PHOENIX COLLEGE, 1101 W Thomas Rd, Fine Arts Bldg. Rm 104, Tues 6 to 10 pm

Art 275 Sec. 22131 LOST WAX CASTING I

Art 276 Sec. 22132 LOST WAX CASTING II

Art 290 Sec. 22138 ADVANCED LOSTWAX CASTING

THE HISTORY OF LOST WAX CASTING

The history of lost-wax casting dates back thousands of years. Its earliest use was for idols, ornaments and jewelry, using natural beeswax for patterns, clay for the moulds and manually operated bellows for stoking furnaces. Examples have been found across the world in India's Harappan Civilisation (2500–2000 BC) idols, Egypt's tombs of Tutankhamun (1333–1324 BC), Mesopotamia, Aztec and Mayan Mexico, and the Benin civilization in Africa where the process produced detailed artwork of copper, bronze and gold.

The earliest known text that describes the investment casting process (Schedula Diversarum Artium) was written around 1100 A.D. by Theophilus Presbyter, a monk who described various manufacturing processes, including the recipe for parchment. This book was used by sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini (1500–1571), who detailed in his autobiography the investment casting process he used for the Perseus with the Head of Medusa sculpture that stands in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, Italy.

Investment casting came into use as a modern industrial process in the late 19th century, when dentists began using it to make crowns and inlays, as described by Dr. D. Philbrook of Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1897. Its use was accelerated by Dr. William H. Taggart of Chicago, whose 1907 paper described his development of a technique. He also formulated a wax pattern compound of excellent properties, developed an investment material, and invented an air-pressure casting machine.

In the 1940s, World War II increased the demand for precision net shape manufacturing and specialized alloys that could not be shaped by traditional methods, or that required too much machining. Industry turned to investment casting. After the war, its use spread to many commercial and industrial applications that used complex metal parts.

[edit] Applications

Investment casting is used in the aerospace and power generation industries to produce turbine blades with complex shapes or cooling systems.[12] Blades produced by investment casting can include single-crystal (SX), directionally solidified (DS), or conventional equiaxed blades. Investment casting is also widely used by firearms manufacturers to fabricate firearm receivers, triggers, hammers, and other precision parts at low cost. Other industries that use standard investment-cast parts include military, medical, commercial and automotive.

INSTRUCTOR: Bill Jamieson, E Mail:

TEXTBOOKS: Tim McCreight, The Complete Metalsmith, and/or

Tim McCreight, Practical Casting.

This course teaches students the process of LOST WAX CASTING. Each student will be able to create pieces of jewelry or very small sculptures using this method. Class meets at PHOENIX COLLEGE, 1101 W Thomas Rd, Fine Arts Bldg. Rm 104, Tues 6 to 10 PM

Instructor will be in classroom from 5:00 t0 6 pm for any student who needs extra work time

SPRING 2014 SCHEDULE

Week Date Activity

101-14 Continuing Students: Continue to work on wax models.

and New Students Only: Discussion of tools, materials, outline of course,

and design sources. 20 min Break. (A jewelry slide presentation)

2 01-21New Students: . .Wax demonstrations. (basic wax techniques, beads, beltbuckle, pendants, key fobs, rings, etc.)

Advanced Students: Work on wax models or watch demo.

301-28Same as week two.

4 02-04New Students: Tool check.Continue demonstrations, (rings, stones, mountings.

Advanced Students: Work on wax models or watch demo. 5 02-11 All Students: Work on wax models.

6 02-18Lab 1st investing for those who have completed a quality wax model.

7 02-25Lab* 1st Casting ------Note: (Invested flasks will be burned out

8 03-04 Lab* and ready for casting the week following the

Investing. Be ready with your metal.

9 03-11 SPRING BREAK—NO CLASSES

10 03-18Lab*

11 03-25Lab* (Investing and casting can be done on each starred dates) 12 04-01 Lab*

13 04-08 Lab*.

1404-15 Lab* Last investing

1504-22Lab Last casting

1604-29Lab Finishing of projects for final critique

1705-06 Lab CLOSED ------FINAL CRITIQUE. Bring Snacks

Final Critique 6:30 - 8:00 pm Display and discuss projects.

Evaluation will be on aesthetic quality, creativity,and craftsmanship of your work.

ONLY ONE FLASK PER STUDENT PER CLASS PERIOD TO BE INVESTED

THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT OF A WAX TO BE INVESTED IS 16GRAMS.

The wax model must be exactly 1/2 inch below the top of the flask 16 GRAMS.

PLAN to invest several items in each flask.

Please use thesmallestflask that will fit your wax model.

Large or heavy items (belt buckles, etc.) should be one per flask.

ALL STUDENTS NEED TO SPEND TIME WORKING WAX AT HOME

YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO INVEST AND CAST ANY COMMERCIAL FORMS

DO NOT START TO INVEST AFTER 9:00 PM !

LOST WAX JEWELRY - COURSE OUTLINE

COURSE CONTENT

LOST WAX JEWELRY-lntroduction

LOST WAX DESlGN-Jewelry/Small Sculpture

DESIGN CONSlDERATlONS-Elements (line, shape/form, texture, color and value, negative space)

•Aesthetics•Function

WAX METHODS

•Additive (Build-up)•Subtractive (Carving)

CASTING METHODS

•Centrifugal• NO Vacuum-assist•Pour (pewter)

PROCEDURES FOR LOST WAX CASTING

Build design in wax.

