All of methods of centrifugal or vacuum casting that I have performed

have been based upon the lost wax concept. This is where one makes
a model of wax, suspends the wax in a plaster like media called
investment, fires the invested flask until the wax has burned out and
then cast molten silver by centrifugal force or poured to fill the voids
that were once wax.
The first instruction I have is to read all of the instructions,
recommendations and warnings of all of the equipment and products
that one will be using. Believe it or not this was one of the biggest
helps I encountered in my experiences
Make a wax model
To start one need to have an exact copy of what one wants to be
made of silver which usually is formed out of wax. There are many
forms of casting wax that are available. There are sheet waxes that
are great for thin flat pieces. There are waxes designed to be melted
and drizzled over water for a very organic look. There are waxes that
are used for injecting into molds.
Organic items can be used in place of the wax as well. In our
experimenting we have had some very unique items that were
created out of twigs, pine cones, leaves and other organic items.
Sprue up the models
Once the models have been made they are mounted on a wax column
that channels the silver to the models. This item is called a sprue. The
sprue is generally a wax rod that attaches to a rubber base that holds
the metal flask. The rubber base is called a sprue base.
When constructing the sprue tree, care and thought must be given to
the positioning of the items on the tree for casting. They should be
positioned so they are down stream from the sprue button and that
no uphill flows are required. Think of this as if you are filling the flask
up with water. Are there any parts that there may be a bubble form
and the water cannot flow into it easily?
Items that have a fine finish are best mounted with the fine finish side
facing away from the sprue. At times small bubbles of air will form on
the side facing down during the molding or investing process. The
bubbles can mar the finish.
Weighing the sprue and the models At this point one needs to

weigh the completely assembled sprue and the models that have
been attached to it. We need this weight later when calculating how
much silver we need to melt in order to have a safe and accurate
casting event.
Weigh the sprue assembly on a scale that can weigh in grams. Be
sure to record this weight so it can easily be recalled later.i.e. Flask
#1 sprue assembly = 11 grams.
Assemble the flask by installing the sprue into the sprue base and
installing the metal cylinder into the sprue base. The flask is ready for
investing.
Investing
This has nothing to do with monetary investments.
Investment is the plaster like powder that is used to fill the flask.
Once the flask is filled and allowed to dry it is placed in a kiln and
slowly heated up to 1350 degrees F over about an eight to nine hour
period.
Proper mixing of the investment is critical to the over all quality of the
final product. Initially we experimented with various methods of
mixing and then we read the instructions. Wow, what a difference it
made reading the instructions. Who would guess the manufacturer
would be the expert on their product?
We use Kerr's brand Satin Cast 20 investment and these instructions
are for this product. (Note: these same instructions worked for the
investment that is at the Senior Center.)
The manufacturer's instructions are for a general amount and do not
get very specific for the various sized flask. Using their measurements
generally creates too much waste. Through experimentations and
studying different books Mary Jo and I came up with a centrifugal
casting ratio and measurement system that gets the investment
mixture correct and with very little waste left over. I then took this
system and through some experimentation came up the amounts for
vacuum casting.
The following table has the levels of water that each flask should be
filled to for the determination of the proper investment mixture.

This Table is for use with non-perforated flasks.

For Centrifugal Casting For Vacuum CastingFlask Height %Water
Level mm %Water Level mm 2 1/2" / 63 mm65%41 mm60%38 mm3" /
76mm62%47 mm58%44 mm3 1/2" / 89 mm60%53 mm55%49 mm4" /
102 mm60%61 mm55%56 mm5" / 127 mm60%76 mm55%70 mm If you

