Making Beads and Other Hollow Forms for Lost Wax Casting | Instructor Judy Parady 2 day workshop | In-Person and Virtual
Schedule: 10 am - 5 pm, Saturday 8/9 and Sunday 8/10
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The workshop is about creating hollow models for lost wax casting using water-soluble wax cores to produce items such as beads, lockets, and small boxes.This technique can be used to create beads or hollow forms that are further processed after casting in metal. The workshop is a fun opportunity to explore a little-used material to produce voluminous hollow forms for casting.
Details
In the workshop, I show how to make hollow wax models for casting. We begin by exploring the range of shapes and sizes that yield the best casting results and viewing examples. Students then spend a few minutes thinking about and sketching the approximate shape and size of the hollow forms they want to make. The materials kit provides each student with two cube shapes and one rectangular shape of the water-soluble wax from which we carve the core of our models. 
Students start by carving a shape using the usual wax files and carving tools. When the first core shape is achieved, we proceed with the steps outlined below. While the core of the first item is being dissolved, students proceed to carve and process their next shape. After the core of the first bead is completely dissolved and the wax is now hollow, the student will refine the decorative openings and prepare the wax model for casting by adjusting surface texture, adding embellishments, and verifying the shell thickness.
This process is repeated with the remaining wax cores, resulting in three hollow wax models that can be sent to a production caster. I can help you locate a jewelry caster.
 
The Steps for Making Each Hollow Form:
• carve a shape using water-soluble wax• coat it with a traditional casting wax• carve details and openings that allow water to access the soluble core• dissolve the core leaving a shell of wax ready for casting• further refine the wax shell, adding details and adjusting the thickness