Assignment 06 — Computer Controlled Machining

09. MOLDING & CASTING

GROUP WORK

Softwares: none
Devices: Oven, Wax Soldering Iron
Files: none
ChatGPT: none

For group work this week, we went over how to use OOMOO and the silicone mix to create molds and then we looked at all the different casting options available.

We casted a Mayan temple, bag, and another piece.

For this week’s assignment, I wanted to move away from using digital tools and try a practice I’ve been super interested in for a while: Last Wax Metal Casting (or something similiar)!!

I. WAX MOLDING

II. CASTING

III. WAX REMOVAL

IV. CASTING

V. FINISHING & FIXING

I started by grabbing a block of mystery wax I had in my room (I think it may have been candle wax...) and marked my ring size into the top. Using box cutters and exacto knives, I was able to widdle away a thick ring, and then using my wax soldering iron, I was able to carve out the center of the ring.

To get to the perfect size ring, I constantly did physical checks for what was most comfortable, and using a ring sizer, I molded two plane rings to fit onto my ring, index, and middle fingers.

I made two headers for the rings, one being a stag beetle and another lopsided star. I didn’t sketch any of thesis ideas out and mostly just went with the flow of what shapes I was getting while kneading the wax. I think I went through a couple different more amorphous designs that I trashed early on, but I ultimately really liked these two.

Then I made a wax tree! Ready for molding.

To make my mold, I used Oomoo... Traditionally, Lost wax casting molds are made out of ceramic or plastic, which then breaks later on, but I tried it with Oomoo because it was the most accessible mold material.

I microwaved the entire mold it to melt out the wax, and then poured it out into a cup.

Then, with Gert’s advice, I broke open my mold and further melted out the wave in the oven in 30 sec intervals for around 2 mins in total (same with the microwave).

Finally, I casted my rings using Cerrotru in the architecture shop! It surprisingly was able to melt in one of those toaster ovens, and I poured the material into my mold, trying hard to aim into the opening of the ring stems (which was hard...) I didn’t expect them to come out incredible but I was pleasantly surprised with the result!

I did have to recast it because the beetle ring broke when dropped.... and then a third time because an arm of the star also broke off...

To finish the rings, I used a metal file and a medium grit sand paper! I think it really cleaned up the ring bands in particular.

After breaking the beetle ring for the second time, I decided to try and solder it back together instead, and it worked!!! Which lead me to try and recreate the finer horn details on the beetle again which worked!! I piled up solder, but the Cerrotru also melted, although it took a bit of elbow grease to get the solder to stick.

But then... tragedy struck for a THIRD time.... I dropped the beetle ring while showing it to Gert and I gave up... Luckily the ring band was the only thing that broke. And since it was getting late, I decided to call it a day and go home and fix it another day.