are using the perforated flasks use the Centrifugal Casting column.
Place a collar of masking tape around the top of the flask. Typically
the tape should extend above the top lip of the flask about 1 inch.
Fill the flask with water that is in the 70 F to 90 F degrees
temperature range to the level determined using the water table
above.
Once the flask is filled with water to the applicable height, pour the
water into a graduated beaker that has 1 mille-liter increments.
The ratio for the investment mixture is 2.5 grams of investment for
each mille-liter of water. i.e. The water volume was 320 mille-liters.
Multiply 320 mille-liters times 2.5 which equals 800 grams of
investment. (Take the mille-liters of measured water X 2.5 = grams of
investment needed.)
Don a dust mask or breathing apparatus to prevent the breathing of
the investment dust. Weigh the investment to the proper amount.
Now you have the properly measured water and investment. Pour the
water into the rubber mixing bowl. Next incorporate the investment
very carefully trying not to create a lot of dust.
Mix the water and investment slurry for 3 minutes as per
manufacturer's instructions.
After the 3 minutes of mixing, vacuum the rubber mixing bowl and
slurry place them in a vacuum chamber. Turn the vacuum chamber
on. It should get very close to 25 inches of mercury vacuum. Once
the slurry starts to boil time it for 20 seconds. At the end of the 20
seconds release the vacuum and remove the rubber mixing bowl from
the vacuum chamber.
Carefully pour the pre-vacuumed slurry into the flask. The slurry
should fill the flask to the proper level or at least very close to the
proper level.
Place the flask into the vacuum chamber. Turn on the vacuum
chamber and once the slurry starts to boil start timing. Vacuum the

boiling slurry for 60 to 90 seconds. Typically I use 90 seconds.

Once the boiling slurry has vacuumed for the chosen amount of time,
release the vacuum and turn off the vacuum chamber.
Place the prepared flask on a level surface and allow it to set up.
Generally after about 15 minutes the flask's partially solidified
investment can be marked with a pencil or other item. The
investment should be soft enough to allow it to be carved. I use the
number of the flask that corresponds to my list from the previous
steps. You did remember to make your list didn't you?
Remove the tape from around the flask's lip.
When I cast with others I like to use my initials and numbers.
When the investment has solidified, 15 minutes to 30 minutes,
carefully remove the rubber sprue base. It may take some effort.
I like to let my flasks dry over night as a minimum. At the Senior
Center we typically let them dry for a week.
The Wax Burn Out
Using a kiln and the manufacturer's recommended burn out schedule
the wax is melted out and all the residues are vaporized.
The best kiln setup for this is a programmable kiln controller. With a
programmable kiln controller it is pretty much turn on the kiln, start
the program and wait approximately 8 1/2 to 9 hours before checking
for the completion of the final hour at 900 Degrees F to start the
melting of the silver for the casting process.
If a non-programmable kiln controller is not available then one has to
diligently attend the kiln and manually control the temperatures for
the recommended amount of times. This can be a cumbersome
process and tie one up for the whole burn out time period.
The burn out schedule for Kerr's Satin 20 is as follows:
300 Degrees F for 2 hours
700 Degrees F for 2 hours
1350 Degrees F for 4 hours
900 Degrees F for 1 hour (Centrifugal casting it can be up to 1100
degrees F for 1 hour)
Hold at 900 Degrees F or up to 1100 degrees F for centrifugal casting
until all casting is complete (Note: Sometimes if one has some
very fine details in the wax a hotter temperature up to 1100

degrees F can be used, but only when using the centrifugal

casting process.)
The burn out should be complete and the flasks are ready for casting.
Work Sheet for Investing Flask For Lost Wax Casting
Wax weight =_____GramsFlax height =_____mmWater level needed
=_____mmWater measurement =_____mlInvestment needed
=_____GramsPour water into rubber mixing bowl:_____ Tape
Flask:_____ Combine Water and Investment in rubber mixing
bowl:_____ Mix investment slurry for 3 minutes:_____ Vacuum rubber
mixing bowl for 20 seconds:_____ Pour investment into
flask:_____ Vacuum flask for 60 to 90 seconds:_____ Let it setup and mark
flask for identification purposes:_____