I have several pieces from Walker Metalsmiths and I LOVE each one. Now I have begun buying each of my adult children pieces to own. Outstanding craftsmanship and symbolism. I'm so glad to view this video and see Stephen at work. Amazing!
This is such a comprehensive video for showing how to cast! I appreciate your detailed / overall perspective. It's hard to find quality videos scouring through all the others on UA-cam. Thanks for your work on this! Helps me visualize the process much better.
About 35 years ago I was doing lost wax castings like this in high school. My shop teacher's name was Don Fahrenholz, and that guy was a mentor to me. I didn't go on to become a jeweler, but I did get into the HVAC trades.
Awesome, i did that once at night class, made 2 silver rings! Cool to see your awesome rings, beautiful and I loved the music! I'm part Irish, LoL ;) Thank you 🙃
Great video,, yes in Australia, as a WHSO you are required to wear P.P.E. supplied by your employer, it is an affence not to. The girls in retail get a real buzz when they see the whole process of lost wax casting, it enlightens them & the knowledge is than passed on to their customers. My dentist use to throw the gold to make a crown over his shoulder & than bomb, my how times have changde for the better. Great video.
I did this for my first job and was trained to do it with centrifugal force casting machines and vacuum tables to make military rings and belt buckles using virgin sterling silver and gold and silicone brass and brass made with copper melted down in 5 big melting pots
Account was locked. Sorry for the delayed response. We now are using a blue wax from Gesswein. Our pots are from the 1990s. We bought out an older casting shop, so many of the tools we don't really know where they were originally purchased.
Sorry for the gap of several years in responding to UA-cam comments. Our friend that set this up originally left the area and for technical reasons, mostly our own ignorance of how this all works, we just let it run with no one at the helm. We are now planning to add more videos and to keep up with comments.
Great video. I plan on having my fiancé ring custom made. She will not follow my instructions to get measured by a good jewelry expert first. She "thinks" she is a size 7. So the custom ring may or may not fit. I don't know how to get her to understand that everything is based on the correct measurement. I know rings can be doctored up to fit later, but it is best to be made to the correct size in the beginning.
I wish I could have got a better look at the original ring. :) Light green injection wax? How does it compare to the red and light blue stuff? The shop I work at uses the red for wax injection. Its alright but I wish it made sharper edges. Love the drain spigot on the side of the injection pot. Good idea! We once had a pot like that, sans spigot. How old is that one?
In the Video we were using a wax from Gesswein that they sold as "Platinum Wax" Available then in several colors, all with the same properties. Liked it very much, but for some reason it was discontinued. Now we use Castaldo Plast-O-Wax (dark blue), that is available from most suppliers. Never used the red stuff. BTW there are several manufacturers and some of the suppliers repackage under there own label, so color alone is not a sure indicator or what you have.
Hi! What kind of torch are you using? I'm using an oxy acetylene torch, and I was wondering if you could give me an idea of what mix I should use. Thanks!
How do you get into this as a job? I took jewelry classes for two years in high school, learning this whole process, and seemed to have a knack for it. Not to mention that i really enjoyed it. Now that i am in college I miss it and havent been able to find any access to all of the equipment required to cast. Nor do i have any money to buy any:( Does anybody have any suggestions on how i might get an apprenticeship or something at a jewelry store that might lead to a part time job? Great vid BTW!
really beautiful rings! are there any good books on the market that could help me learn this process? I know very little about investment casting or jewelery making but have always wanted to learn. I'm unemployed now so I might as well learn!
Great video! I've been doing the whole lost wax process myself, but I haven't started casting anything just yet. One question though: shouldn't you wear a respirator when mixing investment, or is that being unnecessarily precautious? After all, as careful as I've been with pouring and mixing investment, it still created small dust clouds no matter how carefully I poured/mixed it.
Account was locked. Sorry for the delayed response. Yes, but there are limits. Casting always leaves a little texture. Some detail can be lost, especially if it needs too much finishing.
Conditions used to be very hard in the olden days. In contrast we all in general have got a considerably more comfortable existence in the present day.
The light green wax is from Geisswein. No longer available. I like it better, but when I run out I will be bask to the NY blue wax. Bought the wax pot second hand. The shop it came from was set up in the late 1980s, but it may not have been new when they got it. Tá fáilte romhat
Thanks for going to all the effort and putting this up great video, im thinking of getting a centrifugal, have a look at my blog i reproduced an ancient roman coin die and hammered a beautiful coin out and am studying celtic coin die making google this gold cassius brutus denarius crab
what is that machine or device he used to vibrate the wax arround the pattern looks like un umbrella??? what its function???what is that beige material he poured arround the patterns??
