[TheForge] investment casting

[Steve Bloom]

Greetings--
At 10:33 AM 3/27/2003 -0600, T,Clark wrote:
>I would like to have multiple copies of certain items reproduced through
>investment casting. I have located a business which will cast what I need if
>I supply the wax patterns. I can handle making the master patterns and the
>silicone molds but have questions regarding casting the wax patterns. What I
>am wondering is do I need a wax injection machine to inject the wax and have
>it bubble free, or can I get away without one and just pour the wax?

I can only speak to what works for me (and being cheap....). For open face,
bas-relief molds, I just pour the injection wax.  For molds that require 
injection,
I stick a big glass syringe (100 cc) in the toaster oven and run it up to 
250 F.
I melt the wax over a hot plate next to the oven. Then wearing gloves (well, of
course, I use gloves), I somehow get my paws on the syringe, suck up the
molten wax and inject it.  If I was doing a lot of this, I would break down and
buy an injector but this works for me at my scale of casting.

Steve
Steve Bloom, IronFlower Forge. Archer, FL
     Webmaster for the FABA web site:
	www.blacksmithing.org