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Mold Making and Casting!
This course is designed to demystify the lost-wax casting process. Students will gain a clear understanding of what will work well and be cost effective in a production environment.
Dan will take students step-by-step through the entire mold-making and casting process. Everyone will have the opportunity to make molds during class. On the second day, students will learn to sprue and invest their new molded wax pieces which will be cast on the final day of the workshop. Metals will be cast in Deox sterling silver. Bronze may be cast if there is interest. Materials costs will be based on the amount of metal used by the student.
Additional topics covered include how to properly cut open and vent molds in order to produce wax models, remove the sprues after casting, simple and quick finishing techniques, as well as an ongoing discussion of how to save time by designing wax models to incorporate findings, such as jump rings, ear posts, hinges, and catch location. Students will go home with molds and castings, and a better understanding of how to utilize these techniques for jewelry making and small sculptures.
Participants should bring pieces that they have made in metal for vulcanized molding purposes, but wax models, tree branches, organics, and plastics are also welcome. These can be used as discussion material to develop the best strategy for casting those items in metal.
Meet the instructor
Daniel Grandi's jewelry-making experience began in Thailand in the late 1960's as a 13-year old apprentice in his parents' jewelry company, which made high quality 18 and 22K custom gold jewelry. Daniel worked alongside older goldsmiths working with traditional tools and methods; out of necessity, they made many of their own tools. Eventually, it was decided that the company would have to start casting their pieces in order to meet the demand.
Working with the company's caster, Daniel learned casting, model making, and how to hand-cut molds. The complexity of Thai jewelry design in the 1960's and 70's required the development of special techniques in order to create products that retained the look and feel of hand made jewelry, but which could be easily reproduced.
In 1980 Daniel moved to the US and worked as a jewelry machine designer. He also worked and developed vulcanized silicone rubber for Lost-Wax Industries. As a jewelry machine designer for Lostwax, he also worked in sales and had the opportunity to visit large jewelry manufacturers all over the U.S. and abroad; he was recognized for his experience in high-volume manufacturing and was consulted when problems were encountered. Today he puts his nearly four decades of experience to work at RaceCar Jewelry Co., a full-service investment casting and finishing shop in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, which can produce raw and finished products in all metals, he says, but "unobtanium.".
Materials & Tools
There is a $35 materials fee for this workshop which is payable upon registration. The materials kit includes bronze casting grain; mold rubber for molds; investment for casting; injection wax for models; sprue-former; and other miscellaneous consumable items needed to complete the workshop objectives.
- Closed-toe shoes - required in the Metalwerx studio
- Small metal pieces to be molded (jewelry & small-scale sculptural objects--no larger than an inch or two tall and wide.)
- Wax models, plastics, or any other pieces you have questions about may be permitted on a discussion basis
- Notebook/pen for taking notes and for sketching
- Studio apron or studio clothing
- Studio towel
- Lunch - Metalwerx has a fridge, toaster oven, and microwave