Our workshops are held over the two days, Saturday and Sunday. Participants need to be able to attend both days from 9am to 3pm. Saturday is devoted to preparing your model, either carved, constructed from wax or use of suitable natural items.

Spirit Lamp

Towards the end of Saturday we invest our flasks and leave to set and dry overnight.

On Sunday the flasks are separated from their base and placed in the kilns where the temperature is gradually increased so the model completely burns out. Hence the name of the process “Lost Wax Casting”.

On Sunday afternoon the flasks are removed from the kiln, the silver is melted and thrown into the void by means of our centrifuge. Tense minutes follow as the spent investment is removed to reveal your creation.

Items required.

• Small methylated spirit lamp. The finer the wick the better, as heat is more easily controlled.
• Lecron Dental Tool. This tool (pictured below) is the most necessary tool for working wax. Lecrons are now available quite cheaply in a set of dental type tools available from ‘House of Jewellery’.

Lecron Dental Tool

Container To Melt Wax

• Wax knife or small paring knife or small old kitchen knife or scalpel.
• Two small sewing needles, one medium and one very fine, set in cork “handle’.
• Cheap small paint brush, and also one about 0.7cnt to 1cm wide
• Approx. 10cm (4”) length of wooden dowel stick, diameter of student’s finger size. (Oil stick with any vegetable oil).
• Small piece of nylon panty hose. (used as emery paper on wax).
• Methylated spirits.
• Old toothbrush and/ or nailbrush.
• Little container in which to melt wax over your spirit lamp. (You can make this from a cut down beer or dog food can, attach a long wire handle).
• Tripod for your saucepan. Also made from dog food tin. Needs lot of windows in side so heat from lamp can escape. (See illustration of this set-up). Your lamp needs to fit inside this “tripod”.
  

  Tripod

• Any old dental tools you can get hold of.
• Small water bowl for melt/pour exercise.
• Old wooden or nylon breadboard or piece of Perspex for working surface.
• 50 to 100 grams of sterling or fine silver casting granules. May be used 50/50 with scrap silver.
• Notebook and pencil.

All waxes are available from the club shop. Some silver is also available.

The current cost of the weekend is $30 per person. Investment powder is provided by the club and included in this price.

Here is a leaflet you may download and print, describing our casting workshop weekends for members, what’s involved and what to bring

Casting Workshop Weekends At Northern Districts File Size is 188 KB File Type is pdf.