Fleming College

Jewellery - Casting Organics

Course Code: ARTS2637

Like lost wax carving, casting organic material is very exciting in that the outcome is quite unpredictable. Instead of starting with wax, you can use organic objects such as branches, leaves, insects, pasta and more. Organic items need to be dry as moisture will expand and explode in the kiln during the burn out process. By connecting the organic object to a rubber base, attached to a steel flask and pouring the high temperature investment plaster around it, you can create a pathway for molten metal to follow, providing the material inside burns out completely in the kiln. Often, this burnout takes longer than wax. There is also the issue of carbon, which sometimes remains in the investment and shows up on the metal surface. However, it is an awesome experiment, and if you love the excitement of an unexpected outcome, the results can be astounding!