Lost Wax – Silver — Ramblin' Dan

An Investment in Wax

Some rambling on the art of lost wax casting.

Wax masters ready for casting

There is a basic or fundamental law in lost wax casting. The law says,”The casting is only as good as the model.”

Every and I mean EVERY flaw in the model will be duplicated in the cast. There is no such luck as expecting it to “look better” once it is cast. Because tiny details are easily overlooked in the model. The casting almost always has a flaw in some detail.

Time spent on the finish of the wax is time well spent. Wax on a model […] Continue reading » An Investment in Wax

The K0BSR Ring

I was contacted by email from an amateur radio operator, Ben K0BSR, in Colorado. Hams reading this will know how to find out more about him.

He saw my silver work and wondered if I could make him an amateur radio callsign ring. I have made several versions for myself and my own radio call sign.

I asked him for suggestions and he came up with the idea that he wanted it to look like a portable HF radio. That seemed like a good design challenge for me.

I have been playing with three-dimensional printing and thought this was a great project to create […] Continue reading » The K0BSR Ring

Feel the Love

I enjoy exploring new challenges. They permit me to stray from a hard and true single-minded repetitive process. I am OK with that, because mostly… what I do, is what I enjoy.

I glance at the road around and behind me from time to time. Sometimes I see people following where I am headed. They are the “fans” who love whatever I make.

Occasionally there is no one there. I made a change to a road less travelled when no one is watching. This time it was the road to the mountain of new knowledge and skills.

I have a little moto, that keeps […] Continue reading » Feel the Love

Love What You Do

The KautzCraft Studio (KC) is now my main retirement vocation. I wonder if that means I am not retired. Well, I feel retired so I will keep the designation. KC doesn’t provide me anywhere near a real income, but it does stop me from robbing banks. Banks, because that is where the money is kept… Ha! I think Willie Sutton is reputed to have said that.

I’d much rather be working with silver than in a chain gang.

I see an endless number of options and creations I can make while working in my studio. I like working with all kinds of materials with silver so far being the only […] Continue reading » Love What You Do

Mass Production?

Wax mold example

My wife Gloria sold some of my lost wax silver work today. That’s good! But now I have to get busy and and get some more made. Lost wax casting is not exactly a factory operation around my studio/workshop. Hand carving usually takes several days just on the carving. The CNC mill carving requires about a half day to do the carving if the code is already written and proven.

I do get a little faster carving when I make things several times. That’s just the wax carving part. There are quite a few involved steps before I have a […] Continue reading » Mass Production?

Ramblin' Dan

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An Investment in Wax

The K0BSR Ring

Feel the Love

Love What You Do

Mass Production?

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