Kiln Cast Lead Crystal Skulls

Wax Skull Sprued: Preparation for plaster molding.

admin — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:20:45 +0000

LIFE SIZED WAX SKULL

SPRUED AND READY TO INVEST IN PLASTER

Fettled and dressed the skull is mounted on the sprue base which will fit and support the terracotta reservoir.

An electric, adjustable heat controlled, soldering iron is used to fuse the wax joins.

Both waxes dressed smooth and mounted on their respective sprues.

Plaster Molding for Glass

admin — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:26:05 +0000

PLASTER MOLDING OF THE WAX PATTERNS.

The mold mix is one kg of gypsum, one kg of silicon flour to one liter of water.

The initial film of plaster flowed over surface with attention to removing trapped air bubbles.

Multi pours before the plaster sets, building up a thick layer.

The wax skull now covered with the all important pre coat of the molding plaster. Extreme care with this initial application eliminates air bubbles caught on the sticky wax surface which will prevent much extra work in the final cleaning up of the cast lead crystal skull.

A taped up container to hold the liquid plaster is of made from printers plates, pressed into a bed of soft clay.

The wax Skull fully invested in plaster…….

and now ready to steam out the wax.

Finishing Small Wax Skull

admin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:16:23 +0000

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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Small Wax Skulls

admin — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:39:21 +0000

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!

Wax Models

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:39:23 +0000

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.

Skull Mold

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:26:01 +0000

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 Mother Mold

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:42:17 +0000

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.

The Mother Mold

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:24:28 +0000

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.