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New to casting and really messed up

Jewelry Discussion
#1

Hi everybody. I am learning casting. Have a vacuum casting machine and plan to cast silver.
Had a go for the first time at investing flasks today. Did two large 9x16cm and one smaller.

Since it is a very first time I forgot to weigh my waxes. On top of that I was super ambitious and made trees with over 70 models on each large and around 40’on the small tree.
Two flasks have models that can be remade as I have moulds for them, one large flask is full of new models that I did not even take photos of. Feel so stupid.

What do I do Now? Is there any way to save it? Maybe melt too much silver and then use only what is necessary and remelt the rest?
Is there any other solution?
Investment is dry now so cannot put it back in water and save the wax trees ( don’t know if it is even possible)

Please help

#2

On occasion I have forgotten to write down wax weight for calculating metal needed. So I try to calculate by shooting wax if its a mold or using other wax models that are similar. Also add spruce stock to calculate tree. And I will add some extra metal to the button to ensure a complete fill.

I have a casting protocol which may help you in the future.
Each flask is recorded by customer, job #, wax weight, metal type and flask casting temp.
My flask bases are numbered and that number is scratched into top of invested flask to ID.
After sprunging tree it is weighed and documented.

Hope this helps
Franz

#3

well, as you say, having too much silver is an easy fix. pour until molds are full, with a large button on top, then pout off extra into either an ingot mold, or a 5 gallon bucket with water (this will produce ‘shot’, easy to reheat and recast)

2 Likes
#4

Thank you so much to both of you. I really appreciate your advice. I was really worried it cannot be saved.

Will follow marking protocol from now on and will melt more silver than needed and make silver shot with the reminder.
Hopefully next time I remember what to do.

#5

I have “saved” already burned out and cured flasks by dipping them in water and then very slowly (very slowly) bringing them up to casting temperature again. It’s always worked without any cracking.