Sprue design

Invest wax model in flask

Burn-out wax

Cast flask

Clean cast piece

Finishing: sawing, filing, grinding, sanding

Buffing-tripoly

Buffing-rouge

Tumbling if needed after all polishing . (by INSTRUCTOR )

Oxidizing

Stone setting

Presentation of completed work

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Tim McCreight, JEWELRY, Fundamentals of Metalsmithing, Hand Books Press

Sharr Choate, Creative Casting, New York: Crown Publishing.

Dominic Dipasquale, Jewelry Making, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1975.

Chuck Evans, Jewelry - Contemporary Design and Tech, Worcester, MA: Davis Pub, 1983

Jay D. Kain, Cast Pewter Jewelry, Worcester, MA: Davis Publishing.

Philip Morten, Contemporary Jewelry, New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Oppi Untracht, Metal Techniques for Craftsmen, New York: Doubleday.

Robert VonNeuman, The Design and Creation of Jewelry, New York: Chilton Co.

Bob Winston, Cast Away, Scottsdale: Shelfhouse Publications.

Joanna Gollberg The Art & Craft Of Making Jewelry, Lark Books, New York

EVALUATION

1. Grades from projects.

2. Attendance.

3. Creativity in design.

4. Technical competency.

5. Attitude.

6. Professionalism.

CLASS BREAKS

Limit yourself to 20 minutes for break time during the four hours class time.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance will be taken for each class period. Excessive absences will affect your grade and you may be dropped. Please notify the secretary 285-7277 if not attending.

HOUSEKEEPING

Please clean up after yourself. Allow sufficient time for this. Chairs on the table, etc.

LOST WAX SUPPLIES (Required except where noted)

Tool Box (for carrying supplies) Wax tool (A-CW 2 @Lonnie’s) Alcohol Lamp-1/2 pint, 1/4' wick

Matches or lighter (1401 C @ Langert-Netzband Ceramic or Pyrex dish for lamp

* Waxes: Q-tips * Wicks for alcohol lamp

Sheet-soft pink or green * #4 Jewelers Saw Blades Aluminum foil

Sprue or Wire wax Toothbrush Leather or fabric gloves (optional)

Kerr hard inlay-bar or stick Sandpaper (assorted) * MIZZY grinding wheels

Sierra Red Ring stick (optional) * Mandrels for grinding wheels

Pliers(optional) Dremel or Foredom Bits Small knife or X-acto knife

* May be purchased in class Band aids * Methanol ( alcohol for lamp)

EXPENDABLE SUPPLIES

The following items for this class will be supplied: Acetylene-Oxygen, buffing wheels, filters, tripoly, rouge, oxidizers, Sparex #2, vacufilm, charcoal blocks, silver solder, soldering flux, and casting flux.

WAXES

SHEET WAX is used as a base for pins, earrings, belt buckles, pendants, bolo ties, bracelets, buttons, etc., or in large areas where shaping is needed.

WIRE WAX is used for basic construction and sprues. It's color has no significance.

KERR HARD BLUE INLAY WAX can be used for building all the sculpture forms, rings, texturing, edging, settings for stones, and main sprues. It is also used for strengthening other waxes.

SIERRA RED WAX is used for all aspects of wax forming. It is especially useful in making prongs for stones.

WAX DESIGNS SHOULD BE AS NEAR THE SAME THICKNESS THROUGHOUT AS POSSIBLE.

LAMP AND ALCOHOL

Alcohol lamps with methanol alcohol produce very little carbon. Other alcohol (denatured) burns with a yellow flame and produces a great deal of carbon. Carbon in wax is a source of porosity and is more difficult to eliminate in the burnout. It can also cause roughness on the surface of the cast piece.

LOST WAX SUPPLIERS

COMPANY PHONE #SUPPLIES

S J JEWELRY SUPPLY 602-956-0189 Metals, Tools, waxes, findings. Etc.

2725 N 24th St Suite 4

CC Silver 602-242-6310Silver and gold, Collector Coins

2028 W. Camelback

C & D Silver Mfg. Co. 602-992-5440 Silver, tools, lapidary supplies, etc.

15846 N. Cave Creek Rd.

Langert Netzband Jewelry 602-264-1620Tools, Lead free Pewter, silver wire, wax,

1526 W. Camelback Rd. Bronze

Lonnie's Inc. 602-220-0494Everything.Tools, gems, waxes, metals,

1436 N. 44th St acetylene, oxygen, methanol, denaturred

alcohol, tools, tumblers, BOOKS, Etc.

Rockazona, Inc. 623-979-7400 Silver, bronze, stones, gold, waxes, tools,

9241 NW Grand Ave., Peoria lapidary equipment, etc.

PLEASE CALL AHEAD

If buying BRONZE, Make sure that it is SILICON BRONZE. (NOT MANGANESE)

PLEASE CHECK YELLOW PAGES OR ON LINE FOR MORE SOURCES

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