Thickening seed pods

[fetvedt]

I have a large failure rate when casting seed pods because I sometimes do not get the walls thick enough. I've been using spray lacquer to thicken the walls, but most of the lacquers I've tried pride themselves on leaving a thin coating, even after several coatings. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to use that would leave a thicken coating without covering too much of the details? Thanks.

Cheers.
John Fetvedt
bijoux de terre
http://www.jef.com

[Betsy_Marshall]

Wheat paste? Multiple dips in a thin solution or a few in a thicker
solution? Might take a while to dry out, though.

Hope this helps, Betsy

[judymw]

Hello John,

I'm not a caster, but I understand the process, and assume you are
burning out the natural seed pod. If you want a heavier wall on
your seed pods, how about applying a layer of hot wax to the inside
of the pod. Leave the outside alone. If you are casting solid seed
pods, it would not be too hard to make a small hole and squirt the
cavity full of wax and connect it to the sprue.

Just an out-of-the-box thought from Judy in Kansas

[heather]

why dont you try epoxy, but on the inside?

heather

[Robert_Whiteside]

try sculpture wax

[MillsGem]

When doing delicate organics for burnouts I sometimes dip or spray
the object with plastic varnish or lacquer. It may require successive
coats. You run the risk of distorting the detail by applying the
coatings too heavily. As when using these materials for their
intended purpose, allowing the coats to dry between very light
coatings is the best way to go.

Ron Mills,
Mills Gem Co. Los Osos, Ca.