CLUB SESSIONS - CASTING

Lost Wax casting is done by using a wax mold, these can be pre bought or made from scratch ifyou own the right equipment.

The wax mold, called a pattern, is weighed to find out how much metal will be required to fill the mold.

The mold is then attached to a base and a "flask" placed over the top.

Once the flask is in place, it is filled with what is called "investment" this is like a plaster substance. The "investment" is mixed and placed into a vaccumn machine to remove any airbubbles. This is then poured into the "flask" and left to dry. The drying process can take up to 2 hours, so this is done in separate sessions at the Bundaberg Gem Club.

Once the "investment" is dry, the rubber base is removed from the "flask" and the flask is placed into a kiln to burn out the wax mold.

The next step is to place the flask into a centrifuge to force the melted metal into it. The plaster is then washed out of the flask leaving you with your cast item.

Once this is completed and cooled down, then you only need to clean your item up and polish it. This entails, cutting off the button that was formed during the process on the base of the item, trim any rough bits, and polish your metal.