[Jewelry making - Article 00266] - Re: [Orchid] Sand Casting Advice

[Ron Charlotte]

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>     I'm interested in doing things more like casting a medal in bronze,
>     gold or silver, but with provisions for mounting stones. I seem to
>     have gotten a lot of negative responses about the idea. I was
>     looking for advice in the use of gold, silver, and bronze in sand.
>     Brepohl says nothing negative about it, even says there's
>     absolutely no reason not to, and that results can be excellent, but
>     doesn't fully explain the process. 

    The process in short: Pack the cope (the proper name for the pinless
    half of the mold frame) with sand. Dust with parting medium. Put the
    drag (the other half of the mold frame) on. Add your model, dust the
    model with parting medium. Pack more sand onto the model filling the
    drag. Separate the packed mold, carefully remove the model. Cut a
    gate and any vents you think the model requires. Melt and pour your
    metal. Break the mold apart to get the finished casting. Discard the
    badly burnt sand that was in contact with the pour. Those are the
    basics. 

    I suspect that the negative commentary comes from the fact that it's
    not very effective as a production technique, since packing the mold
    is time consuming, and the finished piece generally needs
    considerable cleanup to meet most current jewelry standards. I use it
    for duplicating one of a kind antique leather hardware, and the like. 

    More details can be found in books like Practical Casting
    http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books/us/product/096159845X.htm, or
    C. W. Ammen's Metalcasting.
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