Tips or Tricks

[Andrea R]

For pouring silica plaster investment with out bubbles,and whats best to keep the wax from floating?

[twin vision glass]

After and while pouring brush all inside with soft throw away brush gently and perhaps give the hot glue gun a try to make sure the wax does not float. Is it 3 dimensional . If so get someone to brush while you slowly pour from one corner. (very sofly of course to not ruin design.All just ideas for you but they worked for me well for many projects Les

[Andrea R]

After and while pouring brush all inside with soft throw away brush gently and perhaps give the hot glue gun a try to make sure the wax does not float. Is it 3 dimensional . If so get someone to brush while you slowly pour from one corner. (very sofly of course to not ruin design.All just ideas for you but they worked for me well for many projects Les

Thank you Les very helpful.
a

[rosanna gusler]

i will take an electric sander and use it to vibrate the mold walls and or table. r.

[twin vision glass]

oh what a great idea. I usually do the BRUISE the hand by hammering the table BUT this is sort of funny. With my clay dams it jiggled the clay right off the table and had mold material pouring all over the floor. Wish I had that on tape. Yikkes. BUT if you do have a blow out save some dry ingredients and sprinkle quickly on it AND hold down the clay so at least you do not 50 pounds of material all over the place.

[Soozin]

if your wax piece is on clay, screw a screw on the bottom of your wax and place back onto the clay. This is great for 3D works. The screw you can pull out when you pull out the clay that you have made as a reservoir. If a flat cast, glue gun the wax to your board, that will solve that problem.

[Morganica]

I'm with Les, and depending on the level of detail I can go a bit farther, especially since I usually work alone. I'll first spray the wax with quilt basting spray (or hairspray works, too), to make sure the plaster doesn't just run off. Then I'll mix up a thin plaster slurry and immediately after that, my first plaster-silica batch.

While the batch is slaking, I use a soft brush to work the slurry into all the detail. Then I'll pour the batch plaster carefully into the corner, NOT ON THE WAX, and let it rise up the wax, pushing out air as it goes. Then I set it on my vibrating table (actually, my washing machine--good way to do laundry and art at the same time), pick up my soft brush and work it through the worst bubble traps before the plaster sets.

Usually hand-building gives me better results, but it's the same opening sequence either way.

I typically glue my wax models down with softer melted wax, then feather the edges toward the edge of my bat so that the wax is contacting the board with as much surface area as possible. Then I let it chill on the board to make sure it's really stuck. Never had a problem.

[Peter Angel]

I'll first spray the wax with quilt basting spray

Hi Cynthia,

I don't know much about Quilt Basting.

What brands of Quilt basting spray have you used for glass casting?

Pete

[Buttercup]

Peter, not Cynthia here, but I just looked it up and here'a a link to a local on-line seller, Jen.
http://www.punchwithjudy.com.au/shop/50 ... d-fix.html

[Morganica]

I'll first spray the wax with quilt basting spray

Hi Cynthia,

I don't know much about Quilt Basting.

What brands of Quilt basting spray have you used for glass casting?

Pete

Sorry, just saw this (hi Peter). I don't know specific brands off the top of my head except that the one I'm using comes in a purple can with quilt designs which isn't much help. I think any spray adhesive that stays tacky would work...I just happen to have a couple old cans of quilt basting spray around. It's a bit stickier than hairspray and it stays tacky, so the plaster tends to flow very smoothly and evenly for a longer time.