Tag Archives: Sand casting

LAMENT

If you’re paying attention then this is all very very sad..
To have to contemplate inevitable death in all of our futures can be confronting to some.. but to stare into the face of the coming calamitous tsunami of world ending conditions, that are very likely to destroy all of us.. human, animal and microbe alike is strong cause for Lamentation.. and it is a little surprising that there isn’t much lamenting going on..

LAMENT is a series of six small bronze sculptures that are an emotional response to the Perfect Storm of environmental, economic, military, technological and psychological conditions that humanity is experiencing but is/are too overwhelmed to actually lament the likely demise of our world/existence/civilisation/epoch.

Sand Casting Jewellery Lessons in Byron Bay

 

Bruce Pringle is teaching one on one Sand Casting Jewellery Lessons in Byron Bay!

Melt and pour!

Melt and pour!

The lesson consists of three hours intensive, one on one instruction, with a further 2 hours of supervised solo practice.  

Full Fee, $300, includes materials.

Book now , call 0409960614 or Email bruce@brucepringle.com

The Lesson

A “one on one” lesson in traditional Jewellery sand casting techniques that will result in competency in the basic techniques.

This lesson consists of three hours intensive instruction, with a further 2 hours for solo practice with Bruce available to answer questions as needed, for a cost of $300

He teaches the technique of sand casting jewellery, using “green” sand.

This is similar to 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 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, in bronze and the second, a plain silver ring.

After this, you will have the opportunity to further practise the skill for a couple of hours, using your own “master”.

(This “master” could be something like an ornate button you may have, a seed pod, a medallion or something similar).

Once, having achieved competency, the average time taken to complete a casting, from packing the flask to pouring the metal is about 30 minutes.

* 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 some 40 years experience. 

A jewellery maker, Silversmith, a Decorative Blacksmith (30 years), a knife maker, foundry worker, (both sand casting and lost wax), Steel and Bronze sculptor, Stainless steel utensil maker, skilled in electro etching, welding and Plasma cutting.