I`m interested in technique of how to make lost wax casting, and
what kind of tools I need. thank you
There are several types of waxes and thus several techniques.
Hard carving waxes such as carvex can be filed, sanded and
carved with rotary burs.
beeswax can be rolled and molded with fingers, fused to itself
with hot tools.
There are soft waxes available in sheet and extruded wire that
can be fused, also.
Dental tools, exacto knives, and hot wax working tools are basic
to wax working.
Rick
Richard D. Hamilton
Fabricated 14k, 18k, and platinum Jewelry
wax carving, modelmaking, jewelry photography
http://www.rick-hamilton.com
@rick_hamilton
Wow Judith, that’s a tall order. This could be the beginning of
a great thread. Basically, you’ll need wax, some type of heating
device, and various scraping tools and hand files.
Wax: There are several types of wax. Each different color
designates characteristics of that wax. Green wax is for fine
detail but very brittle. Purple wax is a good all around wax,
and Blue wax is soft and carves easily. Wax comes in long
ring-like tubes or in flat sheets or blocks. There is also a
"build-up" wax called “perfect purple” which I’d recommend.
Heat: The best thing you can have is a wax pen - the more
expensive the better of course. However, many great waxes have
been carved with an alcohol lamp and dental tools. Start out
with the alcohol lamp until you start getting the commissions to
pay for the wax pen.
Shaping Tools: The most basic wax carving tool is a
double-ended tapered half round file made especially for wax.
Any jewelry supply store will have this item. After using this
file, I generally move to a #2 cut in various file shapes. You
can also buy sets of wax tools and files, all of which vary in
usefulness depending on your purposes. In addition, a flexible
shaft machine is extremely useful. There are many type of wax
burs available and all are quite useful. I make many of my own
wax tools using bike spokes shaped to a specific shape and
inserted into a dowel handle.
The rest of the list will hopefully contribute all of the things
I’ve missed or forgotten and elaborate on this subject.
Hope this helps, Mike