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Sand cast using 100/120 mesh olivine sand and plaster of paris.

Lots of fun messing around with this very direct method of patterning. The pattern was made with a jar lid.

Base by Peter Happny, blacksmith

Very nice Bert. Where did you get the olvine sand? I've looked around and I can't seem to find it.

Rob

Cool! Did you make it for someone? I'm thinking whoever it is does not have cats (I'm picturing one of mine pouncing on one end and flipping it)...or is it very heavy?
Amy

Rob Morey wrote:Very nice Bert. Where did you get the olvine sand? I've looked around and I can't seem to find it.

Rob

Rob

Olivine sand is used by metal foundries, so I went to a foundry supply house.

Amy on Salt Spring wrote:Cool! Did you make it for someone? I'm thinking whoever it is does not have cats (I'm picturing one of mine pouncing on one end and flipping it)...or is it very heavy?
Amy

Amy

it is made with 3/8" glass (10mm) for a friend who is single with no pets or kids. She has a healing collar bone and asked me for a light weight coffee table with some color.

It is pretty stable relative to cats. It has been set up in my living room for the weekend. I have a 95 lb dog and 2 cats and a hyper visiting dog and there have been no problems.

If it would get knocked around, I'd probably suggest siliconing it down with a few dabs around the base.

I might have made it with heavier glass if she hadn't ask for it to be light, probably 2 layers of 1/4".

Bert.

Nice piece... it's very "you".

Was your olivine sand and plaster laid out dry? Also, did you get any sticking?

Tony

Bert Weiss wrote:


Sand cast using 100/120 mesh olivine sand and plaster of paris.

Lots of fun messing around with this very direct method of patterning. The pattern was made with a jar lid.

Base by Peter Happny, blacksmith

Looks good nice n shiny

Is that how it came out

Best tho is the

Jar Lid Text n Go

Brian

Tony Smith wrote:Bert.

Nice piece... it's very "you".

Was your olivine sand and plaster laid out dry? Also, did you get any sticking?

Tony

In my normal style, I looked around and saw that I had some strips of 10mm glass, so I laid out 2 on each side to dam the dry mix and screeded it flat with another piece of glass.

When the mold was set, I dusted it with plaster. There was no sticking.

I bought some aluminum oxide in the same grit as the olivine and tested it straight with no plaster when I first got home. It stuck. I think the same technique of mixing plaster in and dusting it would work with the aluminum.

Brian and Jenny Blanthorn wrote: Looks good nice n shiny

Is that how it came out

Best tho is the

Jar Lid Text n Go

Brian

10mm doesn't devit when fired at my regular schedules. This piece was fired to 1380 with an hour soak and came out with a nice surface.

The MR 16 lights in my living room do a real nice job of highlighting the textured glass. After all what we are really making is sparkle. Glass is just a medium to get to the sparkle.

The technique is really "grab n go" If your shop is as cluttered as mine there are plenty of "things" around to make textures. The scrub brush made a good one. A piece of flat glass at 45º makes a great one.

Bert,

All I have to say is, VERY COOL!

Jane

numero ono, excellente, FIVE STARS

thanks for posting the pic and sharing the info
rodney

Fabulous Bert. Now I can see why you're so excited about sand casting!

Carol

Bert, I haven't been around for a while, logged on and TAAA DAAA, some very impressive sand casting. A great looking table. 10 points from me.

John

ps I'll have to work out how to post my pics.

Woo-Hoo Bert. I can see where you're heading............... Nice texture!

did you get this piece tempered,,,is there a rule on what to temper and what not to temper,,,,when it comes to tempering glass, does the thickness matter,,,,thanks bert, and keep up the experiments, and PLEASSSE KEEP THEM PICS A COMIN

thanks
rodney

rodney wrote:did you get this piece tempered,,,is there a rule on what to temper and what not to temper,,,,when it comes to tempering glass, does the thickness matter,,,,thanks bert, and keep up the experiments, and PLEASSSE KEEP THEM PICS A COMIN

thanks
rodney

Rodney

I could have had this piece tempered from a technical standpoint, but I don't believe in tempering table tops unless they have to be drilled.

The edge of tempered glass is vulnerable to popping the whole piece. I would prefer a chip to a pile of broken glass.

You can temper any thickness of glass as long as the machine is designed to do that thickness. My company's machine has a door that opens 1" but they like to stop at 1/2" thick glass. The thicker the glass, the less air is needed to temper it though. Thin glass is actually a bigger task for the machine.

Oh yeah, you can't temper fused glass. There must be zero bubbles in the sheet for tempering to work.

I like to follow the lead of industry. There are plenty of annealed glass 3/4" thick tables on the market.

Architects tend to specify tempered glass because they think they are being smart, however they are just ignorant of the real characteristics of the material. If you must use safety glass, use Laminated.

Bert,
What a great piece. Could it be done with just the dry plaster?
I do not have a kiln that big but have been damming up dry plaster and doing smaller pieces, with 2---1/4".
Lisa W

Bert Weiss wrote:asked me for a light weight coffee table with some color.

I thought it was clear?? Is it the picture? Now that I look more closely...is there some flecks of color in it or is it just a subtle shade?
Amy

Amy on Salt Spring wrote:

Bert Weiss wrote:asked me for a light weight coffee table with some color.

I thought it was clear?? Is it the picture? Now that I look more closely...is there some flecks of color in it or is it just a subtle shade?
Amy

Amy

There are flecks of color. I normally get more involved with a painting, but I felt that the texture was making the big statement so I kept the color accents to a minimum. They are dotted all over though, teal, red purple, and black (to match the couch, yeech)

Lisa W. wrote:Bert,
What a great piece. Could it be done with just the dry plaster?
I do not have a kiln that big but have been damming up dry plaster and doing smaller pieces, with 2---1/4".
Lisa W

Lisa

You can try dry plaster. I mix it with alumina hydrate and diatomaceous earth. I used this mix for a long time, It was mostly alumina.

Larger particles are stronger relative to not smooshing down when the glass is placed on top of the powders.