The work is devoted to the analysis of the most common irreparable defects resulting from shrinkage processes. All castings are artistic, have a complex configuration and were obtained using the lost wax casting method. All castings are made from copper-based alloys. The study discusses the reasons for the appearance of such defects as shrinkage porosity, shrinkage looseness and shrinkage cracks. It is noted that obvious factors are not always the cause. More often, the cause of a defect is a combination of factors.