Missing Sprues: I’m a newbie to lost wax casting. My biggest problem is “missing sprues”. As shown in the photo, one sprue was lost on this brass casting. I have had similar problems on several occasions, resulting in incomplete castings. This item was cast using vacuum assist. It was cast in a 2 ½ x 3 flask. I used Kerr Satin Cast for the investment material. The flask temperature was 1100 degrees F and the pouring temperature was 2000 degrees F. Other castings came out OK. Help will be appreciated. Thanks.

Up late again. In and out of the studio as I wait for the tumblers. Thinking about how happy I am that there is metal clay and PMC because it allows me to create in metal without having to wait to be able to afford all the accoutrements that go with lost wax casting, forging, etc., etc. as I continue to build my metalsmithing studio...

Further progress on the dog sculpture. Its been raining here all week AGAIN. However, today I was off work and the rain stopped, so I got myself set up to do the casting this morning. Below are pics of the results, but first some pics of the shell application.

Here is the latest in casting and fabrication for my own personal work.  The base is fabricated plate weathering steel and the sculpture itself is cast and fabricated from silicon bronze. 

Hello,
I'm new to this stuff but have been pondering and reading about casting for some time now. I rebuild saxophones as a hobby. My desire is to fabricate brass levers for the neck octave of certain types of saxophones that would be very time intensive doing it by hand forming out of brass plate. My question is which method to use? I am presuming that those who read this don't know what the octave lever on a Sax neck looks like. The lever is bent in an arc, probably that of a 12" dia. circle, it has a loop in it, much like an elongated noose. It is hinged close to the center where it pivots to close and open a vent in the neck. It is only about 1/4 - 5/16" of an inch thick and has various degrees of shaping to the looped end. I can't really be more precise other than the shaping is contoured in an arcing fashion so instead of just square sides to the piece of brass it is shaped to an edge on the loop end. The other end is the "rope" part of the noose analogy and has a little cup at the end of it where a leather pad would be inserted and glued. If I were to flatten the arced original piece it would be approximately 8" long. I am assuming I'd have to make a flat copy out of some material to use as a form? I would like to get as close to the original confuguration as possible as the contouring at the noose end as described above would be quite difficult to match and make consistent by hand filing/sanding.