Very small casting help

[tmuir]

This is a little off topic for this forum but as there seems to be a number of people here that do casting I'm sure you can help me.

My other hobby is silver smithing and during the course of my work I've developed a small jar of sterling silver off cuts and filings.

Once my workshop is built I would like to melt this scrap up and recast it into small bars (rods) of silver so I can try some forging work with it.
I can buy a mould from my local jewellery supply shop but they are quiet expensive and I figure once I get my mill I could make then for far less.
Anyone have any idea what would be the best material to make an ingot mould from for sterling silver and fine silver?

 

[tmuir]

Thanks for the link, will have a dig through there now.

I'm not up to casting flywheels anything large but I figure I can safely cast 10 to 50 grams of silver with the view long term view of learning to cast brass parts.

 

[compound driver]

Hi

Silver will melt just fine with a propane burner and a little extra air,
The best molds are made from cuttlefish bones just impress the master into two halfs of the bone with guide balls or pins bind the bone and cast away.

Lost wax is the other prefered method with silver or gold.

Silver is a real treat to work with but as for forging it can become a bit like toffee on a cold day.

 

[rickharris]

For a very simple and cheap mould for silver simple cuttle fish bone will do fine.

Obtain from the local pet shop where it is sold to put in bird cages so they can grind back their beak and get some calcium, (honest), Cut the bone along the length and the wide section to give a wide flat surface - a hacksaw or wood saw is fine for this - even a bread knife will do.

Impress the surface with a suitable shape to form a mould. Melt the silver in a ladle with a propane torch - nothing complex here.

Pour with care into the mould. This mould may be use several time but won't last forever - BUT you should have plenty of space to impress more moulds on the same bit of bone.

A jewellers trick!. I have made many tea spoons into pendants this way using sea shells or buttons as patterns.

 

[BobWarfield]

It's been too many years since I did silversmithing and lost wax, but the lost wax guys use a plaster-of-paris like material (it isn't plaster of paris!). Track that down, it can't be too expensive, and make an open top ingot casting arrangement with it. Now you can just pile the scraps into the cavity and apply your torch.

Next you'll be wanting to build a little rolling mill so you can get sheet and a wire pulling die setup of some kind. Hobbies never end, do they?

Cheers,

BW

 

[rickharris]

It's been too many years since I did silversmithing and lost wax, but the lost wax guys use a plaster-of-paris like material (it isn't plaster of paris!). Track that down, it can't be too expensive, and make an open top ingot casting arrangement with it. Now you can just pile the scraps into the cavity and apply your torch.

Next you'll be wanting to build a little rolling mill so you can get sheet and a wire pulling die setup of some kind. Hobbies never end, do they?

Cheers,

BW

The plaster is called Investment plaster or powder. It is a very finely ground plaster of Paris. you can use Plaster of paris as long as you are not looking for extra fine detail.

BUT if you do make sure the plaster is fully dried out before casting and cast into hot plaster.