ah, HAH!
what can i use, to fill in a pitch bowl before adding a layer[can] of
chasing pitch? @$20 a can, and a 8" bowl, i think it might cost about
$80 or more [plus shipping] to fill it! could there be something from
a home centre that i might add, before adding a top layer of pitch?
i’m not wanting to go very deep with chasing/repousse…
what about sand? could there be something to glue it to itself [like
those faux rock/cactus garden arrangements ?] [hopefully] no
baseballs were annoyed by this post…
thanks for reading/replying
richard
@$20 a can, and a 8" bowl, i think it might cost about $80 or more
Some people fill the bowls half way with plaster in order to save
pitch. I fill the whole thing with pitch, but I also prefer the 5"
bowls. I work on a mound above the top of the bowl, so the working
space ends up about the same as on an 8" bowl.
Your mention of a can made me wonder if you’re planning on working
on black pitch. To say it’s a bit sticky and difficult is a vast
understatement. You might consider either the red pitch available
from Rio Grande or the green pitch from Northwest Pitchworks. Both
are excellent and are easy (as opposed to a nightmare) to work on.
I think I’ve mentioned this tip before, but just in case, spray the
back of your metal with cooking spray before placing on the pitch to
prevent as much pitch from getting stuck all over the back.
Happy hitting,
Victoria
Victoria Lansford
http://www.victorialansford.com
Why not try concrete? I’ve heard that works, and helps give it
weight.
A good place to start is
Someone I met online took a class and had photos of her teacher who
had used a gouged out 2x4 to hold her pitch for small items. Though
it seems that might not be so good for detail work. No weight to it
and kind of hard to maneuver.
The above link suggests "The pot is traditionally made of cast iron,
giving it a weight that keeps it stable on the bench. In order to
conserve pitch, the pot is filled at least half full with plaster,
cement, lead or pieces of brick, this layer being covered with fresh
pitch at a depth sufficient to hold the work.
Michele
MikiCat Designs
Web: http://www.mikicatdesigns.com
Blog: http://mikicatdesigns.blogspot.com
Hi Victoria,
I LOVE the cooking spray reference, Thanks! I am doing a delicate
"C&R" piece right now and the pitch inside the back is quite a waste
to be burning it all out, not to mention the smell and the soot. (I
use both German & black pitch, depending on how much metal I want to
move.)
One question though, Will it change the nature of the pitch over
time and make it any gooey-er? (is that a word?)
Also, a funny little side note:
After reading this thread, when my husband and I went to the grocery
store yesterday I bought an extra can of vegetable spray, he says,
“why do we need two?”. I told him I was getting it for my studio.
His response, “Oh good, so now all you need is a bathroom!”
I looked at him quizzically and his response was, “We installed you
a sink, you have a crock pot, can cook on the hot plate or even in
your toaster oven, you have a hood to cook under, and now are getting
cooking spray? You will only have to come up from your hole for
groceries now & then. Can you bake me some chocolate chip cookies
down there?”
It was a humorous shopping trip as he spent the rest of the time
coming up with meals I can cook in my studio so I never have to come
out. We got quite a few stares for laughing all through the grocery
store, but had our fun anyway.
For those who dislike taking mineral oil, it also can be used as a
pitch release agent. Smearing Chapstick works also.
Mike DeBurgh, GJG
Alliance, OH
One question though, Will it change the nature of the pitch over
time and make it any gooey-er? (is that a word?)
It sometimes makes just the surface a tiny bit slick, but does not
change the consistency of the pitch over time. I’ve been using
cooking spray as a mold release for at least 13 years. So far, so
good.
"We installed you a sink, you have a crock pot, can cook on the hot
plate or even in your toaster oven, you have a hood to cook under,
and now are getting cooking spray? You will only have to come up
from your hole for groceries now & then. Can you bake me some
chocolate chip cookies down there?"
Sorry for the delay in my response! I went to SNAG via a very long
drive from Atlanta to Houston, and though I didn’t have a chance to
stay on top of email while I was there (and am still catching up), I
laughed about this story across 3 different states. I’ve had family
members joke that all I needed was a small fridge, and I’d never
come out either. I tell them that it is only lack of space in here
that keeps me from installing one. Chocolate chip cookies sound
wonderful.
Victoria
Victoria Lansford
http://www.victorialansford.com