Method of making a cast metal product including a three-dimensional image, and a product made by said method

1. The method of making a cast metal product comprising:

preparing a pattern having a three-dimensional, minutely detailed, photograph-like image routed thereon, the pattern preparing step comprising:

inputting an image to a computer processor having a computer-aided manufacturing software program;

obtaining a digital representation of the image;

utilizing the software program to determine a tool path height for each digital element of the digital representation; and

routing a pattern blank with a router tool utilizing a tool path determined by the software program to form a three-dimensional representation of the desired image on the pattern:

placing the pattern having a three-dimensional, minutely detailed, photograph-like image routed thereon in a sand filled mold;

packing sand around the pattern;

removing the pattern from the sand to form a cavity in the sand;

pouring liquid metal into the cavity; and

allowing the metal to cool to form a metal product.

2. The method of making a cast metal product as described in claim 1 , further comprising removing the metal product from the sand; applying a tinting agent to the product, and highlighting desired areas of the product.

3. The method of making a cast metal product as described in claim 1 , further comprising inserting a sand core into the sand after the pattern removing step.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising affixing bas-relief modeling to the pattern after the routing step.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cast metal product is selected from the group consisting of memorial plaques, architectural panels, portrait panels, niche fronts, crypt plates, crypt fronts, urns, and urn plates.