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CJ Munn

Joined: :
20-Apr-2004

Started On : 03-May-2017 at 02:25:37 PM, #Views : 6102

Topic Subject : Re: Glass casting

Glass casting is a very specialist art form that takes a lot of training and practice. Wrightson and Platt don't do their own in house, but deliver waxes of their sculpts to a glass artisan who specialises in this area.

You need to create a thin silicone mould from your cast, use a special wax (not any old wax) to cast into that, hand sculpt out flaws from your wax. A multi-part shell mould is made from a specialist foundry ceramic material of the wax. The wax is melted out, much like producing a real bronze, and then molten lead crystal glass poured into the mould. The demoulding process is something I know little about with glass. I know with bronze the ceramic mould is soaked in acid to soften it and then it is carefully chipped away but for glass I imagine it is a gentler process. The bases are polished with very particular vibrating sanding pad machinery. This is a very simplistic description of a very complex process, with each stage having risks and an enormous amount of skill. Obviously it is possible to learn all these skills but I would advise doing a college course in glass slumping before deciding whether to invest in your own kiln. I hope this is helpful.

CJ

 
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