[Jewelry making - Article 00191] - Re: [Orchid] Burnout temperatures and times

[Larry Loban]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

Russell:

    I was catching up on my Orchid reading and I noticed you didn't
    receive many direct answers to your inquiry about your burnout
    schedule. We've been casting the way you will be since about 1969. I
    own an Aim kiln also but I also still use the same burnout oven and
    Kerr long arm centrifuge my dad bought back then. I mostly use
    Satincast investment and our burnout schedule is pretty much what you
    noted except we usually don't end quite as hot. An hour at 325, an
    hour at 700, two hours at 1,200, and if we are casting sterling an
    ending temp of 1,000. I think 200 degrees below the melting temp of
    metal is an ok rule though I cast copper with the flask coming out
    of the kiln at around 1,850 and hold a reduction flame on the copper
    as late as possible. 

    If you want to read a really good series of step by step articles
    about lost wax centrifugal casting my dad wrote a six piece series
    for Rock and Gem magazine in 1975-76 that holds up perfectly well
    today. If you have interest I'll send you a photocopy.

    Your idea of building a vacuum table sparked some memories. We've
    probably enjoyed building equipment as much as making and selling
    jewelry. We started hobby casting by vibrating the air out of flasks
    with an electric vibrator (hand massager) clamped in a vice.
    Actually did an OK job. We built our own vacuum table using a
    compressor from an old refrigerator. I still use it today. It's a
    little slower than something professional and modern but it still
    pulls 23inHg. Someday when the compressor gives up the ghost I'll
    buy the pump I've been eyeing in the Rio catalog, but it's gone over
    35 years and counting. 

    We built our first wax injection unit out of a large and a small can
    separated by plaster with Nichrome wire wound around the inner can. A
    "U" of copper pipe with a cone on one end and a plunger (handle was
    from the choke of a '54 Chevy) did the injection work. As we got
    into more production we eventually replaced it with a compressed air
    injector but the home-made one got us started. We vulcanized outside
    the shop in a toaster oven and compressed with a four bolt clamping
    system. 

    Our family history with jewelry goes back to the late 1800's and
    many times you just had to make your own equipment. My Grandfather
    had Oklahoma watchmaker's license number 0003. I still occasionally
    use his home-made watch degausser and his ring welder. 

    Things haven't always work perfectly. We fabricated a vacuum caster
    out of box tubing, run off the same compressor as the vacuum table,
    that worked - sort of - but was too slow to be effective. And the
    experiments with vulcanizing in the oven at home made our 1972
    Thanksgiving dinner late (we were all standing outside while the
    house aired out). 

    Although jewelry and watch repair put food on the table, making
    equipment has been just as fun. Thanks for your post jogging some
    fond memories. 

Larry
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________