Why Is Bronze So Expensive?
You might figure a bronze sculpture wouldn’t be as expensive as other outdoor decorations, as bronze isn’t as luxurious as silver or gold. But bronze is a more expensive metal than you might expect.
The scrap price of bronze will vary based on who you consult, but as of October 2024, most places will buy bronze at a price from $2.20 to $2.50 per pound. That total is still much less than what it would cost to acquire the assets needed to produce bronze.
You’ll have to spend more on a sculpture when considering its weight and all those items needed for production. A bronze sculpture can weigh at least fifty pounds in many situations, so you could spend hundreds of dollars to get one.
So, why is bronze so expensive? Bronze is costly because it is a metal that requires extensive effort to prepare. The work needed to build a sculpture and the cost of the individual metals is critical to why bronze costs so much.
The Manufacturing Process
The first part of why bronze is so expensive comes from the process used to make it. The process requires a few different metals and intense heat:
- Copper and tin are gathered and measured at the start. There should be a mix of 88 percent copper and 12 percent tin.
- Both of these metals are then melted.
- The melted tin enters the melted copper.
- Some additional metals can also be added to create an alloy. A small bit of zinc can make a statue-friendly bronze surface that can persist in many conditions. Aluminum or nickel can also provide corrosion resistance.
- The melted mixture will enter a shaped mold. The mold must be cut in whatever shape the statue will appear in. The mold should also be shaped to support how the bronze will expand as it is poured into the mold and then contract as it cools off.
- The bronze will eventually cool off and slightly shrink, making the material easy to remove from the mold.
The effort necessary to get bronze ready is extensive, so it’s no surprise it would cost extra because of the work involved.
The Cost of Individual Metals
The second reason why bronze is so expensive comes from how much it costs to get the metals needed for bronze production. The values of many of these metals as of October 2024 are high:
- Copper goes for at least $4 per pound. Copper’s use in various electric and heating components has caused its price to increase. The fact that copper is the most prominent metal in bronze will make it more expensive.
- Tin is even more expensive, as it can go for about $14 to $15 per pound on the market.
- Aluminum and lead are cheaper, as they can go for a dollar per pound in most places.
A sculpture manufacturer will have to get all these materials to create their statues, so they’ll have to charge more for their sculptures to recover these expenses.
Getting the Mold Ready
A third point involves how the mold for your statue has to be crafted to ensure you’re getting the right shape and size for your artwork. A mold can cost hundreds of dollars to prepare.
A mold should be prepared with a mix of silicone rubber and plaster. The melted metal mixture will enter the rubber mold, and an added plaster material is painted over the rubber as it dries. This design ensures the shape remains consistent during the manufacturing process.
General Artistry
The human aspect of producing a bronze statue cannot be ignored. You’ll spend more on bronze material because the people involved in making it will put in various efforts to make it work, including:
- Designing the shape for the material
- Preparing and mixing the necessary metals
- Crafting the mold to shape everything
- General safety measures can also cost money; a worker will require protective equipment and safe working space to ensure everything works well
A Final Note
Bronze costs a good deal of money to get, but it’s all because of the materials used and the necessary effort. Regardless of what you spend on your bronze material, you’ll receive something that looks outstanding and appealing. A high-quality bronze sculpture will provide a beautiful look when planned well