About six and a half weeks ago I tripped on a cord in my studio and broke my humorous in half. I was hospitalized for three days and had surgery to implant a titanium rod. Keep your studio free of trip hazards.
Working is now very difficult and painful but doable.
I have been working on some casting which I can do without to much difficulty. Wax carving has been nothing but frustrating but, I did sculpt a model for a bunny napkin ring out of soft wax and cast eight of them in pewter.
I am also trying my hand at cuttle fish bone casting. I am trying to make a model for a heavy wall bezel ring.
The first one I made, I did not vent properly and it did not cast completely. I had also made it so the seem was in the middle of the ring shank…rookey mistake.
The next one I made so the shank was flat (to be shaped, sized and soldered after casting). On this one, after two tries and getting nothing more than the button to cast, I decided the shank part of the mold was not thick enough to allow the barely hot enough bronze to flow into it. I think possibly a covered crucible would help. I do put a chunk of fire brick over the crucible during melting but have to remove it when I poor. For the third try, I've carved the shank deeper and will use sterling silver instead of bronze. Here is the mold.
