Casting an Orchid Flower

Casting an Orchid: Put an orchid on your bench that’s from Ganoksin in the figurative sense for the collection of wisdom, know-how and skills represented and contributed by the Orchidian community.

Everybody scampers for executing orders in a rush against all odds to satisfy customers or – if you’re lucky – to make customers smile with a piece you’ve created with your craft.

But how about yourself? Why not take the time, unwind and focus on a gift for yourself. Besides all recent technical advances of CAD/CAM there’s still the most sophisticated things in nature. So why not take ‘put an orchid on your bench’ literally.

Here’s how we did it:

	As a first step put a fresh flower into the fridge to make the petals stiff. Then fix the pedicel to the sprue base with wax. The petals will be fed with metal through the pedicel so make sure the wax cross section is wide enough for a sufficient flow.
	The flower should be placed on the sprue base providing enough distance to any surface like the base or the flask.
	A final check with the flask in place.
	Start investing from the bottom without pouring the investment directly on the petals.
	Fill up the flask slowly and carefully to avoid bending of the petals
	Do not move the flask until the investment is set.
	Start burn out with cold furnace to avoid thermal stress.
	Burn out should be at elevated temperature and extended time to make sure that all natural resins are carbonized and completely burned.
	Let the flask cool down to the appropriate casting temperature before placing it into a centrifugal casting machine.
	Make sure the crucible is preheated for an expedited workflow.
	Melt the metal of your choice and pour while the machine is running.
	Break the mold to see what you’ve done.
	And there it is.
	Ready for its purpose.
	You might want to experiment.
	Do you dare?
	Sure.
	Build your own collection of beauties. Whatever you do, never forget that you don’t live for working but work for living – enjoy and share.