Basics of Lost Wax Casting - Best Free Step-By-Step Tutorial

Let me teach you how to do your own lost wax casting at home and make your own silver jewelry like a professional. I will also supply you with a list of all the tools and materials needed to to this.

If you want to help support my work you can do so here : https://bit.ly/HelpSupportGomeowCreations

If you are looking for some software to make your own designs or some premade files here is a short list of good places to get them.

3D Making Software:

Blender 3D - https://bit.ly/Blender3DSoftware

Rhino 3D - https://bit.ly/Rhinoceros3DSoftware

Free 3D Files:

https://thangs.com/

https://www.printables.com/

https://www.thingiverse.com/

Free & Paid 3D File:

https://cults3d.com/

https://www.myminifactory.com/

Paid High Quality 3D Files:

https://www.cgtrader.com/

Big thanks to these YouTube channels for letting me use some of their video clips in my work. Check them out, all of them have lot of very helpful info.

Change You Can Wear - https://bit.ly/3QAhmlo

VOG - https://bit.ly/39AePXR

Clear Mind Jewellery - https://bit.ly/3y4nxHr

Bangkok Creative Studio - https://bit.ly/3y4BeWH

Thanks to Leroy’s Wooden Tattoos for the skull ring and coin designs - https://www.instagram.com/leroyswoodentattoos/

This is the website that I use all the time for calculating how much metal I need when doing my lost wax casting.

Wax Weight Casting Calculator - https://bit.ly/3O8Eaam

Tools & Materials

Let me know if any of the links are broken or if I forgot to list something and I will fix that ASAP.

Vacuum Casting Machine & Parts:

Original KAYACAST Vacuum Casting Machine(Made In USA) - https://bit.ly/VacuumCastingMachine

3" 80 mm Rubber Sprue Base - https://amzn.to/3O5czaj

Perforated Casting Flask - https://amzn.to/39A3vLk

Solid Flask Set - https://amzn.to/3xH7Moi

Ebay Chinese Knock-off - https://ebay.us/3QYrGQ

Amazon Chinese Knock-off - https://amzn.to/3zNRFYI

Centrifugal Casting Machine:

BESQUAL - Centrifugal Casting Machine - https://amzn.to/3b727QR

Manual Centrifugal Casting Machine - https://amzn.to/3HFSOn5

Crucible Casting Centrifugal Machine - https://amzn.to/3N4lJm6

Castable Resin:

Siraya Tech Cast - https://amzn.to/3y6s8sM

Liqcreate Wax Resin - https://bit.ly/LiqcreateCastableResin

BlueCast X10 - https://bit.ly/BlueCastX10LCD

Power Resins - https://bit.ly/JewelryResinsPowerResins

Mug Warmer - https://amzn.to/3QuZR6f

3D Printer Filament:

Castable PolyCast Filament - https://amzn.to/3N3MQNR

MatterHackers Pla Filament - https://bit.ly/MatterHackersBuildSeriesPLA

Amazon Pla Filament - https://amzn.to/3tLKrAy

3D Resin Printers:

ELEGOO Saturn 8k - https://bit.ly/ElegooSaturn2Printer

ELEGOO Saturn S 4k - https://bit.ly/EleooSaturnS4k

ELEGOO Saturn 4k - https://bit.ly/ElegooSaturn4k

ELEOO Mars 3 Ultra 4k - https://bit.ly/ElegooMars3Ultra4K

Creality Halot One Plus 4k - https://bit.ly/HALOT-ONE-PLUS-4K

Creality Halot One Pro 3K - https://bit.ly/HALOT-ONE-PRO-3K

Creality Halot One 2K - https://bit.ly/HALOT-ONE-2K

ANYCUBIC Photon Mono 4K - https://amzn.to/3zjimo6

Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K - https://amzn.to/3atTgIs

BIQU PIXEL L 9.1 inch 4K 3D Resin Printer - https://bit.ly/BIQU-PIXEL-L-4K


Wash & Cure Systems:

