To vacuum cast or

Jewelry Discussion
1

Can not make up my mind on what direction to go with casting,
something standard or something like the VIC12, or other types of
vacuum casting to produce a finer casting. I have been using
acetylene and oxygen for so long cast would like to use the vacuum to
see how it does, and what I am used too.

Would love to hear what we think would be produce a better cast.

Thank!
BW

2

I learned to cast using vacuum, I never lost a pour despite not
having depth perception, but I always felt like it was a gamble when
I poured,and then the school got a centrifugal. It was so much
easier, so very much easier. I would not go back for
anything…However there is a lot of high technology that may make
it better. I cannot invest in that, and don’t feel a need to.

3

Hi Britten

Vacuum casting, is a more one man or one woman operation, specially
with the use of an electromelt, then you don’t have to use acetylene,
which I find is a dirtier fuel source then say propane or electricity
in the case of the electromelt. I hope I have helped, feel free to
email me with any questions.

Gabriel
@Gabriel

4

BW,

Everyone who casts will swear by the system they use. I am no
different.

I vacuum cast using a very old vacuum casting table that has a plate
for vacuuming the investment and invested flasks and a table for
vacuuming the flask as the metal is poured.

I have a controller on my burn out oven. I melt my metal in a large
Kerr electro-melt with a built in controller. The smaller Kerr unit
will be sufficient if your castings are not over around 20 ounces.

My feeling is if you vacuum your investment and flasks you have the
beginning system to do vacuum casting. Most vacuum tables have both
a table to invest the investment and a table to vacuum the flask
during pour.

The temperature of the entire system is controlled with the burn out
oven controller and the electro melt furnace controller.

By using the electro melt you make pouring the metal easier and will
know the relative temperature of the metal when you pour. Pouring
metal from the Kerr furnace is as easy as pouring coffee.

Unless you purchase a very large centrifugal arm you will be able to
pour much larger casting with vacuum.

I have shipped out some of my waxes to a centrifugal caster. I have
notices that my vacuum castings seem to be better and have less
problems than the centrifugal cast items.

With the anti firescale vacuum casting process you will be able to
cast without getting firescale. The process does not work as well
with centrifugal castings. See:

https://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/vacuum-casting-firescale-
prevention.htm

If you are into production casting one of the more expensive casting
systems probably would work better for you although they are much
more expensive.

I must admit I have never used any other casting process so my
thoughts are somewhat prejudiced.

My thoughts,
Lee Epperson

5 
With the anti firescale vacuum casting process you will be able to
cast without getting firescale. The process does not work as well
with centrifugal castings.

Actually, Lee, I am getting very good results using your system with
centrifugal casting. I stop the casting arm part way through its
spinning cycle by reaching over and VERY carefully applying pressure
on the central button, and then I put the flask as quickly as
possible into a larger flask, add wax shavings, and slam a steel
plate on top. I thank you for the inspiration to try this, since it
has greatly reduced any fire scale. It is not always perfect, but it
is a very great improvement, and so very low-tech! I leave my top
and bottom plates dirty, and the wax residue seems to help seal
things up next time.

Thanks, Lee!
M’lou Brubaker

6

Hi Gabriel,

Are you saying that acetylene is required to cast using a
centrifuge? Perhaps I misunderstood…

Andy

7

Lee,

You are correct that each person has their own preference as to what
equipment to use.

I have both a centrifugal and a table top vacuum casting outfit. I
prefer the centrifugal outfit because I seem to get better detail
when casting items with lots of detail but I do use the vacuum when
doing large items.

Greg DeMark
email: greg@demarkjewelry.com
Website: http://www.demarkjewelry.com
Custom Jewelry - Handmade Jewelry - Antique Jewelry

8

Hi M’lou,

Actually, Lee, I am getting very good results using your system
with centrifugal casting. I stop the casting arm part way through
its spinning cycle by reaching over and VERY carefully applying
pressure on the central button, and then I put the flask as quickly
as possible into a larger flask, add wax shavings, and slam a steel
plate on top. I thank you for the inspiration to try this, since
it has greatly reduced any fire scale. It is not always perfect,
but it is a very great improvement, and so very low-tech! I leave
my top and bottom plates dirty, and the wax residue seems to help
seal things up next time.

Its great news to hear that the anti firescale casting process works
with centrifugal casting. The process works best if the flask
containing the metal can be covered up right after the metal is
poured. I have never centrifugally cast so I was not sure if the
process would work when casting that way.

Be careful you don’t burn yourself.

Thanks a big bunch for the comment!!!

Lee Epperson

9

Hi Andy

Are you saying that acetylene is required to cast using a
centrifuge? Perhaps I misunderstood...

I referred to acetylene being a dirtier fuel source than propane. I
didn’t mean to say that acetylene is the only way to centrifuge.

have a nice weekend!
Gabriel