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Lost Wax Chemistry for Casting
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 12:29 am
by Joe Pfeifer
I have started experimenting with a few different materials that I have available to me to use for lost wax casting. I was just wondering if there is anyone else doing this too. I would like to swap recipes and experiences.
Re: Lost Wax Chemistry for Casting
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 6:20 pm
by Bert Weiss
Joe Pfeifer wrote:I have started experimenting with a few different materials that I have available to me to use for lost wax casting. I was just wondering if there is anyone else doing this too. I would like to swap recipes and experiences.
A long time ago, I dated a jeweler. She made me a sterling silver moose. She started out with a small plastic moose, and did the lost plastic toy method of investment casting. She added some sprues to the little guy. Well, during the burnout, the plastic caught on fire and almost ruined the casting kiln. The good news is that it was only almost, and I still have the lovely silver moose with diamond chip eyes.
Re: Lost Wax Chemistry for Casting
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 12:09 am
by Peter Angel
I've recently moved from using microcrystalline wax to 100% bees wax due to the fumes.
Residue microcrystalline wax fumes smell acrid while residue bees wax fumes smell more like burning paper or wood.
Bees wax is more expensive but health is better than wealth.
Re: Lost Wax Chemistry for Casting
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 10:18 am
by Ralph
Take care Peter...beeswax may not be as acrid as mineral wax when burned out, but there's still the same risk (acrolein, formaldehyde release) according to Monona Rossol of
Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety.
Re: Lost Wax Chemistry for Casting
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 6:05 pm
by Joe Pfeifer
I have started my experiments. I have a few listed on my blog found here:
http://igneousglassworks.com/
Please leave comments here and on my blog with your own recipes!
Re: Lost Wax Chemistry for Casting
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:00 pm
by squirrellglider
If you are intending to do lots of copies of the same item it may be worthwhile considering using an alloy of tin, lead, and bismuth. These alloys are usually quite expensive to buy but you don't lose any in the process, so you can get thousands of uses out of one lot of alloy. I have used this alloy for making hollow fibreglass mouldings with quite complex hollow interiors and when the fibreglass is cured you can melt the alloy "mould" out from inside the job with hot water. Alloy mixtures with melting temps as low as 70 C are readily available here in Australia so shouldn't be a problem in U.S. Hope this is of help, Terry