Hello, suppose the entirety of the gold to be used was supplied to you by your customer, and that the only charge they would incur was from the metalworking. For, say, a relatively simple men's cluster ring, how much would this charge be, do you think?
Jason, if you would like to use your own gold we would take the retail price of the ring, then weigh and test all of your gold and deduct the value of your gold from the original price. If you have any questions about this feel free to call 1-800-488-6347 or email service@walkermetalsmiths.com
the plastic dome thing? He poured investment over the wax patterns, it's like plaster. The plastic dome is a vacuum machine that pulls all the air bubbles out of the investment. If there's any air bubbles stuck to the wax, the casting will have a bump on it. After the investment hardens he puts it in the oven to melt the wax out and it leaves a hollow area in the shape of the wax pattern
Cool to watch, but I have little idea what was going on. Obviously, this guy is a pro, but I wish he explained as he wet along. I wax carve, but do not know the casting process.
Its cool, it happens. :) To clarify: When I said red injection wax, I meant the stuff that is basically a 'stop' sign red color. The shop I'm at now (Spring 2013 to present) uses mostly the light blue and light green (same color as the wax in this video) stuff. I think the red is a LOT better for post-injection detailing, i.e. fixing flange seams and smoothing. Apparently the shop hasn't used it before so I suggested we try it next time we buy new wax. What shade is the blue you're using?
Connect to the heaviest cross section you can easily attach to. We like to attach to the edge if the rings has a continuous pattern, but you can also attach to the inside. In the next couple of days there will be a new video on making a rubber mold that shows our usual sprue system
Once I make a ring out of wax, how do I make as many duplicates as possible from one wax model or do I actually have to hand carve each and every ring separately?
gatorrr83 So once you lost wax cast your ring you can then use your metal ring to make the mold as shown in the other video. There are alternatives, like using silicon to make a mold, but you'll need a vacuum for that to make sure there are no bubbles.
Hi!!!! Does anybody know where i can get the stamp guide tool, that appear in the minute7:33 of the video or what is the mane of the instrument. It will be very helpfull, thanks!
Hello, I am looking to get custom brass based or vermeil pendants made (10) in gold plating or gold filled. How do I find someone who will complete this project for me? I have the design.
Really disappointing for those of us interested in details; before, during and after close ups. The camera should have always focused on the jewelry and the process from original, wax, gold added, melting, etc.
i'm not totally sure, still trying to figure it out, but i think it might be separating the slag from the metal as well as forcing the metal into the mold (somehow at the same time?)
It is used to force the molten gold into the mold. The wax replica of the rings he began with have been melted out of the white plaster, when the "can" was set inside that small oven and left to sit there for a specified time. The wax all melted and ran out of the plaster which was poured in around the wax models, and you saw him carve a small hole at the bottom for the wax to get out. Once that happens, there is an identical "empty" model inside the plaster, and then in order to force the molten gold into every tiny nook and cranny of the model - especially important for highly detailed pieces - the can is placed sideways into the centrifuge, and the gold materials are melted at the point of the "pour" and the centrifuge pulls it inside the mold so that no detail is missed. Once the centrifuge stops, the can is removed and allowed to cool for a few minutes, then while still very hot, is plunged into that container of water so that the investment plaster explodes, and falls away from the cast gold rings, and any leftover still clinging to it dissolves to a point. Additional plaster is removed by the first powerful water jets - you saw him doing that inside a cabinet with a clear protecting cover, while he was wearing gloves. The rest involves further cleaning and scrubbing, "pickling," filing, polishing and sizing, karat marking and his shop identification marks being impressed inside the bands, with the hammer. Any additional adjusting in size, or other detail work is followed up with a little extra polishing before it's finally complete.
Melting melting, casting it, etc, takes a lot of energy (gas, electricity, etc). :( That's just just the nature of lost wax casting. This is a well equipped shop but doesn't appear to be a factory like the overseas places where Wal-Mart and Kays' pieces are made. Do a google image search for "Wal-Mart jewelry factory". The 6th result in the top right corner is a good example of a foreign mass-production situation.
