The investment casting process begins with an original design or a rare antique find that the client needs reproduced. It is also referred to as the lost wax method. Making the mold is the first step towards manufacturing the cabinet or door hardware (shown above left). It is a one time only process and it is the most critical of all. It is essential that a good mold is made, so that when the wax is injected into it, it comes out free of imperfections. Wax can be injected into the mold to produce as many pieces as needed (shown above center). Wax castings are typically rough and need to be "cleaned" for a better bronze casting. The bronze castings are made at the foundry using the cleaned wax pieces which are set into plaster sacrificial molds. These molds are broken in order to retrieve the bronze within. Bronze casting is a rough process and the castings need to be hand filed and de-burred of imperfections. Each piece requires machining and finishing as specified by the client. The base metal for the majority of the time is bronze. Castings can also be made of brass. These metals are of much better quality than pewter because they are able to retain the machining over their lifetime. This also explains the price difference between pewter based cabinet hardware and bronze ones. The bronze pieces can easily be plated in gold, silver or nickel.