The Britains hollowcast method was a manufacturing process for lead toy soldiers, invented by William Britain in 1893, where molten lead was poured into a rotating mold. As the mold turned, the lead cooled and formed a hollow shjell on the inside, while the excess molten metal was poured out through a small air hole. This method significantly reduced the cost and weight of the figures, allowing Britains to compete with more expensive German-made solid-cast toys and make toy soldiers more accessible to the public. The production of the molds used in the casting process started with the creation of a figure using wax and clay over a frame. A mold was then cast [in high density plaster with metal re-bars and a graphite coating] from the original sculptor’s wax/clay model. The clay molds were then used to create the brass/steel master figures which were detailed and used to produce the production molds.Â
Britains Mold Gallery
I picked up several lots of molds from a secondary auction in the late 2000’s. All of these molds were the initial clay molds which include dates of production, the set number, and, frequently, a description. Note most of the molds are missing the head which were cast separetly and added later. You can see finished examples next to many of the molds below. You will also see a set of painting masters from the Britains Archive Colleciton. These were the figures referenced by the painters as they completed production of the figures.
N Joplin. The Great Book of Hollow-Cast Figures. New Cavendish Books, 1993.
J Wallis. Soliders of Greater Britain: Britains Limited Lead Soldiers, 1893-1924. Joe Wallis, 2016.
J Wallis. Armies of the World: Britains Ltd Lead Soldiers, 1925-1941. Joe Wallis, 1992
J Wallis. Regiments of All Nations: Britains Limited Lead Soldiers, 1946-1966. Joe Wallis, 2010.
