[Jewelry making - Article 00051] - Re: [Orchid] Casting sheet silver

[marlin AT cohrs.org]

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    Good day.  I have been following this tread with interest.  Some 20
    years ago during a remodel of my house, I needed a special
    electrical box flange.  I had one flange, but needed another.  It
    was about 4 inches in diameter and ¼ inch thick with various holes
    and protrusions.   This was prior to becoming hooked on
    metalsmithing and jewelry.  I had a method of melting aluminum and
    had heard of sand casting so I thought I would give it a try. 

    I took very fine sand and made an impression from the existing
    flange, it did not hold detail as nothing bonded the sand.  I next
    tried wet sand with impressive if not effective results when the
    molten metal hit the damp sand! 

    I next turned to plaster of paris. I molded the part, removed it and
    let the plaster of paris dry for a day.  When I poured the molted
    metal in, I found that it still had a lot of water in the plaster,
    and metal again spewed all over.  I did the mold again, but this
    time I put it in my home oven at 500 degrees F for a couple of
    hours, then while it was still hot, I poured the aluminum (melted
    beer cans, and scrap metal) into the mold.  It worked great! A
    little shrinkage as it cooled, but very usable. 

    Silver melts at a higher temp than aluminum, so it may act
    differently, and knowing what I know today, I would not use plaster
    of paris when casting mix is so readily available. 

    Cast metal also has a different grain structure and does not seem to
    work as well as metal that is forged or worked. 

Marlin


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