Hi from Australia

[jenfay]

Since i have joined this forum I need to introduce myself. I live in the suburban outskirts of Brisbane, Australia. My major interests in jewelley making are casting. I have my own casting equipment including a kiln, vacuum casting machine and a wax injector. The primary focus of my work seeks to express our relationship with the natural environment. Hence much of my work particularly appeals to me involves incorporating natural materials such as seed pods and leaves into my wax patterns. Alternatively where the natural materials cannot be burnt out, I use RTV rubber molding and wax injection. More recently I have started to incorporate a range of other techniques such as resin, enameling and reticulation.

The attached photo is of most recent piece I have completed. I started with the idea of the tree of life which is a cultural meme across a range of societies. In my case I also incorporate a somewhat Japanese aesthetic by way of the conventions of bonsai. The pattern was built up in a wax wire frame using soft modelling wax which is a bit frustrating to use but does give an organic feel to a piece. This is actually my second casting out of at least patterns the rest of which were not worth casting. The first casting didn't work because I was not sufficiently focused while melting and pouring the metal. On the second attempt my meditation to the casting goddess was more effective.

4021

I look forward to an engaging meeting of minds.

All the best

Jen

[caroleallen]

Hi Jen, welcome from me.

[Dennis]

Welcome,Jen. We look forward to having your input. Dennis.

[Babette InProgress]

Welcome Jen :)

[Tabby66]

Welcome Jen, your experience in casting will be of interest!!
enjoy the forum xx

[sonia]

Hi Jen

Welcome from me too

Sonia
x

[lorraineflee]

Hi Jen, another welcome!!!

Lorraine

[lilacmonkey]

hello Jen welcome from me too.

[Pauline]

Welcome to the forum :welcome:

[Patstone]

Hi from me too, my cousin lives in Newcastle, same side but about 1,000 miles apart.

Pat XX

[Keia]

Hello! :xmaswelcome: (too soon for xmas welcome? =O)

[jenfay]

Thanks for all the messages of welcome. I have been busy making some more pieces as well as dealing with the normal domestic chaos. I have nearly finished a broach exploring the same theme as the piece I have already posted.Summer is coming here so I hope to spend more time in the studio which is in the only air conditioned space at home. BTW this morning we had a solar eclipse, only partial where we live so to mark the occasion I am posting a photo a piece I made earlier this year to mark a lunar eclipse at the time. The disk is a combination of .925 silver and Shibuichi (25% silver, 75% copper).

4036

[Carl Grigg]

Hi and welcome. Loved the tree, I have tried casting once but without success going to get me a hotter torch and try again.

Carl

[ShinyLauren]

Hi Jen! Love the tree :)

[jenfay]

Hi Carl

When I started casting I used a torch and an open crucible. In my case the torch was a Smith's Little Torch with a rosebud tip running on oxy-propane. With that setup I could manage maybe 40 grams of silver. I then got a propane fired crucible furnace. The largest melt I have done in this is 100 grams. i expect it could manage more but 100 is as big a casting as I have done. It is quite possible to make your own crucible furnace to work with a large propane burner using kiln building materials available from a pottery supplier. When I first started casting I was with a club that hat a centrifugal casting machine. In that case we torch melted the metal (silver or gold) in the crucible on the cradle. We used a fairly large propane torch. $0 grams was probably the largest casting we did and most were around half that. I expect we could have done larger melts with oxy-acetylene but there was no need.

[Carl Grigg]

Hi Jen

Thanks for the input. Just weighed my previous attempt and it is a lowly 10 grams. Am looking into torches and the little torch is definitely on the list I am also considering a self build furnace originally for aluminium as I cast a pewter belt buckle and although it came out reasonably was way too heavy, but had thought that it could be used for silver. I have got a steel keg to cut up some cast-able refractory cement and a week off next week so you never know.

one last thing loved the $0 I am glad I am not the only one who does that :)

Cheers
Carl