ELEGOO Mercury X Washing & Curing Machine - https://amzn.to/3Gz10VW

ELEGOO Wash & Cure Station - https://amzn.to/3gWHUxH

ANYCUBIC Wash & Cure Machine 2.0 - https://amzn.to/3DWG4FO

ANYCUBIC Wash Cure Machine Plus (Large) - https://amzn.to/3DWFLe8

Silicone Work Mat - https://bit.ly/SiliconeWorkMat

Isopropyl Alcohol 99% - https://amzn.to/3y4yeK8

Nitrile Gloves - https://amzn.to/3bdyNs2

Electric Air Duster - https://amzn.to/3xD5xCn

Snippers - https://amzn.to/3bg6Hwl

Electric Kettle - https://amzn.to/3y6xSmh

Vegetable Glycerin - https://amzn.to/3y4D8GS


Wax:

Pre-Made Wax Rings - https://bit.ly/EtsyWaxRings

9mm Yellow Sprue Wax - https://amzn.to/39CGSG4

2.6mm Yellow Sprue Wax - https://amzn.to/3HFLisC

3.25mm Yellow Sprue Wax - https://amzn.to/3HzLlpE

Assorted Wax for Caving - https://amzn.to/3y3Y6Wh

Casting Wax Wire Assortment - https://amzn.to/3tLDKyO

Blue Carving Wax Block - https://amzn.to/3Oazq4i

Green Carving Wax Block Hard - https://amzn.to/3xBpNVe

Wax Ring Blank Tubes - https://amzn.to/3y169mT

Wax Tools:

Diamond Burrs Set - https://amzn.to/3OshPEs

Carving Bits Set - https://amzn.to/39xEcK9

Grinder Bits - https://amzn.to/3zQovII

Rotary Grinding Stone - https://amzn.to/3OodsdF

Rotary Tool Bit Holder - https://amzn.to/3mXOpm6

Grobet Wax Hand File - https://amzn.to/3QvbsCd

Adjustable Alcohol Lamp - https://amzn.to/3mZB6kT

Stainless Steel Wax Carvers Set - https://amzn.to/3nkaJ9P

Battery Powered Wax Pen - https://amzn.to/3xElx7p

TouchAmatic Wax Pen - https://bit.ly/TouchAmaticWaxPen

Magnetic Third Hand - https://bit.ly/3zNM8S1

Jewelers Bench Set-Up:

Solid Wooden Jewelers Bench - https://amzn.to/3bcuP2W

GRS Products Bench Pin - https://amzn.to/3QqH8bQ

GRS Fixed Mounting Plate - https://amzn.to/3OatgkG

GRS Mounting Adapter - https://amzn.to/3Odfj5y

Foredom Rotary Flex Shaft Jewelers Kit - https://amzn.to/3HDLd8B


Safety Equipment:

Eyewear Protective - https://amzn.to/3OrUuTk

Respirator - https://amzn.to/3xYLNcT

Fire Extinguisher - https://amzn.to/3b5Rv4B

Investment Casting Setup:

Digital Kitchen Scale - https://amzn.to/39EfCHs

Digital Gram Scale - https://amzn.to/3xETFzV

300ml Measuring Cup - https://amzn.to/3tOn1dX

5" x 6" Rubber Mixing Bowl - https://amzn.to/3O7oeW1

Investment Powder Mixing Spatula - https://amzn.to/3QxDQUs

Electric Hand Mixer - https://amzn.to/3HzKa9Q

49 lbs Prestige Optima Investment Power - https://bit.ly/InvestmentPowder49LBs

50 lbs Prestige Optima Investment Power - https://amzn.to/3HEwg65

Polishing & Cleaning Tools:

