[Jewelry making - Article 00398] - Re: [Orchid] Wax Injecting issue

[John Donivan]

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    First of all, you need to use a mold release - traditionally, people
    use talcum powder (unscented baby powder, in the drugstore, maybe) -
    there is also a silicone mold release in a spray can.  We use either
    or both.  Get a small, soft paintbrush and put some powder in a
    shallow bowl, and just dust the inside of the mold. Most people slap
    the two halves together to knock off the residue - you just want a
    "dusting" , not more.  This will help you in two ways - it will stop
    the wax sticking - and the wax will flow better than you might think
    - it actually lubricates the flow of the wax.  I, too, have had
    models with lettering that doesn't want to fill completely - it can
    be hard to do, depending on the model.  Using powder might actually
    solve your problem.  Otherwise - a mold is about plumbing - we call
    it sprueing, but it is plumbing.  The wax is having to go forward,
    into the mold, and then move at a right angle to fill the letters. 
    (The forward movement has to fill almost completely before the wax
    goes to the sides) Sometimes the body of the piece is chilling
    already, and is too bulky for the sideways flow to occur. Anyway, it
    can be a hunt for clues to solve it, sometimes.  Possibles:  first,
    make sure the letters were truly bonded in the model - look in the
    mold and make sure there are no flashings around the bases - if there
    are, get a hot tool and melt them back (if silicone mold you have to
    clip it)  Make sure your sprue rod is big enough - you can melt or
    clip that bigger, too.  And then, you can make the wax hotter (but
    don't burn it), and/or turn up the pressure. Just remember it is
    plumbing:  The sprue rod, then the main body becomes a "pipe" to fill
    the rest of the piece - think about how everything gets a flow of HOT
    wax - cool wax is a plug----- 



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