A super simple method to 'cast' simple shapes

[silken]

I don't have an awful lot of equipment in my studio other than the basics and I wanted to find a way to 'cast' small pieces without investing in casting equipment. Firstly, this method is only intended for 'flat backed' shapes or designs that have no detail on the back. Secondly, the results can be rather rough and primitive but I think this adds to the overall appeal. It is not a new technique by any means, just one that I thought I should share because it is so simple therefore great for beginners.

You'll need:

A charcoal block
A small selection of burrs or carving tools
A torch (any torch that can melt small amount of silver/gold is fine, I use a handheld butane torch)
A steel bench block
A few scraps of silver/gold or some casting grain
Borax

I use this method to make lots of tiny little "puffy" hearts and it's fab. First of all, carve a basic shape into your charcoal block with a ball burr or whatever tools you have to hand. Charcoal is very soft so carving it is a doddle. In my case, I carve several little heart shapes into the charcoal with a ball burr. I then add some scrap silver or gold, enough to fill the carving. Sprinkle on some dry powdered borax or whatever flux you have to hand. This helps the metal to melt and flow. Now, using your torch, heat the metal until is starts to ball up and play the flame over the metal until it starts to adapt to the shape of the carving. Don't worry, most of the time at this stage the molten metal just wants to stay in a nice little ball shape but what you need to do is get your steel bench block and plonk it down over the metal. This should help the metal spread into the correct shape and give a nice flat back. After a few seconds, remove the bench block and dig out your metal. It might be reluctant to come out so you may have to dig into the surrounding charcoal. Sometimes the metal just pops out if you turn the charcoal block upside down and give it a whack. When you've got your little casting, pickle it as you usually would.

After pickling, I examine the 'casting' and decide if I want to do any additional finishing. Most of the time I file the little heart shapes just to give them a little more definition. I make the hearts into earring studs by soldering on an earring post. I then either polish them to a mirror shine or use my frosting wheel to make a nice frosted finish.

Simply, easy, slightly primitive but definitely effective. You can create all sorts of simple shapes with minimal equipment and cost. I've tried this with normal soldering blocks also and it works OK but I find the charcoal is much easier to work with with less clean up afterwards.

I'm going to post some pictures of some of the things I've made using this method in the next couple of days when I've taken some photographs.

[SilverBouillon]

Thanks, Emily.
Now I know what to do with my wasted silver! I'm tired of making granules of it.
It's possible to carve the simple free shape chain links, I will try.
Also, what if to use plaster of paris flat mold over the charcoal block without carving charcoal? Do you think it may work? Plaster should give more details than charcoal itself, I guess.

[Dennis]

Thanks Emily, that's a great low tech idea. I look forward to seeing your results.

SB, If you are going the plaster of Paris route, I would suggest you get casting investment, which can be heated with a torch once it has dried out. In fact you could set an object in it while wet and then pick it out to leave an open mould.....
Now that we know each other might we call you by your name? Dennis.

[SilverBouillon]

Sorry, Dennis, my name is Lana.
Casting investment right now means less burs to buy, and I need them the most. But I have plaster of paris in garage right now I can just play around with my scrap rather for fun than for serious work. I do have some coral branches I picked up on the beach a while ago. Exactly like this one I can save the most of them for investment casting for later, and play with few pieces tomorrow morning.

[Dennis]

Lucky you Lana. We'd have to buy those and be accused of supporting an illegal trade. I'm not sure you could reproduce them easily in a burnable material, but right now I have colleagues who are using photographs like that to etch onto silver. Dennis.

The nearest we have to a sea shore in London is a freshwater pond called the Serpentine. There is a swimming area, but you share it with ducks. Dennis.

[SilverBouillon]

Lucky you Lana. We'd have to buy those and be accused of supporting an illegal trade.

Wow, I had no idea. Next time I will be in Puerto Rico, I will look for them again. It was plenty on the beach there in April. It was totally legal pick up . I've never seen it here in South Florida, only at the beach store.
I thought about etching already, I just don't know which way would be better: to take a picture and then print it on transfer paper, transfer it with iron on silver, or stamp it directly.

[Goldsmith]

if you want to do simple casting from hard patterns, try using cuttlefish bone as a mold, see; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMI9ANh-7B0

Or as shown on one of Kwant's old forum posts; http://kwantessentials.blogspot.co.u...fish-bone.html

James

[SilverBouillon]

if you want to do simple casting from hard patterns, try using cuttlefish bone as a mold. James

James, I should be fun as well, just need to find the cuttlefish somewhere in pet stores. I don't think that charcoal, bone or plaster will give very detailed impression, it's good for simple objects.
At least I reached the learning point where I collected some amount to melt into something.

[Anna Wales]

I had some very good quality cuttlefish from Ebay just recently, 1kg of large pieces for £12.99. Sorry Lana it's not much help to you in Florida but for anybody looking for some in the Uk this might be of interest.
It's a fun technique if a little smelly!!

[SilverBouillon]

Emily,
So far I got two nice balls. Need to figure out the moment when to cover molten silver to make the shape flat. But it is fun to play.