Bronze casting manual

[PTsideshow]

Bronze Casting Manual
Oliver O Duhamel

How to cast a small bronze sculpture. A detail tutorial for artist, sculptors and hobbyist.
Self published, print on demand/downloadable book
© copyright 2010
ISBN 9781451584752
Trade paperback
114 pages

I have to say that in addition to the content/subject of this book, the fact that it was a print on demand book from Amazon. Caused me to order it. This is the new direction that people are taking in getting their work out there with a minimum investment of money.

The quality of the book along with the color photo’s is very good. Matter a fact it is better than I was expecting. Plus on the last page it is dated the day that it was printed. Which was interesting.

After watching his video on casting some small bronzes, on U tube, the conversion of and successful application of a minimal furnace kiln structure as they do in the pottery field.

And the fast easy home made low cost crucibles, along with some of the other aspects of his and his mentors techniques for the waxes models, the thin shell ceramic molds. The simplified, melting, casting, and other procedures.

Made it a must read book!

I can safely say that by following the information in this book, not only is it low cost, but puts the casting of parts for model engines, shop projects, art projects with in the reach of everybody young or old.

From the use of the weed burner torch as a heat source, the koawool (ceramic fiber blanket) furnace shell. To the heavy duty BBQ tongs, welding gloves, face shield.

It is one of the best books on the subject and will I’m sure to be come the foundation standard of small time casting in the future.

It covers every part of the process starting with the bronze casting itself. Tools, materials and equipment, moving on to aA Project overview and then to Process overview.

Before starting gives some tips and into before you jump into the project. Then moving on to the wax sculpting, taking a lot of the mumbo jumbo out of it and giving tips, short cuts and the reasons for doing things this way.

He doesn’t just tell you, he tells you his thinking behind doing it this way.
A big problem area in the wax model making is sprueing, He goes over the why’s and wherefores of doing it correctly. And the reasons of doing either the top or bottom feed system.

Carrying on with making a Wax crucible, Constructing the wax shell, Dewaxing, Reinforcing the shell.

Constructing the furnace will change the way people think about small scale metal melting. With a furnace that can be rolled up and stored till the next time it is needed.

Baking the shell, melting the metal, and pouring the piece.
Chasing and fettling the finished piece and patination of the item, if art work.

Then he moves on to the more advanced multiple pieces at one time, larger pieces, Hollow castings, steel handles for larger shells. To advance feeding system designs.

Another great part of the book is his Appendices They are for the world in addition to being divide by subject/materials they are divide by country listing and the type of materials, along with websites.

Appendix A There is an index of tools and materials**** B Check List
C Art Foundries *****D Foundry supply *****Workshops and Courses *****F other resources

It may be light on the tech stuff, but it is heavy on the particle doing of a casting.
His web site

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMB1WSlyhJI&feature=fvw]His U tube video[/ame]

 

[Dan Rowe]

Glen,
Thanks for the tip. I do small lost wax bronze and I have the need to make larger parts.

I copyed the first bit from his book page:

"If you are thinking of casting a bronze sculpture yourself, please forget about the whole idea. Believe me; it is incredibly difficult, very slow, terribly messy, cumbersome and costly. You are much better off leaving that part of the creative process to a professional foundry."

I do not think that will scare off many folks reading this forum.
Dan

 

[PTsideshow]

The second paragraph is the important one :big:

However if you are find the cost of professional foundries to be prohibitive or if you happen to be one of those crazy individuals that insist on doing everything by themselves, this short tutorial will show you a simple,safe and easy way to cast a small, fist sized sculpture in bronze at little cost and effort

In full disclosure he is a member of an art forum I'm on. I have not been in contact with with or talked to him about this review. I purchased the book from Amazon. I found the video fascinating, as I have been thinking of doing the same type furance as an experiment. Since the potter's/ceramist use in all the time for a temp large or odd shaped kiln.

With one or more burners. I ordered the book from Amazon and when I got it I was surprised that it was one of those print on demand books. as the date on the last page was the date of my order sand the book printing.

I have at least 25 books on casting, wax work, no counting the books on pattern making etc. I have reviewed casting books from both sides of the pond, and now both ponds.

I think this one will be come an instant classic and a corner stone. Of a new direction in the small home shop backyard casting.

I think anybody that reads this book will find it to be one of those head slapping ones, for being one of the best KISS (Keep it simple stupid) books on a generally complex subject.

As more and more people start on the road to casting their own parts to build more exotic projects.

If anybody was at the last two NAMES expo's knows how popular Rick's seminar on casting was.

I thought that this would be a good one for the model engine/home shop community.

This P.S. is to the e-mailer, not to Dan Rowe's post

So to the e-mailers that sent me the message about being a paid hack. sorry to disappoint. I have bought and paid for every book, in my library. well over 4,000 books on an assortment of subjects.

 

[PTsideshow]

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There was a post on another forum and I received an email, about the dangers of the following.

It has been brought to my attention, by an email about the dangers of heating kaowool with direct contact of flame.

I did some further checking on the email statement, other than the standard warnings about respiratory problems and the use of masks and other safety gear when using a product that started life as a silica material.

LINK http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CBcQhgIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.furnaceindustries.com%2FImages%2Fmsds-kaowool-blanket.pdf&ei=hKBBTNLROMH78Ab2y_0V&usg=AFQjCNGRMXjSQT0hxrY-dmztOBBBnu7IBg"]Here is the link to Thermal Ceramics MSDS for Koawool products.[/URL] LINK
Blankets,batts, bulk and folded materials.

Don't know if this is the section he was referring too,

In service this material may see conditions, temperatures greater than 1100'C for extended periods of time, to partially transform the silica present to a complex(disordered) crystalline phase form. If this occurs the precautions associated with the em-brittled fiber material should be followed.

You can read the testing results on rats and in vitro with high doses.

The standard disclaimers about the hazards of dust and the use of personnel safety equipment
Should apply to this type of materials.

 

[xlchainsaw]

ouch!!!!! i sure hope he doesnt dwell to much on his "tongs" in his book....kitchen tongs on hot crucibles!!!!! ok i know there are are heavy duty stainless steel tongs available ...i have two sets....but i wouldnt like to use them on a hot crucible!!!!....but my biggest worry is the cheap steel tongs.... i bend them just turning the steak!!some one new to hot stuff...grabs the "tongs" and plonk...the crucible hits the ground!