

Foundry cost per casting
Total foundry cost per casting including materials, labor, energy, and markup.
Raw metal cost
Cost of bronze alloy including pour waste (sprues, gates).
Total materials
Metal, wax, and ceramic shell materials combined.
Foundry labor
Chasing, welding seams, sandblasting, and grinding labor.
Labor hours
Estimated foundry labor hours for chasing and finishing.
Mold cost per cast
Rubber mold cost amortized over the edition size.
Kiln/furnace energy
Energy cost for wax burnout and metal melting.
Total edition cost
Foundry cost for the entire edition.
Retail price (low)
Suggested retail at 3x foundry cost.
Retail price (high)
Suggested retail at 5x foundry cost.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Finished weight (lbs) = 25, Bronze alloy = 0, Complexity (1-3) = 1.5, Edition size = 8 = 5 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Foundry cost per casting
    Foundry cost per casting = totalPerCasting * (1 + foundryMarkup)
    1396.5 = $1,396.5
  3. Calculate Raw metal cost
    Raw metal cost = weightLbs * pourWasteFactor * metalPricePerLb
    225 = $225
  4. Calculate Total materials
    Total materials = rawMetalCost + waxCost + shellCost
    337.5 = $337.5

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