chyancarrek

Welcome! Larry's got it right - just give in now and save some time instead of putting off the inevitable . . . Have fun!

Daryl Nelson of the NWBA is a master at making animal heads - he's got some how-to videos out - I'm sure someone here can chime in with where to get them.

That anvil looks like I feel when I get up in the morning . . . busted up face and a droopy horn . . . maybe I should pick it up just to give it some sympathetic company.

How's that old cliche' go? - - Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine . . . It's one of the big reasons I stopped doing custom work except for a few very select clients. All that aside, way to step up and get it done Mike!

Frosty hit on some really good points - the steaming process he mentioned is what I was referring to when I said bring it up slowly to about 400 and let the wax melt out. You don't need to dip the mold in water - pouring a small amount on the top of a dry mold and letting it soak in will accomplish the same thing. You can avoid the wax fire at the higher temps by removing the wax tray before ramping up the temp or if your kiln can accommodate it, a small hole in the bottom will allow the wax to run out of the kiln into a catch tray placed below the kiln (this works with larger wax's but may not work with small pieces due to the tiny wax volume). As I said before, I do larger castings (200 - 400 lb pours) so some of the techniques I use don't translate down in a "1 to 1" fashion. Be careful if you pour into a hot mold if you're using just plaster without any kind of binder - while you'll get better metal flow, the mold is much more fragile at heat and at high risk of damage if you are using tongs to manipulate it. I'd use a piece of iron pipe as a mold-form - that will give you a much more robust mold to handle. BigGunDoctor's comments about copper being fussy are what I was referring to but I hadn't heard of the surface area concerns with wire before - it makes sense and I'd follow his advice regarding reducing it. All of the suggestions you've received are good but predicated on the idea that you have some experience in casting molten metal - study up and because it's an inherently dangerous activity, solid safety practices are essential - it's a trial and error process for a beginner so if you're successful the first time out, count yourself lucky - it may take a number of attempts before you get your equipment and techniques tuned up to where you get good repeatable results. Looking forward to seeing the results!

Hey Avadon, My neck of the woods in SW Wa (Google Amboy Wa) is pretty nice but it's an area that's been traditionally "depressed" economically. In the late 80's & 90's the city folk discovered you could build over-priced luxury homes and still only be an hour commute from Portland. With the recent economy a lot of those folks are struggling to make ends meet and are renting out houses they can no longer afford. There's lots of 5 acre parcels up here with Mfg housing and shop buildings for sale and some rentals - rent is running in your price range. The weather downside is that it's wetter up here than down in PDX. North Clark County is in a wet band that exists because Mt St Helens and Mount Adams draw in the moisture from our Southern dominant weather patterns so while it doesn't rain more often, it usually rains heavier and we get a lot more snow events than PDX especially if you're above 500' in elevation. Retail resources are located about 20 minutes to the South or West (Battleground Wa & Woodland Wa respectively) but there's a grocery, post office, auto parts and hardware store in the small town of Amboy. Portland is about an hour to the South. As I said in my earlier post, most folks up here like to mind their own business. It's a beautiful area with all of the wooded grandeur associated with the PacNW. If you'd like more info, send me a PM with any Q's you have and I'll do my best to answer them!

I'm in SW Wa about 20mi SW of Mt St Helens. It's a great area and very rural where folk mind their own business and my power hammer is nothing compared to the gun-fire that goes off up here all hours of the day! - The biz I do isn't really location specific as it's smaller scale, interior decoration accent items that I sell online and ship worldwide via USPS. If you're running with the Gates & Railings crowd or larger architectural work, being closer to a larger metro area may suit you better - just remember though, the PacNW is well populated with artist blacksmiths who are very accomplished and established that you'll be competing with. That's just normal biz but it might be a consideration. Larry gave you some great locations to check out! The nice thing is, except for being wet (this year was a record setter), the Western half of Wa & Or are all temperate weather-wise and we rarely have extremes. If you've lived here before, you know the drill but we've moved away from the warmer/dry cycle of the 80's- 90's and back into the cooler/wet cycle that we had in the 60's - 70's. No matter where you settle Avadon - Welcome!

Woodwalker, Plaster of paris will work and it will take the heat just fine but craft-plaster (the kind you find in the craft section of a variety store) may not give you the retention of detail you're looking for. Make sure to melt the wax out completely at around 400 degrees then slowly bring it up to about 1000 - 1100 to completely bake the mold. I do larger castings and use pottery plaster and get good results for my intended purposes but it's been a long time since I've done tiny castings that need a high level of detail and am not up on what the current best product for jewelry is - there's a few folk on this site who may chime in with an exact product to use. Do a Google search on jewelry casting suppliers - you'll probably find something that will suit your needs and can be purchased in small amounts. Copper can be fussy to cast - If you're using scrap of unknown type it can pour with very inconsistent results - especially if you're just gravity casting instead of centrifical or vacuum casting. Good luck - post some pics of the results when you get done!

I agree Michael, Hands down, Larry wins! So Larry, is that the rocker you're going to retire to and did the shop come with banner girls or was that a later addition?

Welcome to IFI Cody! Go to your profile and put in your location - you'll likely find other smiths or associations near you! We love pictures here so if you've taken any of your work or shop set up, share them with us! Enjoy! Neil

Welcome to IFI Charles You'll fit right in here - this site is a haven for all of us old hot iron addicts! Pictures? Yes, please - we love pictures here!

Larry, Nice! - You do know how to make an impression . . .

The anvil will ring here for Lester.

Very nicely done as usual Jymm - I can smell meat cookin' already! Nothing ground breaking here - I'm making more bases for cast glass salmon sculptures done by a local artist and a frame for her husband who does high-end cast glass tile work.

Hang in there Frosty - We're all pulling for you!!

Michael, Truly outstanding work. Both pieces hit on all marks but the wing just takes the breath away. Thanks for sharing these with us!

Beautiful work Ironstein! I cast a couple out of bronze for a skin artist a few years ago but they weren't any where near as pretty as yours!

Larry, I've seen those too, but with this beast, you'd have to take some real care not to yank the whole tree out by the roots!

Please raise a glass today to all who have passed - Not only those who fought and gave all for our freedom but also all we've walked with through life, and are now gone.

Dang, you're quick Larry! Well at least the lister knows it "works good"

Are you guys sure that's not just a fancy apple picker? I like the reference to the fact that it has some slight cosmetic wear . . . .

It's listed as a forge - looks more like a melt furnace of some type - Pic of Mfg. plate lists mining equip. Any ideas? http://portland.crai...1767241114.html Location isn't listed but the 360 area code puts it in SW Wa somewhere.

Anvil will ring here Glenn and to all on IFI who are veterans, please accept humble thanks from one who appreciates your service! When I was a kid, I grew up next to a cemetery - On MD I'd wander around and any veteran's grave I found, I'd put a flag by the headstone if it didn't already have one. About 30 years ago, my friends and I started a tradition of doing a private toast at sunset on Memorial Day in remembrance of those who are gone and for all who are serving. - it will continue this Monday night.

Nicely done! It's the simple gift that "rings" the truest - I'm sure your friend will love it!

Hey Blue, I posted this ad earlier here in the anvils forum and MonsterMetal (Larry) has contacted the fella - he may have more info on it.