FETTLING THE WAX SKULLS

The flame is burning and wax skulls are ready to clean up before investing in plaster mold.

Quick spots of hot wax to fill marks and the odd blemish from handling. The selection of wax working tools assist in speeding the process.

On these small wax skulls this is the only part line which is quite easy to remove. The gouge from finger nail enthusiasm now filled and firm enough to dress back.

Finished and almost ready to mold up in plaster.

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SMALLER CAST WAX SKULL

The quality of a wax casting is purely a personal criteria. Here particular attention was focused on the master before the rubber mold was made. Any unwanted blemish on the master would be also on the subsequent wax castings and require unnecessary time in the cleaning up before plaster molding. Or if not dealt to in the wax stage then eventually in the cast glass.

A clean cast in wax with minimal fettling.

Sprued and cupped ready for the plaster molding process.

Seam and handling damage requiring attention prior to plaster molding.

Closing in on the most pertinent ‘dings’!

Evident in the upper portion of the image ….  An annoying finger nail mark gouged out in the enthusiasm when removing the wax from the rubber!

LIFE SIZE WAX SKULL

Directly out of the rubber mold and fettling yet to do prior to encasing in plaster.

Small spots to fill and seams to to dress back.

Sprue to be cut off and relocated to facilitate the easy flow of molten glass.

A catalytic, RTV silicon rubber skin mold for the making of small wax skulls.

Or another medium if such were desired.  Polyester, acrylic, cements, reconstructed media, the choices are many and varied.

Here the ‘master’ is being withdrawn from the rubber ‘skin. This rubber is a very strong, tear resistant, flexible substance and when designed well for such a mold as this will be capable of innumerable  reproductions before deterioration renders it unusable.

The master pattern released and the rubber ready for wax.

Opened up, the ‘skin’ now shown fitting inside is the rubber mold which wax is poured into at 90 c.

Depending on ambient temperature the wax may be cold in 4 hours or thereabouts and ready for removal.

Looks like something ready to go in the bin?

This is the casing or ‘Mother Mold’ which supports the rubber inside. In this instance it is made with fiberglass for strength and durability. Often made with gypsum, ‘Plaster of Paris’, for convenience.

Short lived and fragile comparison to fiberglass.