For a spiritual ring you mist the point, you use to much electricity and chemicals, in cuttlefish and other old methods the spiritual link preserved. sorry but your workshop is a factory with an style borrowed from peaple that understand of spiritual connection.
cool stuff (obviousy) but too much machinery! too much water used! I've done lost wax casting using a cage hing you swing with your arm using centrifugal force. and the amount of water you blast after is ridiculous. get back to basics. you seem pretty chilled, get back to the ways of forefathers - it will build up those muscles more too :P
Hi, I have taken some metalsmith and jewelry making classes, and what I have really been looking for is traditional ways of metalsmithing... I would like to incorporate some jewelry techniques but would like a more broad skill set for metal smithing of all kinds... Do you think you might direct me on where to find information like this? I have looked for classes, but they are all very modern and for modern jewelry making... I have even looked up local metal smiths and black smiths wondering if I might pay someone to let me mentor with them but they don't really seem to exist... I feel like maybe I am looking in the wrong places? Just wondering if you might know, since you seem to have experience with more traditional techniques... Thanks for your time either way:)
I have several pieces from Walker Metalsmiths and I LOVE each one. Now I have begun buying each of my adult children pieces to own. Outstanding craftsmanship and symbolism. I'm so glad to view this video and see Stephen at work. Amazing!
Love the video and art. I used to do this for a living in the early 1980's. I sure do miss it.
This is such a comprehensive video for showing how to cast! I appreciate your detailed / overall perspective. It's hard to find quality videos scouring through all the others on UA-cam.
Thanks for your work on this! Helps me visualize the process much better.
My fiance loves her engagement ring you made. It's beautiful! I'm vary happy with it to.
Excellent video!!! Thank you for sharing your love for jewelry with UA-cam.
About 35 years ago I was doing lost wax castings like this in high school. My shop teacher's name was Don Fahrenholz, and that guy was a mentor to me. I didn't go on to become a jeweler, but I did get into the HVAC trades.
Awesome, i did that once at night class, made 2 silver rings! Cool to see your awesome rings, beautiful and I loved the music! I'm part Irish, LoL ;) Thank you 🙃
Great video,, yes in Australia, as a WHSO you are required to wear P.P.E. supplied by your employer, it is an affence not to. The girls in retail get a real buzz when they see the whole process of lost wax casting, it enlightens them & the knowledge is than passed on to their customers. My dentist use to throw the gold to make a crown over his shoulder & than bomb, my how times have changde for the better. Great video.
This is truly an amazing form of art! Great job.
nice shop!...nice rings...
This was a very enjoyable video.
Beautiful rings!
I so wanna do this for a living! It looks like so much fun!
Such a cool process.
I did this for my first job and was trained to do it with centrifugal force casting machines and vacuum tables to make military rings and belt buckles using virgin sterling silver and gold and silicone brass and brass made with copper melted down in 5 big melting pots
Account was locked. Sorry for the delayed response. We now are using a blue wax from Gesswein. Our pots are from the 1990s. We bought out an older casting shop, so many of the tools we don't really know where they were originally purchased.
Just water. We do pickle the pieces also, but that comes afterwards. The machine is a power washer from Romanoff.
WOW! That is so amazing!
yay i'm doing that tomorrow!!!! i can't wait!
Sorry for the gap of several years in responding to UA-cam comments. Our friend that set this up originally left the area and for technical reasons, mostly our own ignorance of how this all works, we just let it run with no one at the helm. We are now planning to add more videos and to keep up with comments.
walkermetalsmiths you did a great job... it's so unique, not mass produced! Love it 🙃 i did it once with silver. 2 rings lol
Great video. I plan on having my fiancé ring custom made. She will not follow my instructions to get measured by a good jewelry expert first. She "thinks" she is a size 7. So the custom ring may or may not fit. I don't know how to get her to understand that everything is based on the correct measurement.
I know rings can be doctored up to fit later, but it is best to be made to the correct size in the beginning.
Just take a ring that fits her well on the right finger and then take it to a jewler to get measured on a ring mandrel
Good casting.Congratulation
I wish I could have got a better look at the original ring. :)
Light green injection wax? How does it compare to the red and light blue stuff? The shop I work at uses the red for wax injection. Its alright but I wish it made sharper edges.
Love the drain spigot on the side of the injection pot. Good idea! We once had a pot like that, sans spigot. How old is that one?
Nice, I wish I had more casting equipment. All I have are cuttle bones to cast with, but I guess that's better than nothing.
No sé de qué país estás pero me da gusto saber que este trabajo es internacional saludos desde Ensenada México
In the Video we were using a wax from Gesswein that they sold as "Platinum Wax" Available then in several colors, all with the same properties. Liked it very much, but for some reason it was discontinued. Now we use Castaldo Plast-O-Wax (dark blue), that is available from most suppliers. Never used the red stuff. BTW there are several manufacturers and some of the suppliers repackage under there own label, so color alone is not a sure indicator or what you have.
