Hi all

[alastairduncan]

Hi all,

This is a first for me, posting to a jewellery forum :-)

I'm a retired software engineer. I worked years ago as a silversmith but I'm making jewellery currently just for my own benefit (and my wife's ;-)) I have some posts on Instagram if anyone is interested and a few videos on YouTube and I'm happy to talk about anything silversmithing and jewellery related. It was around 40 years ago I worked in the trade and I'm thoroughly enjoying revisiting. I'm not commercial and don't intend to be, it's for my own enjoyment only :-)

Regards

Alastair

[Dennis]

Hi Alastair and welcome to the forum. You probably cant yet post a link, but what are you called on U tube? Dennis.

[CJ57]

Hi Alistair, welcome.
Looking forward to seeing what you’re making after all this time

[alastairduncan]

Hi Dennis,

This is my instagram account https://www.instagram.com/alastairduncan4/

and this is my youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6ZOsQTt-CyHt0SNiVR670Q

Add https:// and change the underscore to a dot.

Alastair

[china]

You tube address comes comes up "can't be found"

[alastairduncan]

did you change the underscores to a dot? I can't post full urls yet as I haven't posted more than 5 times.

[ps_bond]

Youtube address now a link :)
I'll sort the Instagram one later.

[CJ57]

It was easy to find the insta page without a link once I’d spelt Alastair correctly!

[alastairduncan]

Is there another way to spell Alastair ;-)

[CJ57]

In Scotland yes or with auto correct it could be anything! Your namesake in Edinburgh with Alastair spelt As before had many pics of bottles wine and I thought that can’t be right!

[china]

Had a look at the casting video I have just completed the same operation only in Rose Gold.

[alastairduncan]

Had a look at the casting video I have just completed the same operation only in Rose Gold.

I think that the Delft clay casting method works fine for metal prep as long as it is cast larger and rolled or hit with a hammer down to size. I not impressed with the surface finish. I find that the metal has to be hotter than if it was used in more conventional investment casting. I think this is due the mould being cold for the clay casting. The investment mould would be hot from the wax burnout. I would not use it for a cast piece of jewellery unless it was designed to be heavily cleaned up afterwards.

[china]

True, surface finish is not good, ( I don't cast jewellery just ingots) normally I would have used a adjustable ingot mould except the one I have would not give me the thickness I required and as you say it will be hammered in my case ( rolling mill is not operating at the moment)