Cleaning bronze and keeping sculptures secure

Don't neglect your outdoor sculptures. Cleaning a bronze keeps the surface in good condition.

Do this job inside, or on a warm sunny day. Clean off any dirt with a soft cloth and very dilute soapy water. Bird droppings, if dry, need to be soaked and softened with water first. When thoroughly dry, gently apply a natural beeswax, which you can buy in a quality hardware store. Apply the wax quickly to the surface in a dabbing action rather than rubbing and moving it about.

Later, when the polish is drier, buff up in circular movements with a soft cloth. For a really thorough waxing you can repeat the process, but remember that fresh wax will disturb what is below if rubbed when newly applied. This will help to slow down changes in colour.

Maintain the patina
All bronze patinations alter over time, but inevitably they change faster in the open air. Cleaning a bronze and waxing it as described will help to slow down changes in colour.

Weather and sunlight have powerful effects, and some patinations should not be put outside at all, so always ask the sculptor if the patination is suitable, if you plan to keep a sculpture outside.

Although cleaning a bronze of dirt from time to time helps prevent the surface from being damaged, to my mind simple weathering can positively improve a piece. It might emphasise the form by indicating the way that water flows over the surface, or just make the sculpture look older - all of which I think adds to any bronze.

Security
To prevent work being stolen it's best to fix it permanently to its own base or a concrete slab. My bronze garden sculptures can have holes drilled into the base to house screws which are then sunk into the base material for firm fixing.

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