Wet or Dry Sandpaper - https://amzn.to/3Opmvef

Jewelry Steam Cleaner Machine - https://amzn.to/3Qw9l0Y

Grobet Halfround Metal File Cut 2 - https://amzn.to/3tMjaOw

Grobet Halfround Metal File Cut 0 - https://amzn.to/3tOuD0d

Silicone Finger Protectors - https://amzn.to/3bd0Qb3

Smart Pickle for Non-Ferrous Metals - https://bit.ly/SmartPickle

Hot Pot For Pickle - https://amzn.to/3OsbbhG

Ultrasonic (2 Quart) With Heater - https://bit.ly/UltrasonicMediumGEMORO

Ultrasonic Cleaner Solution - https://bit.ly/TivaCleanElectrocleaner

Radial Bristle Disc - https://amzn.to/3y5KnhZ

Silicone Rubber Polishing Wheels & Drums - https://amzn.to/3n3NYGI

Polishing Buffing Wheel Set - https://amzn.to/3y3fXg4

Fabulustre Polishing Compound - https://amzn.to/3xEpNDL

Single Spindle Polishing Machine ARBE - https://bit.ly/SingleSpindlePolishingMachine

Liver of Sulfur - https://amzn.to/3n4EA5T

Electric 3LB Jewelry Tumbler - https://amzn.to/39DdJe1

Hone & Highlight™ Tumbling Medium - https://bit.ly/HoneHighlightTumblingMedium

Casting Grain:

925 Sterling Silver Casting Grain - https://amzn.to/3mZhkWH

999 Pure Silver Casting Grain - https://amzn.to/3Or3Ej3

Brass Alloy Yellow Casting Grain - https://amzn.to/3y2Qt2h

Gold 14K Yellow Casting Grain - https://amzn.to/3OtOdXA

Kiln & Metal Furnace:

Programmable Burnout Kiln - https://amzn.to/3OdoWBe

QuikMelt Electric Melting Furnace - https://amzn.to/3O0l8D7

2KG Melting Furnace - https://amzn.to/3QAfGIC

2 KG LARGE CAPACITY Propane Furnace - https://amzn.to/3mZi1PW

Fast Electro-Melt Gold & Silver Melting Furnace - https://bit.ly/Electro-MeltMeltingFurnace

Heat Resistant Furnace Gloves - https://amzn.to/3zPjf7X

Fire Bricks - https://amzn.to/3tMMqEW

Saw Frame, Blades & More:

Haymaker SawFrame - https://bit.ly/HaymakerSawFrame

4" German Style Jewelers Saw Frame - https://amzn.to/3OhoP7c

NANO Jeweler's Saw Blades - https://bit.ly/NANOSawBlades

Blade Butter Cutting Lubricant - https://bit.ly/BladeButter

Note: Most of the links that I use that go to products are affiliate link. This means I make a small commission on anything that you happen buy using them. This is at no extra charge to you and this helps support the work I do on this channel. 😁👍

Kiln Burn Out Settings & Times

I’m using Prestige Optima Investment Powder and I haven’t really had any problems with it and the castings that I have got from it have been very nice.

investment power prestige optima 3d printing burnout settings

Click Here For My Info

Here is the burnout times and temps setup for the kiln that I have - Programmable Burnout Kiln - https://amzn.to/3OdoWBe

Standard Burn

50c
60T
300C
180T
300C
60T
700C
120T
700C
120T
1390C
240T
1390C
60T
1050C
60T
1050C
-121T

Resin Burn

50c
15t
212c
180t
212c
120t
842c
120t
842c
120t
1436c
240t
1436c
60t
1050c
60t
1050c
-121t

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and I will try to get back to you ASAP

Everything you need to know about rolling mills and how to use your scrap metal

How to turn your scrap silver into new sheet metal and wire.

If you make silver jewelry and want to be able to recycle your silver, this is a great option for you to make your silver last a lot longer and save money. When you buy already made wire and sheet silver, you are paying more for that silver due to it being made for you. As of writing this if you buy a 1 troy oz fine silver sheet it would cost $26.26 and you can buy a fine silver 1 troy oz bar for $18.70. With a rolling mill setup you can melt down the bar and make wire and sheet metal in whatever sizes you want. I do know that it does cost a lot to get set up for this but the freedom to use your old metals or even make your own sizes is worth the cost. Let me get a list together to you can see what tools I use in my setup.

