Chunk Jewel Lamp

Discussion in 'Lost wax casting' started by Jason, Feb 3, 2019.

  1. Jason

    Jason Gold

    It's official, time to get off my ass. I've been so busy with work, the holidays and this insane pool project, I need some bench time. I knew I was in trouble today when Martin called me out on his channel. Everyone must think I'm on some kind of sabbatical from casting. :( I just won't upload trash content on YT for the sake of uploading something. I'll make a video when I have something worth showing dammit!:D

    After being stupid and walking away from a 100yr old bronze masterpiece, I decided to embark on my take of Chunk Jewel! This style is a unique combination of colorful chunky pieces of glass and bronze and is usually shown in the style of Art Nouveau. Time period is around 1910 and this originated in Austria from what I can tell. Here is a sketch for this project. It's a table lamp approx 15" tall, cast in bronze with multi-colored chunks of glass protruding through the lamp shade.
    So let's get to work!

    The idea...
    20190118_183850.jpg

    The buck hot glued to lessen the amount of clay. I blew up the sketch and cut out the complex profile
    20190131_212048.jpg


    Yes that's an egg shape. "blown up google image"
    20190131_212104.jpg

    Chavant Le Beau touche high melt, very firm stuff.
    20190202_204939.jpg


    Symmetry is a mother! Heat gun and an old hotel room key worked a treat. I'll run a simple plaster of paris mold tomorrow of it.
    20190202_204923.jpg
     
    Tobho Mott and oldironfarmer like this.
  2. Umm, I see a problem. Looks like you did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express.:p I'll be watching with interest, in part to see whether you can pull this off without HIE credentials.:eek:
     
  3. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Looking forward to this project. I'll be taking notes so I can try something similar. How are you planning to annealing the glass?
     
  4. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Yeah as much as I kinda despise laQuintas, my dog gets to stay there free. When ya do around a 150nights a year in a hotel, that saves me a small fortune. Always try to get the 2 room suite, usually they are in better condition.

    Zap, I am still learning this glass thing, but I'm going to create the wax shade. (for annealing, I think just chuck them in the kiln to cool slowly) I've also heard you can put them in a crockpot of vermiculite. Question for ya, I haven't decided if I should preheat the bronze shade with the holes already formed and mush the molten glass into them or make the glass first and fit them loosely to the wax model. Either way, as long as there is some draft to the holes, I can secure the glass with the tig torch. I think the trick is going to be keeping white light from escaping around the glass inserts. penny for your thoughts?

    some annealing stuff here http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-66511.html
     
  5. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Slather on the booty butter!

    20190203_190608.jpg


    Now THAT'S a fat ass block of plaster.
    20190203_215533.jpg

    UH OH!
    20190203_221323.jpg


    False alarm! All is good. .
    20190203_222500.jpg

    Start of the base.
    20190203_181547.jpg

    No.. I didn't watch the superbowl. No more sports for this guy.
     
  6. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Hey zap.. quick question for ya. I'm debating the base and tree trunk. Part of me says go straight to wax, but then there is the issue of an electric wire that has to run up it and casting hollow tubes is a pain in the ass with shell. How crazy would it be to create this thing in clay then chop it into sections, silicone mold, pour solid waxes and cast them solid? Then drill them out and weld back together? ( I can hear the sodium silicate crowd snickering from here ) Shrinkage doesn't really bother me and the fattest the trunk will be is and inch or so... I'm thinking the time saved from creating the texture and roots of the tree in wax will outweigh the reassembly... Clay has it's uses and this might be one of them.
     
  7. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Jason, you should have learned the z brush!!
    You could have just digitally sculpted out that sucker, 3D printed it and tried your luck at lost pla casting ;):D... lol.

    Why do you say casting hollow tubes is a pita in shell ??? Havent tried it personally, but I'm about to. Just picked up the suspend a slurry from the old house and bringing it to the farm.
    Hmm need to grab a breaker to get the kiln wired up too....
     
  8. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Hi dave... no pla for me pal. Shell would work to make hollow tubes, but with stuff less than 2inches, it's tough to get decent coverage of slurry and silica. My little tree is just a little oven an inch in diameter. I'm cool with drilling the hell out of it to reduce the weight if need be. Remember to keep your slurry from freezing or it's screwed.;)
     
  9. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    So no lost pla, no brass, not even a try at the white bronze....guess you only practice missionary too...:D
     
  10. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    You could pour the center with some investment then shell the outside...
     
  11. Jason

    Jason Gold

    :rolleyes:

    I can get slurry inside the tube, but silica I'm not so sure. I haven't down a hollow tube yet. The solution I'm sure is to pack sodium silicate inside then shell, but I'm trying to avoid that.
     
  12. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Sodium sillicate would break down during the burn out.
    Just fill that sucker with slurry, drain, then fill with sand and drain what doesnt stick.
    Or use block investment for the core ( but maybe add some wire for internal support..
     
  13. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    How big is the diameter of the hole you need for cables? I've had luck casting long holes like the one down the center of the screw without the inner shell breaking. If you are able to have a 1 inch hole then I'd say cast the hole in place you won't have issues then use a long concrete drill bit to dig out the shell. The hole for the screw was 1.5 inches at the widest and then tapered down to 1/2" through the middle. The center part didn't cast hollow I don't think but that's because the second coat of slurry didn't travel the last inch or so right in the center. 1 inch and above you won't have issues with getting 3 or 4 coats of slurry in there. You'll need to hook up a shop vac to dry out the holes though

    Casting in sections could work too but man that's going to break your arms with all the chasing that you'll need to do. Even if you can get it down to 2 or 3 parts that need to be joined.
     
    Jason likes this.
  14. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Thanks Zap. That's exactly what I needed to know. It's just a light cord, nothing big, but I was concerned how small I could go and get shell to work in there.... I'll shoot for an inch. The trunk will be close to a foot long.
     
  15. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Yeah I think it's going to work fine. 12 inches isn't that long ( ;) ).

    I'm still a bit hazy on how the thing you are making is going to look when done. Where does the light bulb shine from?
     
  16. Jason

    Jason Gold

    The light bulb will live under the shade.... Like this, It will light up the colored glass pieces in the shade for effect.
    chunk-jewel-lamp-3.jpg

    Decided to roll with another wooden form and go with clay. I hit the corners with a flap disc to give the clay something to bite onto.
    Working good so far.
    20190205_160838.jpg

    Just getting rolling. Hope it doesn't look like an ostrich foot:p
    20190205_180330.jpg
     
    Tobho Mott likes this.
  17. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    I checked... no doesnt look like an ostrich foot.
    closeup-of-ostrich-feet-BH10K3.jpg
     
  18. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Thanks for that man.:D
     
  19. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Oh I see. That's going to look cool. I really want to see how you get the glass made.

    I need to fix my kiln. Still need to cut the grooves for the elements after the clay-melting misshap. Then I can try annealing glass beads.
     
  20. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Anytime lol...

    How about adding a critter to the tree??
     

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