Casting the first...

Well it's been a week without sunshine here in never-summerland, with no sun in sight. It's a good thing I got some sun in last Saturday, and more tannage time is scheduled for today when we drive the few miles south out of the fog and into Summer 2006 for a swim.

I'm glad I didn't try to grow any tomatoes.

Yesterday I spent a lot of online time trying to learn about metal casting, and mold making. I can't wrap my head around how to make molds. A one sided mold, O K I get that, That's easy.
But complete molds are making my head hurt.
I am on a list of "junkyard projects" and "metalcasting" and these guys are often building machinery from scratch. That's crazy, yet intriguing enough that I have to know how to do it.
I saw this page where they are making pulleys for a lathe and I want to be able to do this. But I can't understand the mold making.

I found a few videos. This one is so complex, I had to watch it a few times to figure out what the heck was going on. YOu make a positive, then a negative than a positive then a negative then you cast. What is all that about?

Then I re watched these videos that I had seen a few months back. It was much simpler and I completely understand how to do this.

Then finally I found a local foundry that offers classes in Arcata; Fire Arts Center,
Next Friday night they're having a bronze casting demonstration. I'll try to make it up there for that.

It makes me want to stay with clay.