Solder Fume Extractor Smoke Absorber - https://amzn.to/2OpOmza

Hakko FA430-KIT1 Smoke Absorber (Best Setup) - https://amzn.to/2LS3vI7

Wire & Sheet Metal Ingot Mold - https://amzn.to/2Is9CAx

2 Crucibles With Wire Handle - https://amzn.to/2MlBQOv

20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster - https://amzn.to/2o9oixT

Smith Little Torch Acetylene Heating Tip - https://amzn.to/35aBi6J

The Little Torch with 5 Tips - https://amzn.to/2VgvR1A

Non-Ferrous Wire Gauge - https://amzn.to/2Mgifzy

Vernier Caliper - https://amzn.to/2oXS3RY

Dark Glasses Safety Glasses - https://amzn.to/31PDZZq

Tripod with screen - https://amzn.to/33bs8p1

Economy Rolling Mill vs Pepetools Rolling Mill

When it comes to the rolling mill, you really get what you pay for. On the cheaper side your are looking at about a $200-$350 for a basic mill that you can use for wire and sheet. I have used one of these for years and it can be a pain when you have to take the whole mill apart just to switch out the rollers in this. Don’t get me wrong, this do work and you can quality work but the Pepetools mills is by far better.

When it come to the higher end mill you are going to be looking at a $600-$1000 investment. That is double the cost of the cheaper mill but is it worth it? I really think it is but let me be transparent with you, I got this mill from Pepetools free of charge and they did give me a discount code that you can use and I will make a commission from the sale. So yes this would give me a little bit of a bias but I was looking into buying this mill with my own money if it wasn’t sent to me. Anyways, This mill is perfect for making wire and sheet without any extra work on your end. This mill also has a smaller foot print but can work on bigger materials. I have been using this for a bout 2-3 weeks now and I love using it. I had my other mill for years not and I hated having to use it due to it taking so long to switch things out.

Really you can get whatever you like or you can afford but I do regret getting the cheap on after using the Pepetools mill.

Here are some links to the mills that I have and the discount codes fro Pepetools that will save you $30 on all order over $100 Just use code “MEOW” at checkout.

Pepetools rolling mill 130mm $686 - http://bit.ly/pepetools130

[Scratch & Dent] Pepetools rolling mill 130mm $575 - https://bit.ly/37vmWP5

Amazon Pepetools rolling mill:

USA - https://amzn.to/30SC6eY

UK - https://amzn.to/2GrlFgk

AU - https://amzn.to/2RsTaVJ

DE - https://amzn.to/2uBcF5m

CA - https://amzn.to/2O1yB0y

Amazon Economy rolling mill:

USA - https://amzn.to/37p8ubv

UK - https://amzn.to/38FMsBp

AU - n/a

DE - https://amzn.to/36sUHiT

CA - https://amzn.to/2RqAcPB

How To Make A Duel Band Silver Inlay Ring Blank Without A Lathe

I show how to turn your scrap silver into silver wire and sheet metal then take that metal and make it into a duel band inlay ring blank without a lathe.

Save $30 on your order of $100 or more by using code "MEOW" at checkout!

Pepetools rolling mill 130mm $686 - http://bit.ly/pepetools130

Amazon Pepetools rolling mill:
USA - https://amzn.to/30SC6eY
UK - https://amzn.to/2GrlFgk
AU - https://amzn.to/2RsTaVJ
DE - https://amzn.to/2uBcF5m
CA - https://amzn.to/2O1yB0y

Amazon Economy rolling mill:
USA - https://amzn.to/37p8ubv
UK - https://amzn.to/38FMsBp
AU - n/a
DE - https://amzn.to/36sUHiT
CA - https://amzn.to/2RqAcPB

Mounting Hardware:
1/4"-20 x 20mm Wood Inserts - https://amzn.to/3aJdGZV
1/4"-20 X 2" Screw - https://amzn.to/2RNbDv8
1/4"Flat Washer - https://amzn.to/37vFkr5

