Bramblebush ForumsFAQ
Posted by Chris Stanley on January 14, 1999 at 20:43:55:
I have been writing a book on lost-wax casting and have been
reviewing ancient methods that are usually based on clay molds.
Ancient methods generally describe recipes of clay and
horse or cow dung. I have never located a technical discussion
of the exact purpose of the dung.
I recently took a course on Ashante casting that was based on
primative techniques still used in Ghana. The mold material
was coarse and fine grog mixed with 10 percent bentonite.
Supposed to have a shrinkage of one percent or less. However,
mold clay was hard to use since it was very crumbly and took
some care to get it to stick to the model that had been painted
with thin coats of charcoal and clay.
I will appreciate any information that will lead me to more details on clay recipes for mold making.
Fred R. Sias, Jr.
Clemson, South Carolina
email: frsias@ces.clemson.edu
web: http://www.ces.clemson.edu/~frsias/
Christopher John Stanley:
Assistant Professor of Fine Art: Design/Sculpture/Ceramics/Art History
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
stanley_c@utpb.edu
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