Is anyone familiar with this ancient type of casting where the metal
filled crucible is attached to the bottom of the mold, and the whole
unit heated at once in the kiln or furnace, then turned right side
up to facilitate a casting?
If any of you own the book “Goldsmithing & Silver Work” by Carles
Codina, the process is illustrated nicely on pages 50-51. I would
like to try this, but the formula for the mold calls for the partial
use of horse manure, which I don’t have easy access to, and which
truthfully I would like avoid.
So I’m wondering, have any of you tried this casting method, and if
so where you able to find a reasonably well working substitute for
horse manure?
Versillee
Wishing to try this cool casting method without stinking up her studio
“The ceramic shell mould, containing an ingot of bronze within the
header cup, is set in the furnace. The cover, a suspended bin lined
with ceramic blanket, is set in place and the furnace fired, using
propane, for 25 minutes. The cover is lifted, and the front wall of
the furnace is removed with tongs. Using leather gloves, insulated
with pieces of ceramic blanket, the mould is rolled over into a dry
sand bed… And immediately set upright, allowing the metal to
flow into the mould cavity. After cooling, the mould is broken away
to reveal a perfect bronze. It’s all a matter of timing!”
hello scv I have not personally done this technique but wanted to
point out a similar high-tech version which was extensively covered
on the web 5-6 years ago when I was researching it… It’s basis -
bizarre as it sounds - is “casting with a microwave”… In it a
similar to Ashanti hourglass mold is formed and nuked for several
hours until the whole thing gets super-heated because there is metal
(precious?) in the microwave. then it is inverted to crucible on top
position… The ingredients of the mold were modern stuff which did
not include horse manure…(which personally I have no problem with)
anyway it ruined the microwave after a few castsand I never perused
it further than websearch.
Brian - Thank you for that link, it did help to see Reid’s technique,
more importantly, he also has a list of supplies used in the process.
It seems I need to find a source for ceramic powder and ceramic
paste. I wish he had posted a recipe for making the molds, but I see
he sells the supplies as a kit as well, so that might cut into his
profits to post that much info.
Mark - Thank you as well, but I think I will skip the method you
posted, I don’t have the funds to burn through microwaves that
frequently