Hi! What kind of torch are you using? I'm using an oxy acetylene torch, and I was wondering if you could give me an idea of what mix I should use. Thanks!
How do you get into this as a job? I took jewelry classes for two years in high school, learning this whole process, and seemed to have a knack for it. Not to mention that i really enjoyed it. Now that i am in college I miss it and havent been able to find any access to all of the equipment required to cast. Nor do i have any money to buy any:( Does anybody have any suggestions on how i might get an apprenticeship or something at a jewelry store that might lead to a part time job? Great vid BTW!
really beautiful rings! are there any good books on the market that could help me learn this process? I know very little about investment casting or jewelery making but have always wanted to learn. I'm unemployed now so I might as well learn!
very good friend God bless
Great video! I've been doing the whole lost wax process myself, but I haven't started casting anything just yet. One question though: shouldn't you wear a respirator when mixing investment, or is that being unnecessarily precautious? After all, as careful as I've been with pouring and mixing investment, it still created small dust clouds no matter how carefully I poured/mixed it.
Account was locked. Sorry for the delayed response.
Yes, but there are limits. Casting always leaves a little texture. Some detail can be lost, especially if it needs too much finishing.
Conditions used to be very hard in the olden days. In contrast we all in general have got a considerably more comfortable existence in the present day.
Do you have a quick-disconnect on your sink drain trap for "oopsies"?
thank you very much - Brasil
if the wax model is lost, and the cast is broken apart after filling with metal, how do you make multiple rings from your master mold?
The light green wax is from Geisswein. No longer available. I like it better, but when I run out I will be bask to the NY blue wax.
Bought the wax pot second hand. The shop it came from was set up in the late 1980s, but it may not have been new when they got it.
Tá fáilte romhat
Account was locked. Sorry for the delayed response.
Nobody at Walker Metalsmiths is pretending to be Druids. We are what we are.
Thanks for going to all the effort and putting this up great video, im thinking of getting a centrifugal,
have a look at my blog i reproduced an ancient roman coin die and hammered a beautiful coin out and am studying celtic coin die making google this gold cassius brutus denarius crab
does this method works also on a ring with many tiny tin details ?
what is that machine or device he used to vibrate the wax arround the pattern looks like un umbrella??? what its function???what is that beige material he poured arround the patterns??
Account was locked. Sorry for the delayed response.
The clamp came fro Gesswien. They have an online order dept. Look under casting supplies.
Dental casting very similar to jeweler casting cool
Hello, suppose the entirety of the gold to be used was supplied to you by your customer, and that the only charge they would incur was from the metalworking. For, say, a relatively simple men's cluster ring, how much would this charge be, do you think?
Jason, if you would like to use your own gold we would take the retail price of the ring, then weigh and test all of your gold and deduct the value of your gold from the original price. If you have any questions about this feel free to call 1-800-488-6347 or email service@walkermetalsmiths.com
the plastic dome thing? He poured investment over the wax patterns, it's like plaster. The plastic dome is a vacuum machine that pulls all the air bubbles out of the investment. If there's any air bubbles stuck to the wax, the casting will have a bump on it. After the investment hardens he puts it in the oven to melt the wax out and it leaves a hollow area in the shape of the wax pattern
how can you make multiple rings if you lose your master wax model?
Account was locked. Sorry for the delayed response.
We use a pre-mixed investment plaster Kerr Satincast 20.
We get ours from United Precious Metals in Alden, NY.
Cool to watch, but I have little idea what was going on. Obviously, this guy is a pro, but I wish he explained as he wet along. I wax carve, but do not know the casting process.
NY blue? Is that the light blue injection wax?
A forge centrifuge?! That's terrifying!
Its cool, it happens. :)
To clarify: When I said red injection wax, I meant the stuff that is basically a 'stop' sign red color. The shop I'm at now (Spring 2013 to present) uses mostly the light blue and light green (same color as the wax in this video) stuff. I think the red is a LOT better for post-injection detailing, i.e. fixing flange seams and smoothing. Apparently the shop hasn't used it before so I suggested we try it next time we buy new wax.
What shade is the blue you're using?
where on the ring do you connect the sprew? im new to lost wax casting and i just finished my first piece yesterday
The machine that looks like a power sander...was that a pickle solution or just water? And the name of please?
