Melt and pour!
The lesson consists of a full day (9am to 5pm) intensive, one on one instruction.
Full Fee, $400, includes materials. (Bronze.. and small silver ring.. excess silver charged for)
(There is the option of a class for two, Fee: $700).
Book now , call or text, 0409960614 or Email bruce@brucepringle.com
The Lesson
Sandcast Bronze Hare Brooch
A “one on one” lesson in traditional Jewellery sand casting techniques that will result in competency in the basic techniques.
(This class can also give you clues on how to “Scale Up” to bigger (sculpture) pieces in your own workshop, if that interests you.)
Bruce teaches the technique of sand casting jewellery, using “green” sand,
as well as the popular proprietary product, “Delft Clay”, (an oil sand), sold in most jewellery supply shops.
Green sand (so named because it is wet, like green wood is wet), Is made up of a fine sand with a percentage of Bentonite clay. (between 5% and 15%, depending on the sand) and a little water to make it damp.
Bruce will start with a demonstration of the process of packing the “master” into the flask*, through to melting and pouring the molten metal.
You will work side by side with Bruce, to make and pour your own casting… This will be repeated twice.
Your first piece cast will be of a small hare or something similar and simple, in bronze and the second, a plain silver ring.
After this, you will have the opportunity to further practise the skill, using your own “master” if suitable, or one from Bruce’s collection.
(This “master” could be something like an ornate button you may have, a seed pod, a medallion or something similar .. these need to be free of “undercuts”).
Once, having achieved competency, the average time taken to complete a casting, from packing the *flask to pouring the metal is about 30 minutes.
Bruce will offer advice on setting up your own studio practice for sand casting, as well as touching on advanced techniques such as “core casting “, etc.
* In foundry work, the terms cope and drag refer respectively to the top and bottom parts of a two-part casting *flask. The flask is a wood or metal frame, which contains the molding sand, providing support to the sand as the metal is poured into the mold.
About Bruce Pringle, Metalsmith
Bruce is an experienced, and passionate teacher and a self taught metal smith of more than 50 years experience.
Even if you do not intend pursuing Sand-casting jewellery, in the future, this workshop offers an enjoyable day and a valuable insight into the practice of a long time professional artist.
A Jewellery Maker, Silversmith, Decorative Blacksmith (30 years), Knife Maker, Foundry Man, (both sand casting and lost wax), Steel and Bronze Sculptor, Stainless Steel Utensil Maker, skilled in electro-etching, torch-fired graphite on enamel, glass bead making, welding and plasma cutting.. A mentor to many aspiring artisans and an inspiration to many more.
Please feel free to email or phone for more information or to book a lesson. As it’s one on one, we will choose a day that will suit us both..(weekdays are my preference, excluding Tuesdays, when I will be in Bangalow at the Hammer and Hand Jewellery collective in Bangalow,NSW).
Lessons are conducted at my workshop/studio in Bexhill, NSW, 2480
Notes are available on tools required, options and where to Aquire them including core casting setup.
bruce@brucepringle.com
0409 9606 14
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