WAPITI DESIGNS:
Hammered Tungsten Blank - https://amzn.to/38VeCsx
Tungsten Ring Blank, Silver - https://amzn.to/36E8zH7
Tungsten Ring Blank, Black - https://amzn.to/3aREmHV
Tungsten Ring Blank, Gold - https://amzn.to/2RBx2IL
Tungsten Carbide Ring Core for Wood Turning - https://amzn.to/36DKBMf

Creating a Bismuth Crystal Necklace

This video will show you how to cast Bismuth into a necklace and have it turn into an awesome rainbow crystal structure.
 

tool and material list

Bismuth 2.2lbs

You can't make a Bismuth necklace without having some Bismuth now cant you? This is the best quality and lowest cost Bismuth I could find. 

Amazon.com

Like shopping on Amazon well I made a fill list of the items used in this video here.

Making and setting bezels for silver necklaces [Beginner’s Guide]

This video will show you how to make and set two different kinds of bezel wire. I wanted to show how much more work it takes to set a plain bezel compared to some gallery wire. I also point out how the gallery adds a lot more detail to your piece with a lot less work.

Here is a picture I made to help illustrate how tall you need you bezel wire to be on your stone.

Untitled-1.png



Thank you to Metalsmithing-tools.com for supplying me with the pitch that I used in the video. Check them out at https://www.metalsmithing-tools.com for pitch and other awesome tools for doing chasing work. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT_3PVZF0b60IHUunjfQAzg/videos

Get all of your pitch and chasing tools here https://www.metalsmithing-tools.com/chasing-and-repousse-tools

What does pickle mean when it comes to jewelry making?

I remember when I was first started making jewelry and how odd I thought it was that you had to pickle metal. I quickly found out that pickle is a key step if you’re going to be heating or soldering jewelry.

Pickling is a hot acid bath that’s use to remove flux, oxidation and firescale from your jewelry after soldering, annealing or just cleaning metal before soldering it. This is a very important part of jewelry making and seeing that you need to have clean in order for solder to flow properly, this is a must. Let me tell you how to make, use and dispose of it in the next couple paragraphs.

There are a lot of options when it comes to pickling solutions. Some of them you can just buy and add to water and others that can be made using just household items that might surprise you. I’m only going to go over two pickling solutions that I use along with a bonus solution that has saved me lots of time and work.

Sparex NO.2 pickling solution

 
 

Sparex NO.2 is my personal go to when it comes to pickling solution. You can get it from a lot of different online retailers and it’s pretty inexpensive, coming in at about $13-$25 for a 2.5lbs bag.

This bag will last you a long time seeing that Sparex is non-biodegradable so it doesn’t really break down over time.

One thing you need to make sure to do is keep moisture away from the bag or container that you keep it in. This is a dry granular acid so once you open the bag make sure to keep any moisture out of it seeing that it will clump together and turn into a solid chunk of acid.

You can throw some silica gel packs into the bag or container to keep the moisture away from the acid.

 
 

This is a very easy pickling solution get setup. All you need to do is 2 tablespoons of Sparex NO.2 to every cup of water that you're using.

You’ll need to use a glass or ceramic container to store this in. This will work at room temperature but it takes a long time so to speed this up you'll need a small crock pot.

Acids work faster when they’re hot so this will dramatically speed up the cleaning process and you’ll be able to get back to working on you piece sooner.
 

Sparex NO.2 shopping list  

NOTE: Once you get this all setup you can never use these items for food ever again so just keep that in mind.

 

Homemade pickling solution

If you'd rather go the homemade route then I have good news for you! Everything you need might already be in your kitchen. All you need is white distilled vinegar and table salt.

Just add 1 teaspoon of salt for each cup of vinegar you use.

 
 

Just like the Sparex this works best when hot so you will need a small crock pot for the best results.

 So why does this work? Vinegar is a weak acid and adding salt to it makes it into a stronger solution along with the heat. This reacts with the copper oxide and dissolves it.

This method's solution does have a couple cons though. I hope you like or at the very least don't mind the smell of hot vinegar because it's going to make your work area smell.

One other problem with it is that it is biodegradable so the pickle will start to break down over time and stop working. Unlike Sparex that you can just add more water to it an the water evaporates.

