Daylillies

Jewelry Discussion
1

In orchids, the more delicate pieces are painted on the reverser
surfaces with melted wax to build up their substance (lost wax
process). The pieces are then invested and cooked out. The
investment cavity is then filled with wax. The investment is
removed once the wax has hardened. I have seen vibrator tables
used as the investment is poured to insure against air bubbles. I
have also heard of the liquid investment and forms being placed
in a vacuum to remove air bubbles.

Once the investment has been removed, the wax molding is then
checked for imperfections and corrected. The wax mold is then
placed in another investment and cooked out. The mold is then
filled with molten metal. I have seen this done with the mold
placed on a centrifuge to lessen the chance of air bubbles and
force the molten metal into fine detail cavities.

This is done frequently with flowers in Bangkok. They replicate
flowers this way in precious metals or with less costly metals
with precious electro plating. The detail when done properly is
incredible, far easier and more accurate than attempting to carve
one out of was by hand for most. A lot of failures and seconds
also.

Now if anyone has any recommendations regarding enameling
processes to color these metal flowers, I’m interested.

2 
   In orchids, the more delicate pieces are painted on the
reverser surfaces with melted wax to build up their substance
(lost wax process).  The pieces are then invested and cooked
out. The investment cavity is then filled with wax

Do you pour in the wax under a vacume? How do you remove the
investment without damaging the wax, soak it in water? Why not
just cast it at this point instead of pouring in wax and
reinvesting?

Mark P

3 
    Do you pour in the wax under a vacume?

… I have seen the wax poured into the form while the form
was being spun on a type of centrifuge.

 How do you remove the investment without damaging the wax,
soak it in water?

… The investment used dissolves in water very easily and
any residue washes off under a gentle stream of water.

 Why not just cast it at this point instead of pouring in wax
and reinvesting?

… There are often imperfections in the wax form and these
can be eleminated at this point to produce the most accurate
final casting. Due to the extremely fine detail acheived by this
process, it is not easy to correct problems later due to the loss
of detail from grinding, buffing, etc. The peices are really
quite life like in shape and detail.

LWP