GE - Casting

[Eadric Anstapa]

It looks like there are enough people interested that it 
is probably something we should get together and do 
sometime.

Keep in mind that sand casting is not all that usefull 
when you are going to make a couple of hundred little 
items like feast or site tokens.

With sand casting you take an original that you wish to 
duplicate (sometimes a carving in wood or plastic), place 
it in a frame, and PACK sand in around it.  Then you turn 
the frame over and then carefully remove the original.  
This leaves an impression in the sand that you puur your 
molten metal into.  This is just good for one shot 
because when you removle you casting the sand "mold" is 
destroyed. If you want to make more than you copy you 
have to pack the sand around the original again to come 
up with another sand mould to pour into.  A tedious 
process that takes a while and it works better for larger 
items without fine detail rather than smaller ones. 

Also for any of you who are thinking about this you do 
not use normal everyday sand that you go the playground 
and get.  It is a very fine sand that has other things in 
it like bentonite and fire clay so that it packs well and 
holds its shape.  You can mix your own or you can buy 
casting sand from art/casting supply places.

Lost wax casting is also something not used for making 
hundreds of copies of an item because similarly you break 
the mold to get the casting out of it and it takes longer 
to make each of those investments that it does in sand 
casting.

To cast several hundred items like site tokens it is 
better to carve a mold into to steel and pour into that.  
You can also for smaller runs pour into a soapstone 
carving.

For instance,  get a small 4 inch square by 3/4 thick 
block of steel and take it down to a machine shop and 
have them mill you a round flat bottomed depression in it 
1.5" in diameter and 1/8" deep.  Then get out your 
carving tools and carve a design in the bottom of it.  
Now you have something you could make a couple of hundred 
site tokens with.

Regards,

Eadric 


Pam Kendrick <pkendrick at houston.rr.com> said:

> OOOOOOOoooooooooooo!  Sounds like it would be 
interesting.......... We used
> to cast fishing jigs when I was a kid, and Heinrich 
makes lead solders.
> Maybe we could do up something nifty for Midsummer 
Faire (site
> tokens?.......feast tokens?)
> 
> Damask
>   I have an interest in this as well. If you do have 
those handouts and
> info. I'd really like a copy as well.
>   Seren
> 
> 
> 
>   >From: "Eadric Anstapa"
>   >Reply-To: gatesedge at ansteorra.org
>   >To:
>   >Subject: Re: GE - so quiet I had to say something
>   >Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 23:00:16 -0600
>   >
>   >I have done some casting years ago. In fact I took a 
metal casting class
> at
>   >a Kings College back in the late 80's and I still 
have the class
> materials
>   >that I will photocopy for you if you are interested. 
The class covered
>   >lost-wax, sand, and cuttlebone casting. I actually 
did some aluminum and
>   >bronze casting that I did in metal moulds and 
melting my materials in a
> coal
>   >fired forge back when I actually had my forge setup 
and did
> blacksmithing.
>   >One day I plan on building a shop here at the house 
that has an attached
>   >smithy so I can do all that again.
>   >
>   >Talmon will be the real resource for you. He has 
lots more experience has
>   >all the tools including crucibles, kiln, and 
centrifuge and could
> doubtless
>   >teach a class on the subject.
>   >
>   >Regards,
>   >
>   >Eadric
>   >
>   >----- Original Message -----
>   >From: "Tyr Tjuguskegg"
>   >To:
>   >Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2001 6:39 PM
>   >Subject: GE - so quiet I had to say something
>   >
>   >
>   > > It's so quiet I had to come up with something to 
say, so anyone out
> there
>   >do
>   > > any casting, like "lost wax casting" or any other 
type, I am looking
> into
>   > > buying a gas powered melting pot so I can do some 
bronze or copper
> casting
>   > > for like claws for armor and stuff, any ideas out 
there?
>   > >
>   > > Tyr Tjuguskegg
>   > > of the Clan Grepyr
>   > > husband to Carys Kvinne

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