2021.
Crystal Waters Ecovillage | Queensland, Australia
Project: 4 week plan to design and deliver lost-wax casting workshops in recycled aluminium.
Objectives:
Share the ancient practice of lost-wax casting
Educate on recycling aluminium
Skill exchange in the community
Deliver workshops to the community and public utilising existing facilities
Part 1: Process design with existing facilities
Lost-wax casting is a three stage material process; wax, investment mould, metal. This process was designed as a 2 day, 4 hours a day workshop
Space provided by the Dream Plant, Crystal Waters in exchange for staff and resident training in aluminium casting
Process order: creating from wax (sculptures, tools, jewelry, etc.); attach wax forms to wax tree; investment casting - create a mold with a ceramic shell; cure the ceramic mold / melt out the wax; pour molten aluminium
In replacement of kiln to cook the investment moulds, we used the barbeque with a 4 hour firing time
Part 2: Building foundry
See complete foundry in photograph no 8
Built from a recycled gas cylinder, recycled steel, plaster of paris and crucible made from scrap metal
Crucible is placed in the centre of the foundry, coals around and hot air projected to the centre to heat the crucible with cans to 650° - 750° degrees
Melted aluminium is poured into the cooked investment moulds
Part 3: Delivering workshops
Delivered 2 iterations of the 2 day workshops with Ioanna as the workshop host and facilitator with 1-2 assistants at a time
Public booking and information page: link
Members of the Crystal Waters community were encouraged to exchange skills or trade rather than do the class with booking fees
Outcomes:
Workshops delivered to over 20 people, 10 based in the Crystal Waters community
Over half of the community traded or skill exchanged for their participation
Creations from the workshops included jewelry, small sculptures, car badge, didgeridoo holders, crystal wand and product prototypes