Behind the Scenes at Timber Bronze: Where Art Meets Fire
Discover the craftsmanship and heart behind every bronze piece we create.
A Craft Rooted in Story and Bronze
When you hold a piece from Timber Bronze, you're holding more than art—you’re holding process, history, and hands-on craftsmanship. Our bronze pieces don’t come off an assembly line. They rise from wax, sand, fire, and care. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how your heirloom begins.
Step 1: Pouring Wax – Where Vision Takes Shape
Every bronze casting begins with a wax model. We carefully pour molten wax into custom-made silicone molds that capture intricate detail—down to the smallest ridge of a pinecone or curve of a mushroom.
Each wax is inspected by hand. If it’s not perfect, we start again. This stage is about precision and patience, and it's where the soul of each piece begins to emerge.
Step 2: Sandcasting – An Ancient Process, Perfected by Hand
Once the wax is approved, we move into sandcasting—a centuries-old technique we’ve refined for our custom creations. We pack fine sand tightly around the model to form a mold, capturing every detail in negative space.
After removing the wax, we inspect the mold cavity with care. This isn’t a job for shortcuts—every piece must be ready to meet the heat.
Step 3: Bronze Pouring – Fire Meets Form
Bronze is heated to over 2,000°F until it glows like the sun. In full gear and steady hands, we pour this molten metal into the sand mold. The transformation is elemental: earth, air, fire, and metal converging to birth something new.
As the bronze cools and hardens, anticipation builds. When the mold is finally cracked open, what emerges is raw, honest, and filled with potential.
YouTube Video From Sandcast to Clean-up
Step 4: Grinding, Polishing & Patina – Revealing the Story
The cast bronze is then cut, ground, polished, and patinaed by hand. This is where the character comes out—deepening textures, drawing out natural beauty, and honoring the story in the metal.
No two pieces are ever alike. Each is truly one-of-a-kind, touched by fire, refined by craftsmanship, and destined to become part of your story.
(Western Hemlock Slim Doorbell shown here)
More Than a Product—A Place, a Process, a Purpose
We’re not just bronze casters. We’re stewards of legacy, place, and craft. Every flat stock pour happens on-site in Wallowa, Oregon—at the grain elevator property we’re lovingly restoring to house our studio, showroom, and more...
We’re planning to open our space to small-group tours, bronze casting experiences, that celebrate community, and craftsmanship.
Thank You for Supporting Handmade
When you choose Timber Bronze, you’re supporting more than a product—you’re supporting a way of life. One rooted in nature, integrity, and the beauty of doing things by hand.
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If you would like a tour please contact us here
If you would like to see more slim doorbells click here.
