High temperature art | Tragic Comedy

Well today was Bronze day......we poured liquid metal.....I made a belt buckle and a pendant for my wife very fun and just a bit scary...I'm the one pulling the crucible out of the blast furnace. Chelsea and Darren did a great job of pouring and it looks like everyone's objects came out. We used the very ancient "lost wax" method which while it destroys the mold yields good results

click image to zoom

Six Replies to High temperature art

Kelly Lee | April 1, 2011
Wow. I really want to do that.

Scott Hardie | April 1, 2011
Neat!

Tony Peters | April 1, 2011
This is only the second time my school has poured bronze (or any metal) we learned some valuable technical things today. BTW though it doesn't look it the crucible weighs about 50lbs it's fragile and it jiggles like jello when you move it..

Tony Peters | April 1, 2011
here are my pieces out of the molds and at the beginning of cleanup/polishing

click image to zoom

Jackie Mason | April 10, 2011
[hidden by author request]

Tony Peters | April 10, 2011
It was about 35lbs of molten metal and a 10lbs crucible....the weird thing was we added about 20lbs of metal after we started so the crucible was heavier coming out than it was when I put it into the blast furnace. it's also 1800 degrees which adds a whole level of heavy to it

vagabond-punk

The musings of Tony Peters, a perpetual child, no matter where I am I will find a way to climb something or go skateboarding Read more »

Emotionally moving artistically engaging

I just finished watching Rising rebuilding Ground Zero. I started watching it for the construction (I have this thing about architecture) but its the Artistry and emotion thats so engaging. Definitely something to set the DVR to record next Sunday Go »

argh

I got a phone call this morning from work (I'm on vacation) wondering if I know that I'm transferring in 2 weeks???? SAY WHAT???? yet again (this is the 3rd time) the Navy is transferring me to another job in the same area. Go »

world traveler

Well I'm finally home after 2 1/2 weeks of wandering the earth...Diego Garcia is the definition of tropical paradise...granted the only things to do are exercise or drink and I'm not a drinker...long Go »

more liquid metal

My sculpture Professor decided that the burner we use for melting metal wasn't working out well, since it was designed for a forge and not a furnace he had a furnace burner made.....it used to take hours to melt 20lb of bronze, it took us 40 minutes yesterday. I have never seen the crucible as hot as it was. Go »

awaiting surgery

I went into work yesterday...getting through the security turnstile that has replace the front doors of my building was more effort than I was expecting. The Elevator was not restful and when I finally did get to my office someone stole my heater (my office is so cold in the spring/summer/fall that an electric heater is required or icicles form from your breath (this isn't a joke). Go »

life death and family

My uncle died last friday...it wasn't unexpected, 3rd bout with cancer, but it hurt none the less. I've been out of the country for about 16 years so the fact that I am stateside means I needed to go. Go »