 

Homemade pickle shopping list  

NOTE: Once you get this all set-up you can never use these items for food ever again so just keep that in mind. Also just because this is made from food products doesn’t mean that after using it don’t become hazardous waste. I will talk about this at the end of this post in the disposal section.

 

How to use the pickling solution.

Now that you have your solution of choice let’s talk about how to use it. Both of the compounds that I talked about can be used is the same way and I’m going to assume that you are going to be using them in a crock pot.

Once your mixture is in the crock pot and it's hot you can now add you copper, brass or silver to it. You'll need some kind of copper wire or tongs to remove your pieces from the pickling solution.

 Let’s say you have 10 rings you need to pickle, instead of picking each one out one at a time with the copper tongs you can just use a thin piece of copper wire to string them together. Normally it takes about 10-15 min to for the pickle to clean your metals.

When it’s time to take them out you’re going to want to neutralize the acid with some baking soda mixed into water. You can use a small plastic or ceramic bowl to store the baking soda mix. Just submerge you piece and rinse it off.

These are the copper tongs that I have been using for years - https://amzn.to/2K9KJII

 
 

 

Never use steel in you pickle solution 

You might be thinking, “why can’t I use steel?” well this is due to how it reacts with everything. So when you heat metals that contain copper it’ll make a coating of copper oxide on them, we use the pickle to dissolve it.

vlcsnap-2018-06-22-09h07m02s673.png
vlcsnap-2018-06-22-09h07m38s824.png

This means it’s now in the pickling solution and once steel touches the pickle it’ll start a plating reaction. This means if you have anything in the pickle pot it will be plated with copper. So keeping it free of steel is a very good idea unless you’re wanting to plate the metals.

 

Why does my bass have pink spots after pickling?

 
 

When using brass in your pickle pot you might find that it has pink marks on it. This might make you think that it is getting plated and something is wrong with you pickling solution but this is normal.

See brass has nickel in it and this acid will pull nickel from the brass leaving behind the copper. That being said if you leave your brass in the pickle too long it'll ruin your metal.

I once forgot that I had a brass ring in my pickle pot and came back to you about 24 hours later to find a mostly copper piece of metal that was very brittle.

So what if you do copper plate your work or have pink spots on your brass that you just can’t get rid of? Well that is where the bonus pickling solution comes in in the next section.
 

How to remove copper plating and pink brass with Super Pickle

Yes, there is a pickle solution that you can make at home that will dissolve the copper from your work.

All you need is some white distilled vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in equal parts.

Put this mixture into its own glass or ceramic container and submerge your piece into it.

You will see little bubble all over it and the copper will start to disappear. You might see some black marks on the pieces but this is normal.

 
vlcsnap-2018-06-22-09h10m04s534.png
 
 
vlcsnap-2018-06-22-09h10m20s444.png
 
 
vlcsnap-2018-06-22-09h10m31s799.png
 

Just keep an eye on this and once it longer has any copper on it, take it out. You don’t want to leave the piece in too long, if you do it’ll start to dissolve more than the copper on the outside of the metal.

This process will leave an odd dull pattern on the metal, this can be polished or buffed off. Once you are done with this “Super Pickle” you can just add it to the pickle solution in your pickle pot.
 

 
 

How do you dispose of your pickling solution

Once your pickle is no longer working or just has too much copper infused into it you’ll need to dispose of it but at this point it’s now considered hazardous waste.

It’ll be full of copper oxides that’ll give it a blue look. This is highly toxic to aquatic life so don’t just pour it down your sink.

I know in some areas, depending on how your sewage system is setup you can flush it down the toilet. This is only because it’ll go to a waste treatment plant.

If you happen to have a septic system or just don’t know how your sewage system is setup I would suggest taking it to a household hazardous waste disposal site near you. You will have to google one in your area for times and locations. Make sure to put the pickle into a seal-able plastic container and label it “Sodium Bi-sulfate with Copper” so they know what it is.
 

Don't want to read? Check out the video I made about picking solution