Soluable wax

I was wondering if anyone has tried out  soluble wax-?  Work into
form-design pattern in and around with the wax of your choice-soak
in water. (dissolves unwanted wax)=hollow wax designs.  Works great
making balls. 

Dave, I haven’t had much luck with the soluble wax I bought, (I think
I bought the wrong kind. of water soluble wax, it was hard and
brittle, and didn’t form like clay- maybe it was for injection into a
metal mold?). I have had fun using Play-Doh or Wonder Bread- yes,
Wonder Bread (any gummy white bread would work). I made a ball of clay
or bread, slid a metal rod through the center (which will later become
the hole for the chain) dipped it in melted file-a-wax , then built
more file-a-wax up on top. I then used my custom made knife tools to
pierce and remove the thin shell of wax in between the built up wax
patterns. When complete I carefully twisted and slid the metal rod
out. Then put the bead in a cup of water for a day- to dissolve out
the bread or Play-Doh. Too much fun!! Aren’t we lucky to be in a field
where there is sooooo much to learn, and so many ways of doing things?
Kate Wolf http://www.katewolfdesigns.com

    I was wondering if anyone has tried out  soluble wax-?  Work
into form-design pattern in and around with the wax of your
choice-soak in water. (dissolves unwanted wax)=hollow wax designs. 
Works great making balls. I have had fun using Play-Doh or Wonder
Bread- yes, Wonder Bread (any gummy white bread would work). I made
a ball of clay or bread, slid a metal rod through the center (which
will later become the hole for the chain) dipped it in melted 
file-a-wax , 

Kate, Dave and Orchidians: I have a question regarding this process:
Are you using this technique to cast hollow beads? Just want to see
if I understand this process. It seems to me that after you shape the
bead with the soluble wax,(or bread, Play-Doh, in Kate’s description)
dip it in a melted wax and dissolve the soluble wax you would then end
up with a hollow wax shell. I am imagining that you sprew this whole
and then cast with the metal of your choice. Upon casting don’t you
end up with a solid bead? So why go through all that work? Are you
using the soluble wax, bread just as a model? Why don’t you leave
the bread, soluble wax in the form and then cast if you are just going
to end up with a solid bead. Please help enlighten me! I am in the
process of working with some friends on casting hollow beads and am
interesting in what others are doing. Thanks in advance for your help.

Linda Crawford
http://www.lindacrawforddesigns.com
“Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.”

Start with a ball of soluble wax or soluble whatever. Put down the
patern of your bead with strips of wax or strips from a wax extruder
gun on top of the soluble center. Disolve out the center leaving you
a hollow wax. Invest and cast. you would want a design that is a
little open or with fairly large through holes to get the soluble wax
out.

Jesse

You could also start with a piece of carved investment material for
the core of your beads. If your bead design is solid, you would have
to add pegs (ungalvanized steel nails) through the wax and into the
core to hold it in place during burn out and casting. The peg holes
can be filled with a piece of wire soldered in place after casting.
Steve. – Steven Brixner - Jewelry Designer - San Diego CA USA
mailto:@Steven_Brixner4 http://www.brixnerdesign.com

Hi Linda, If you reread my post, you’ll see that I build up areas on
the dipped hard wax and then pierce out the areas in between the built
up patterns. The finished bead has many pierced out areas. The core of
playdoh or bread is dissolved out. Now the investment can fill in the
bead, and the center of the bead (now full of investment) is supported
well for the casting procedure. I hope this clarifies the info. Kate
Wolf http://www.katewolfdesigns.com