CASTING

WHAT IS CASTING?
Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid
material is usually poured into a mold, which contains
a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed
to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a
casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to
complete the process. Casting materials are usually
metals or various time setting materials that cure after
mixing two or more components together; examples
are epoxy, concrete, plaster and clay. Casting is most
often used for making complex shapes that would be
otherwise difficult or uneconomical to make by other
methods. Heavy equipment like machine tool beds,
ships' propellers, etc. can be cast easily in the required
size, rather than fabricating by joining several small
pieces.[1] Casting is a 7,000-year-old process. The
oldest surviving casting is a copper frog from 3200 BC.
 PROCESS OF CASTING
Jewelry casting is the
process by which a wax
pattern is made into a
jewelry mold and then filled
with molten metal or silver to
create a custom piece of
jewelry. It is also called lost
wax casting because the wax
is always “lost” during the
process of making jewelry.
 STEP 1
A model (jewellery piece) is
made in metal from an original
design. Sometime the model is a
piece which has been casted
and finish (Often the first step is
lost wax casting is to carve a
model in wax. The rubber
modelling process is relatively
new compared to the modelling
of wax by hand carving.)
 STEP 2
A rubber mold of the metal
model is made. The model
is placed in a rectangular
frame, rubber is packed
around it, rubber is heated
so that it flows around the
model and is vulcanized
into a solid block.
 STEP 3
A wax copy(s) of the
model is made by injecting
wax into the mold through
a hole. An original wax
model may also be carved.
It’s usually faster to carve
a wax model than to make
a metal model.
 STEP 4
The wax model(s) are
attach to a base either in
the form of a tree or a
donut. The tree may be
formed with several wax
models all made from the
same mold or with
different styles models.
 STEP 5
The wax tree or
donut is covered with
a material like Plaster
of Paris, called
investment. This is
allowed to harden.
 STEP 6

The plaster mold is

heated. The wax
melts and evaporates
out of a hole in the
base. A hollow
plaster is mold is left.
 STEP 7
Molten gold is thrust
into the plaster mold by
centrifugal force or
vacuum. The open
spaces are left by the
melted wax are filled
with the gold. The metal
is allowed to solidify.
 STEP 8
The hot plaster mold is
plunged into the water.
The sudden change of
temperature makes the
plaster shatter, leaving
gold copies of the wax
models. These are
cleaned and polished.
 ADVANTAGES OF CASTING
• It is relatively a quick way od making several identical
pieces.

• It offers unlimited design possibilities. You can even

draw your own designs and have the jeweler transfer
them to a wax model.

• It is economical when many pieces are produced from

the same mold. One-of-a-kind pieces, however, can be
just as costly as those which are hand-fabricated.

• It is an easy way to make copies or matching pieces. For

example, a lost earring can possibly be replaced by
copying the remaining earring, provided it is not to thin.

• Quick method thus saves time labor. The amount of

waste or scrap metal is considerably reduced.
 DISADVANTAGES OF CASTING
• Due to their lower density, cast pieces don’t wear,
as well as which are stamped or hand-fabricated.

• Cast gold is less suitable for fine engraving

because its porous.

• Casting requires more cleaning and finishing than

other methods.

• Porosity problems may occur is the air bubble

exist. This will tend to weak the metal and break it
and also the metal surface will not be even.

• Master is made in silver and rubber mold is made

with the master.