Advice on Building Up Wax forms

[Susie]

Hi everyone

I've been experimenting with casting for the last few months, and have only cast rings from wax that i have drilled and carved.
However, this method of building up wax looks really exciting, and I just bought a Max Wax pen, so i'm melting EVERYTHING in site.
Does anyone else use a hot pen? I'd really like to try some new methods, so if you have any useful tips, or links to good videos, i'd be really grateful.
I've been searching for hours now on You Tube, and most of them are really bad American shopping videos, which don't really show any good techniques.

Thanks.

Sue

[Goldsmith]

Hi Sue, I have made a few wax models for casting in my time, I do have a hot pen but I only used it for adding fine details to te wax models, for the most part I use dental tools heated with a small spirit lamp for wax modelling. This is a good company for buying wax modelling gear and materials; http://www.tiranti.co.uk/ they sell everything you need for wax modelling and also instruction books.
This is what I use;
http://www.tiranti.co.uk/EdgeImpactShop/subcategory.php?Subcategory=46&Content=Wax+Modelling+Tools

This was my last wax model and it's final casting, not jewellery though.

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James

[Dennis]

If you are making rings, you might also consider a wax tube for cutting up into rings with a saw and a wax ring sizer, which has a cutting edge to ream them to size.

For casting, the change in dimensions was discussed here: http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6410&page=2

Dennis.

[enigma]

Im not quite sure I know what you mean about building up wax?
I buy wax sheets of varying thickness and generally use metal wax carving tools to carve it.
I do occasionally use a melting pen of which I have a mini one and a more powerful one ( which Ive used once lol) but mostly I just carve.
If there is a lot of wax to be removed for a 3D object then I will get the hot carver out but mostly thats all I use it for- rough work.
This is the sort of thing that I do though:
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[Dennis]

I have used a build up technique Sarah, for instance in creating the dragon, by carving the slinky body first and then melting wax on a spatula, to drip on for the spines and ears.

The legs were made separately and then melted to stick in place, so I suppose that counts as building up too. The wings were added after casting, so they don't count.

I did note that there was a great deal of hollowing out needed of the body to reduce the weight, as this was for a brooch. Dennis.

[enigma]

Thats super cute Dennis! I love dragons!
Only just seen James' beautiful stag too.
James, were the antlers too complex for the casting process? were they added on after?

[Susie]

Oh my God James. That is AMAZING. Truly beautiful. Thanks so much for the link. I'll have a look now.

[Susie]

Dennis, is there anything you can't do? I'm amazed at the range of work you produce. When do you get time to eat! Really interesting to hear about you doing a main body first, then building up. This is exactly what i was after. I'm off to find a spatula! I find it daunting carving a complex design out of one piece. Sarah that horse is brilliant.

[Dennis]

Susie, If you look at Cookson 999 AZY, Wax carving tools, you will see the basic tools to look for.
For less expensive versions, look for Tools for wax modelling:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dental+tools+for+sale&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b&gfe_rd=cr&ei=tXjLV4_1Hu7v8Af7mIGIAg#q=+tools+for+wax+modelli ng


Is there anything I don't know? Quite a lot actually, but I have been a part time student in a class for 22 years and joined this forum about a year after it started, so my head is full of stuff even if I dont do it all. Also it comes out a bit garbled sometimes..... Dennis.

[Goldsmith]

Thats super cute Dennis! I love dragons!
Only just seen James' beautiful stag too.
James, were the antlers too complex for the casting process? were they added on after?

Sarah, I made the antlers out of wire and added them to the casting later because I wanted some strength in them and couldn't risk any bad castings, the stag was for an antique restoration job and the antlers were part of the support holding a large heavy rock crystal horn fitted with silver and enamel mounts.

This was the finished piece if you are interested, the horn was made by the Viennese silversmith Hermann Ratzersdorfer in the mid 19th century and my customer bought the horn at auction with a missing stand. So I made a replacement for him.
This was the finished piece, the horn was 16 inches long;


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James

[enigma]

Thats fantastic James, the detailing in the stand is exquisite!

[Goldsmith]

Thats fantastic James, the detailing in the stand is exquisite!

Thank you Sarah, I have spent a lot of the last 10 years restoring fine antiques, it was a good earner after the troubles in the Middle East stopped my usual trade of making objet d-art for Sultans.

This was the stand I made in progress before the crystal was cut to replace my wooden shape, then the square emeralds were set in place and some enamelling added;

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James

[metalsmith]

Is there anything I don't know? Quite a lot actually, but I have been a part time student in a class for 22 years and joined this forum about a year after it started, so my head is full of stuff even if I dont do it all. Also it comes out a bit garbled sometimes..... Dennis.

22 years - and you haven't passed yet?

Once it starts to come out completely garbled, you'll make 'Lecturer'!

[Susie]

Thanks for the info Dennis. I actually bought some Wolf Precision tools and I LOVE them. i just have no experience in adding melted wax to build outwards so to speak. I have some cheap stainless steel tools too, so i'll try heating those up to try some different effects. I don't suppose anyone has got any videos of them doing this?

James, out of interest, what metal did you cast your stag in? It's really amazing.

[Dennis]

Google wax carving U Tube and you get this: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=wax+carving+UTube&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b&gfe_rd=cr&ei=dnnMV6_TCNHv8AfZkpjYBw

No doubt, they will lead to more, Dennis.

[Goldsmith]

Thanks for the info Dennis. I actually bought some Wolf Precision tools and I LOVE them. i just have no experience in adding melted wax to build outwards so to speak. I have some cheap stainless steel tools too, so i'll try heating those up to try some different effects. I don't suppose anyone has got any videos of them doing this?

James, out of interest, what metal did you cast your stag in? It's really amazing.

Susie, the stag was cast in silver, I used the casting company Niagara Falls Casting to cast it for me; http://www.nf-castings.co.uk/

This was my first attempt at wax carving way back in 1983, all shaped using stainless steel dental tools heated by using a spirit lamp, this method makes adding wax layers quite easy.

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James