Peter Grant instructing on the basics of metalcasting.



"Make Your Own Sandcasting Mold Pattern and Bring It" Metal Casting Workshop
 As you may recall we had a metalcasting workshop awhile back with Peter Grant. He did a thorough and comprehensive overview of safety, tools abd equipment, and methodology for aluminum, bronze, and cast iron metalcasting. The method we used to cast pieces in aluminum at that time was sandcasting, and we will continue using this method to cast both aluminum and bronze in this second workshop. This workshop will focus more on hands-on content rather than lecture. 

The third metal casting workshop with Peter Grant will be offered soon; we just need interested parties to contact us and express their interest in attending.  A break for lunch will be planned. The workshop is entitled "Make Your Own Sandcasting Pattern and Bring It."

This tentative third workshop will review a portion of the material covered in earlier metalcasting workshop (but newcomers will not be at a disadvantage). It will focus exclusively on the sandcasting and small refractory lined propane fueled forges that we will be working with. It will address the ever-important safety measures related to metalcasting and the processes associated with a small propane fueled forge. This workshop will likely not be limited to only an aluminum melt as the first workshop was; we plan on doing a bronze melt as well using another crucible we plan to purchase with monies garnered from our first metal melt. The site of the melt will be the open equipment shed at The Curran Homestead, so rain will not effect the outcome of the planned program.

The cost per student (limited to five for safety reasons) is tentatively set at $20 for materials, which will partially be used to buy more expendible crucibles and scrap metal, aluminum and brass, for melting down in the future.

You can make checks payable to: "The Curran Homestead." 

The idea behind this workshop is that a pattern/replica can be made by the metalcasting student on his/her own, and that will be brought to the workshop and set into a mold frame holding the sand that will receive the impression of it. Pattern/replicas are made out of a number of materials including wood, styrofoam ( you will want something very dense, like the blue insulating styrofoam insulation sheeting as it will need to hold sharp details when you carve it), neoprene (?), ceramic, among others.

The potential student can do some independent research on suitable materials for the purpose on the Internet, and this is recommended by Peter, but you might first want to consider how many times you want to make a casting. A wood pattern/replica allows you to make castings over and over again whereas more ephemeral materials might break down, get damaged, and lose desirable details through use.

For my own purposes, I plan on trying fast-drying clay. I have experience with ceramics, and I believe I can obtain the desired detail for my project with little effort, and I am not concerned with using my pattern more than once. Of course, wood is more desirable, but I don't presently have tools like a lathe, router,and chisels to make the process seemingly easier. What material you choose may depend on what it is you want to reproduce. In our first workshop a rammer tool was made for each student that would serve them in their preparation of a sandcasting mold in the future ( Go to the website's "photo album" for images from the last workshop).

In creating your pattern you should keep in mind that this will be pressed into a mold frame containing a 8 inch square surface area of moist sand. In planning this you might draw a box that is 8 inch square on paper and see what you can fit within those limited parameters.

Contact Bruce Bowden, Museum Director  for more information, or to express your desire to participate in a workshop.