I need your advice on purchasing some equipment. I’m going into
business as a jeweler after six years of making jewelry in my spare
time. We’ll be a two person studio – I’m doing the jewelry, my
partner’s doing the sales etc…
I will be having a lot of pieces cast and we’ll need to have a lot of
molds made over time – should I buy a vulcaniser and make the molds
myself? It would (in theory at least) pay for itself very quickly. Or
am I just asking for trouble? I’m concerned that I’m going to
lose/waste a lot of time before I master the art of making and
cutting open the molds.
I’m also looking at buying a wax injector, but to assure good, clean
waxes rather than for purely economic reasons.
What do you think? Your advice is greatly appreciated… C. Icardo
I would suggest that you use RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing)
rubber. No vulcanizer is needed. MANY types of mold materials and
variable hardnesses of the final rubber. We used to use vulcanized
molds but now ALL molds are RTV.
Get a good injector. Get good wax (may be difficult to find the
PERFECT wax as there are sooooooooooo many available. We use Serria
Red mostly. Tried some other “just like Serria Red” but went back to
the real thing. There are 100’s of injection waxes available, every
one with some different quality. Try a few before you settle on one.
Keep the wax clean and relatively new (don’t leave the pot on for
days/weeks at a time unused).
Good luck.
John Dach
MidLife Crisis Enterprises
Cynthia Thomas Designs
Cynthia’s sculptures are at: http://www.mlce.net
Maiden Metals,
A small bronze foundry, no web site yet!!