Hi all again,
First of all, I found a tubing cutter that cuts tubing down to
1/8", for $4.99 at Sears. I haven’t tried it out yet.
Also, does anyone have any experience using the Model Master
system? I only used it once before, with the metal-backed green
polymer, which reproduced the design fine, but even after making a
mold with it, the finished casting was too thick and heacy.
I tried it with the clear polmer sheet, leaving the plastic
backing on as directed by Rio Grande, to keep it from warping. It
was way too flimsy without it. Anyway, the casting was miserable.
It looked like the polymer might have melted, it looked like a fish
scale surface, front and back, and there was investment trapped
under each “scale.” Anyone have any idea what might have happened?
i had sealed the plastic on the back, around the edges, with
flowed on wax. I wonder if that space inbetween, however small,
caused a problem. My caster said the investment was a mess, but
the ring that was cast in the same flask was perfect…
Oh, and remember how I asked for suggestions how to set a small
stone in the face of a pearl? Well, I made a tube setting, and set
my first diamond, ever, in a beautiful pinkish, silver pearl. The
diamond was a 3 pointer!! You can barely see it, and it took me
several hours, but I did it. I set the stone in the tube first,
then slid the tube into the drilled hole in the pearl, and flared
the tube on the back side, and then gently tapped it done. I
think it looks great, but I will have to bring up the speed!
Thanks for all the help you guys gave me on this one!
Ruth
Los Angeles, 72 degrees today!