Casting advice needed

[Newbie]

Hi everyone I have ventured into getting some items cast and first products came back this week. What I hadn't expected was how big the burrs would be from the sprue. How is the best way to deal with this? As they are circular unfortunately my piece is no longer as round as it should be so it's lost it's professional look! Any advice welcome - or would I be just as well to get the casting house to finish the piece for me? Has anyone had experience of this they could share with me? Do they come back all lovely and almost 'ready to go'? Any particular recommendations on casting companies?
Thank so much.
newbie caster!

[josef1]

You will always need to finish the cast item, that involves size it if its a ring using a ring mandrel to reshape it then sand and polish it.

[Tabby66]

Hi Newbie, as Josef has said, you always need to clean up castings (unless your caster offers and you have paid for finishing services). Usually this involves snipping excess sprue, filing to reshape where sprue was attached, buffing, plus the usual clean up of the whole of the cast piece to remove the cast surface before polishing.

[jayneharrison]

Any particular recommendations on casting companies?
Thank so much.
newbie caster!

I'm also interested in casting house recommendations, especially if anyone uses a company that accepts low volume (maybe 7 or 8 ring waxes at a time) without breaking the bank!

I do have access to a kiln and centrifugal machine at college, but we generally only get the opportunity once per semester, which is a shame.

[Goldsmith]

I have used Niagara Falls Casting; http://www.nf-castings.co.uk/web2013/ in the past and they have been very obliging and great quality.
If you want a London based caster I can recommend, Just Castings; http://justcastings.co.uk/

James

[jayneharrison]

Thanks James - I'll take a look at them both.

[Tabby66]

I use and can recommend Nexgen, Birmingham Jewellery Quarter.....[URL=http://www.nexgenprecisioncasting.co.uk [/URL].....you can cast from 1's +2's upwards (there is a £5 charge for single casts). They offer full finishing, but I haven't used this service.

[Lucie]

I've never tried Nexgen (although they're next on my list to try).

Just Castings are wonderful and the guy there is really friendly, but they can get pretty busy at times, so they don't always stick to the times they give you to return things, so I haven't used them in a while as I need a super fast turn around. They offer a full finishing service.
However, they used to shut down for a few weeks over the summer (along with half of Hatton Garden), so you might want to check that.

Niagara falls and Weston Beamor are both amazing - casts back within the week and almost always flawless in both gold and silver.
Weston Beamor will now cast in Argentium silver (hooray!)

I have a pretty comprehensive list of casters that I would personally avoid with a 10ft pole if you want to inbox me. Might get in trouble otherwise :-"

[desperate Dan]

I'm curious what charges could I expect to cast two solid gold 9ct. Pendants each weighing about 30 grams. Do they provide the gold or will they let me supply it?

[Lucie]

Gold is usually provided, as they won't typically only be casting yours - it'll go in with a batch.
9ct:
30g x 12 conversion x £ gold cost
+ Casting charge £9.40
+ Postage £8.00 + VAT (x 1.2)

Cost of gold per g is not always the same as cost of grain for that day. The cost of grain on the Cookson website will give you a rough idea, but to be more accurate, phone & ask the individual casters what they are currently charging per g.
Casting charges vary between casters, but this is pretty current.

[Lucie]

Just realised. That would be the calculation if you were using 30g waxes - I'm guessing you mean 30g finished in gold? #-o

Current price of 9ct yellow is £11.54 + vat
9ct white is £12.24 + vat

[desperate Dan]

Thanks for a great reply, it sounds a reasonable alternative depending on what you mean by 'x 12 conversion' my weight is 30 of gold! not wax.

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

[desperate Dan]

There you go answered my question ad I was typing it!

[desperate Dan]

I was hoping to carve, make the mould & cast the two items I want to make but having been unable to find anywhere I can do this and costed out building my own diy kiln and vacuum system from scratch it is much cheaper and too be honest I'll probably get a better result, with a casting house. So thank guys I'm trying to talk to a few you have recommended and hopefully by the end of August I should have my two items finished for perhaps 2/3 of the cheapest quote I received from a jeweller.

[ps_bond]

If you were to go the route of making your own casting setup the kit is the least of your worries.
When you say "2/3 of the cheapest quote", are you getting all the finishing work done as well in that budget?

[Lucie]

Agree with Peter. I know people who've been in the trade for decades who find casting their own just too much trouble & expense.
If you carve your master, Weston Beamor and Niagara Falls will make you a cold mould for £25 - £30 + vat to use as often as you like.
Other casters probably do the same, but they're my current favorites.

[desperate Dan]

Yes Lucie , I am agreeing with you, casting house appears to be both the best route for quality and cost. Especially as I only want this one job completed. And Mr Bond, I'm including finishing, I was quoted between £1000 and £1600 per item by jewellers; two items via casting house possible total £12 - 1500. Most of that price is the gold of course.