Hello fellow Orchidians! I have these two wedding bands I carved in
wax (mine and my girlfriend’s, actually) but one of them has cracked.
It’s not open, but when the band is beside a source of light, you can
see it going through the band. I’m wondering, is it dangerous to cast
cracked wax or isn’t it? Since it’ll be 18k gold, I’d like to know
before being caught with a scrap band… Thank you very much!
Benoit Hamel
Hello fellow Orchidians! I have these two wedding bands I carved in wax (mine and my girlfriend's, actually) but one of them has cracked. It's not open, but when the band is beside a source of light, you can see it going through the band. I'm wondering, is it dangerous to cast cracked wax or isn't it? Since it'll be 18k gold, I'd like to know before being caught with a scrap band... Thank you very much!
I would “weld” the crack closed if it isn’t going to be hard to
clean up the wax or the casting where the repair is, especially if
you are going to vacuum the invested waxes for bubble removal. If
the crack is in a high detail area and “welding” it closed is going
to present a BIG problem, de bubble your investment before pouring
in into the can and don’t vacuum it once poured (now you have a
chance of bubbles on the casting that will have to be cleaned up).
John Dach
I have these two wedding bands I carved in wax (mine and my girlfriend's, actually) but one of them has cracked. It's not open, but when the band is beside a source of light, you can see it going through the band. I'm wondering, is it dangerous to cast cracked wax or isn't it?
I would NOT cast a cracked wax. It could break under pressure when
the investment is being vacuumed, and you may end up with a two-piece
wedding band. Can you repair the crack with a fine needle, heated to
re-melt the wax together from the inside out, then refinish the
outside?
–Kathy Johnson
Feathered Gems Pet Motif Jewelry
He Benoit I’ve successfully cast cracked waxes, but to rest assured,
you can use a tiny amount of very thin cyanoacrylate glue (Crazy
Glue) on the crack, and try to fill the crack or at least seal the
surface. It will most likely leave a slight texture, so you want to
apply it on an area that can be sanded.
Jeffrey
Benoit, As long as the crack has not opened, it should be no
problem. After spruing, I would paint the piece with some investment
before pouring. That will insure any pressure resulting from the
pouring process doesn’t open it. I often cast pieces showing bubbles
etc inside the wax…but as long as there is no access to the
investment to enter, the piece will cast whole.
Also, the package is ready…just have to get to the post! Cheers
from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple elegance
IS fine jewelry! @coralnut2
Benoit, Fix the model using a wax pen or heated spatula and then
refinish the surface. Even if there is a small void/crack in the
piece, when the piece is invested and placed in a vacuum to remove
air, investment will more than likely be drawn into the void, which
will show as a crack or large void in the casting (that will
probably get bigger and more noticeable as you finish the ring). If
in doubt - fix it! Richard Dubiel Dubiel Design Studio
Hi , You can usually get away with casting a wax with a “crack” in
it if the pieces are held firmly together . I will usually seal the
seam by use of a needle tip of the wax welder , its funny but you
may find that you will want to add a little wax to the area you melt
sealing that seam. If your model is going to be “stressed” you
might want to melt entirely through the wax adding , perhaps a
harder wax to the area and then re-carving or working the area to
the original design . Buty if the crack is as small as it "seems"
to be , you should be fine , you can rub a little “disclosing wax”
[a very soft room temperature working wax] into the crack area for
insurance if you wish.
Mark Clodius
Greetings Benoit, It’s important to fix hairline cracks in wax
patterns because investment is mixed with water and water can seep
into the tiniest of cracks (especially with the help of the vacuum in
the investing process). Two minutes of attention now can save you
some grief later on. In this case, I would very gently spread the
crack open and put the tiniest bit of crazy glue in the seam (I never
apply crazy glue directly to the piece- squeeze a drop on your
benchpin and use a pin or needle to pick up a tiny amount and apply
it to the piece.) then press the two halves together and wipe off any
excess glue. I have had a problem when using crazy glue when other
waxes such as sticky wax or inlay wax are on the model- it tends to
melt them. I’ve got some cool new waxes coming on the market within
the next week or two that are helpful with wax repairs. More on that
later! HTH Best Regards, Kate Wolf in Portland, Maine hosting quality
workshops by the bay. http://www.katewolfdesigns.com