casting
The wax is joined to a base for the
casting process. I weigh the model and attach to the base. The weight of the
model tells me how much silver is needed for the design.
The model is encased in a casting plaster and left to cure.
The next step is to melt the wax model out of the cast. This is why it is
called the "lost wax" process. The casting is put into a kiln for 5 to 12
hours depending on its size. At this point the model, which I have spent a
LOT of time creating, is gone! If something goes wrong at this point I must
start from the beginning.
At the end of the burn out process I start preparing the silver for melting.
Once the silver is ready I take the cast out of the kiln and load it into a
centrifugal casting machine. This machine uses centrifugal force to push the
molten silver into the cast. If all goes well the silver goes into the mold
and the ring is made.