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Lost Wax Casting

The sculptures on these pages were created using lost wax casting. The process typically begins with a sketch from which I carve the design out of wax. The wax sculpture then gets sprued and a mold is made using investment which is a substance similar to plaster of paris. The mold is then baked in a kiln for 10 - 12 hours, during which the mold dries, hardens, and the wax melts/burns away. The mold is now ready to receive molten metal, in our case sterling silver, which is heated with a melting furnace using green energy then poured into the mold. The mold is then "quenched" or dissolved in water. Then the finishing process of hand grinding and polishing takes place, and the piece is ready to be worn.

The picture to the right shows me starting to measure out the investment powder. As I said in the above description of Lost Wax Casting, it's similar to plaster of paris, but doesn't harden the same way. It stays very porous so that air can be drawn through it using a vacuum casting machine. After measuring, it then gets mixed with water(picture on left) , and put in the vacuum casting machine to remove any air bubbles. After several minutes I remove the investment and pour it into a flask that holds the sprued wax models, and return the flask to the vacuum for a second round at air bubble removal (picture on right). The spruing process involves attaching together the pieces that have been carved out of wax (in this case, three rings) , so that pathways are created that the molten metal can flow through. Now the investment needs to dry and then be placed in a kiln for 8 to 12 hours depending on the size of the flasks and how many are fired at once. After the firing, then comes the melting of the silver in a melting furnace, and the removal of the flask from the kiln after which it's placed on the vacuum caster to remove all the air from inside the mold. This creates a "vacuum" so the molten metal has very little resistance from air pressure, and can fill in all the nooks and crannies of the mold. Then the newly cast pieces are removed from the flask and put in an acid bath to remove the outer oxidation that occurs during casting, the sprues are removed, and the pieces are ready to be hand ground and polished.

About the Artist

Hi! That's me, North, on the right with my wife Sharon. And over there is our dog Madison - Maddie for short, she turned 12 in June, but still has the heart of a pup. We named our other business - Maddie's Mercantile - after her, it's an online store where we sell vintage and antique pictures, postcards and more. I started making jewelry about four years ago, after Sharon and I decided to move my mom in with us when she was ailing from cancer. She introduced me to making earrings, using beads and findings, and I was hooked. I ended up taking a class at Sacramento City College for Lost Wax Casting, and again fell in love with the process. So I found a space, and set up a shop with everything I'd need to cast.
In the fall of 2009 , we started showing my jewelry at various fairs and events. I'll be posting on the calendar our upcoming shows, and you can find my work on Etsy and Artfire, as well as in the store PERADICE in Midtown Sacramento! This next picture shows our new booth colors and set up! We hope to see you at one of our events soon... Thanks for checking out our website and please don't hesitate to contact us with any comments, questions or custom orders. Have a great Day! - North