What is the composition of CERAMIC SHELL

[mahmoud haggag]

WELLCOM COMMENT

[sculptor]

clay and water
& seperately
sand

[fused]

SiO2... try googling Colloidal Silica to find out more.

[jwebb]

The exact composition of "Ceramic Shell" is considered proprietary, a closely guarded "trade secret", by the best foundries. That said, there are commercially available compositions. Search the web. The mixture or "slurry" is stirred into water in large pots, and the wax assembly dipped into it, then under a "rain" of sand, then dried; then dipped again, with as many as 15 or 20 dips being used to build up a "shell". That takes a sophisticated installation of equipment, or strong arms and backs, or both. When I was in Art school back in the 1970's, we used a mix of 2 parts Silica Sand, 2 parts Silica Flour, 1 part plaster, and 1 part Pearlite; put that in a 55 gallon drum, capped it, and rolled it around on the floor to mix. This dry mix was then added to water in plastic pans, much as plaster is mixed, and poured over the upside-down wax and gating and pour-cup assembly, which was standing inside a cylindrical mold. Results varied from great to very poor surface recreation. What I'd like to know is How did the Greeks and their contemporaries to it???

[dwright]

"What I'd like to know is How did the Greeks and their contemporaries to it???"

Read the autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini for an excellent description of the casting process of a larger than life bronze during the renaissance.

[sculptor]

"What I'd like to know is How did the Greeks and their contemporaries to it???"

Read the autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini for an excellent description of the casting process of a larger than life bronze during the renaissance.

Bienvenuto=literally, "it's good to see you" also meaning--"you are welcome" Cellini-------why don't we feel the freedom to thusly name our children?
(thoughts of Abbot and Costello's "who's on first?")
anyway
If memory serves,
most of the description of the casting process wasn't about the mold, but rather, had to do with adjusting the bronze so that it would flow just right to reach the far corners of the Perseus mold----first, they undercooked it, then got some cured oak and overcooked it(and set the roof on fire), then it began to curdle, and he had to throw in his pewter plates and tableware to relax the alloy----high adventure indeed and a wondrous read.

I was under the impression that the greeks used a packed sand mold---but haven't really researched it.

[Ries]

Of course we have the freedom to name our children anything we want.
Mine are named Torque, and Rebar.

No joke.

In Japan, or Germany, you cannot legally name your children anything you want- only traditional names are allowed to be registered.

But here in America, fire away.

[Landseer]

The exact composition of "Ceramic Shell" is considered proprietary, a closely guarded "trade secret", by the best foundries. That said, there are commercially
Barye cast his own bronzes in the mid 1800's in plaster molds, no doubt plaster and sand, it doesn't seem like rocket science when you figure they were casting huge bronze and cast-iron long before sophisticated equipment.

I have a book on 19th century iron casting that shows how those large- roughly 12-16' tall round, 3/4 round, or rectangular architectural Corinthian columns you see on old buildings on the ground floor were cast in one piece with inch thick walls- a lotta metal needing to fill a lotta mold fast! They did it in the 1860's factory production style.

[Landseer]

Very good!!! Support !://banbooler. wow gold ://gogoneverstop. wow gold ://dqgate.wow gold ://brogame.wow gold ://dianaslink.wow gold

Another spammer, that URL goes who knows where, not sculpture related, reporting as spam

[malakiblunt]

Hi as has already been said 'ceramic shel' investment is a slurry of primarily coloidal silica in water, added to that a binder and often wetting agents, and ocasionaly a dye indicator so you can tell its dry, and then the rest is stucco usualy mollochite or zirconia grit.

how ever this process is very new haveing been developed in the 2nd world war for i belive casing jet engine components.

so it was not what cilleni used!,

lost wax casting has been around for at least 4000years,

and molds have been made out of all manner of things usualy mixtures of clay, sand , cow dung, broken potts. The chineses were lucky enough to have a natuarlly ocoring clay wich could be used direct with no other materials added,

the requiments of the mold is a materail that can be molded round the wax, can take the heat and the theramal shock .

for the last few hundred years in europe this has been plaster mixed with grog (ground up fired clay)

im not sur when it was first used but now days people useing plaster investment simply mix in silica sand (wich is what beaches are made from)

[fishfool]

heheheh well, that's Japan and Germany!!!!! those are countries where the mentality is steeped in keeping their traditions alive as part of their bloodline, while America is the melting pot, or salad bowl - hi everyone, I'm new btw -Fishfool @ The Reef Tank (http://www.thereeftank.com)