Connect to the heaviest cross section you can easily attach to. We like to attach to the edge if the rings has a continuous pattern, but you can also attach to the inside. In the next couple of days there will be a new video on making a rubber mold that shows our usual sprue system
Once I make a ring out of wax, how do I make as many duplicates as possible from one wax model or do I actually have to hand carve each and every ring separately?
gatorrr83 watch ua-cam.com/video/x4NFxSrqRDk/v-deo.html
gatorrr83 So once you lost wax cast your ring you can then use your metal ring to make the mold as shown in the other video. There are alternatives, like using silicon to make a mold, but you'll need a vacuum for that to make sure there are no bubbles.
I wonder how much gold is lost in the finishing and polishing process. You look like you were filing pretty hard.
jjjjbuddy they actually vacuum the dust up and send it to a refinery and probably get $300 bucks out of it
from a good casting 8 to 12 % .generally 4% just on polishing. it can vary a lot. I have seen a little less and a lot more
Where is a good place to get casting silver for jewlery?
What is the name of that product that you pick the die in to the wax injector
Hi!!!!
Does anybody know where i can get the stamp guide tool, that appear in the minute7:33 of the video or what is the mane of the instrument. It will be very helpfull, thanks!
what is the wax? wax is candle ? what is named about wax? i need find wax in google. mongolia have no wax
lol the video editor was like 'Spare us the matrimonial spirituality and get on with the casting'.
Hello, I am looking to get custom brass based or vermeil pendants made (10) in gold plating or gold filled. How do I find someone who will complete this project for me? I have the design.
Really disappointing for those of us interested in details; before, during and after close ups. The camera should have always focused on the jewelry and the process from original, wax, gold added, melting, etc.
what is the centrifuge used fore?
i'm not totally sure, still trying to figure it out, but i think it might be separating the slag from the metal as well as forcing the metal into the mold (somehow at the same time?)
It is used to force the molten gold into the mold. The wax replica of the rings he began with have been melted out of the white plaster, when the "can" was set inside that small oven and left to sit there for a specified time. The wax all melted and ran out of the plaster which was poured in around the wax models, and you saw him carve a small hole at the bottom for the wax to get out. Once that happens, there is an identical "empty" model inside the plaster, and then in order to force the molten gold into every tiny nook and cranny of the model - especially important for highly detailed pieces - the can is placed sideways into the centrifuge, and the gold materials are melted at the point of the "pour" and the centrifuge pulls it inside the mold so that no detail is missed.
Once the centrifuge stops, the can is removed and allowed to cool for a few minutes, then while still very hot, is plunged into that container of water so that the investment plaster explodes, and falls away from the cast gold rings, and any leftover still clinging to it dissolves to a point. Additional plaster is removed by the first powerful water jets - you saw him doing that inside a cabinet with a clear protecting cover, while he was wearing gloves.
The rest involves further cleaning and scrubbing, "pickling," filing, polishing and sizing, karat marking and his shop identification marks being impressed inside the bands, with the hammer. Any additional adjusting in size, or other detail work is followed up with a little extra polishing before it's finally complete.
I wanted to know how to make a lost wax mold for a silver jewel- I could not care at all about the symbolism or whatever-
I don't care that you don't care.
Hello sir
Melting melting, casting it, etc, takes a lot of energy (gas, electricity, etc). :( That's just just the nature of lost wax casting. This is a well equipped shop but doesn't appear to be a factory like the overseas places where Wal-Mart and Kays' pieces are made. Do a google image search for "Wal-Mart jewelry factory". The 6th result in the top right corner is a good example of a foreign mass-production situation.
For a spiritual ring you mist the point, you use to much electricity and chemicals, in cuttlefish and other old methods the spiritual link preserved. sorry but your workshop is a factory with an style borrowed from peaple that understand of spiritual connection.
cool stuff (obviousy) but too much machinery! too much water used! I've done lost wax casting using a cage hing you swing with your arm using centrifugal force. and the amount of water you blast after is ridiculous. get back to basics. you seem pretty chilled, get back to the ways of forefathers - it will build up those muscles more too :P
Hi, I have taken some metalsmith and jewelry making classes, and what I have really been looking for is traditional ways of metalsmithing... I would like to incorporate some jewelry techniques but would like a more broad skill set for metal smithing of all kinds... Do you think you might direct me on where to find information like this? I have looked for classes, but they are all very modern and for modern jewelry making... I have even looked up local metal smiths and black smiths wondering if I might pay someone to let me mentor with them but they don't really seem to exist... I feel like maybe I am looking in the wrong places? Just wondering if you might know, since you seem to have experience with more traditional techniques... Thanks for your time either way:)
What an awful music for such an awesome work !
skyhacker6 well it is celtic
Love the video and art. I used to do this for a living in the early 1980's. I sure do miss it.