I cut a cottage form into a 50mm cube of graphite. The goal was to pour a small number of cottages that could become a small refection of stone cottages that were built by Highland families after they were cleared from their lands.
The photo above shows 7 that I have poured - maybe enough for a small post-clearance village? The original cast is shown in the photo below.
When I was removing the original cast from the mould, the mould developed a small crack. I did further work on the mould to make it easier to remove the cast cottage. But a chip broke off the mould when I did the first cast of the 7 in the opening photo. Not to be deterred I worked out that I could hold the chip in with a clamp - but needed to get the clamp off quickly as the graphite heated up and wanted to melt the plastic jaws of the clamp.
Still I managed to get my 7 cottages poured; and have kept the mould!!!
As I was pouring pewter recycled from Selangor beer mugs (lead free pewter) I decided I'd pour a few more hull forms - I like the rainbow colours on some.
I still need to trim the excess metal off the castings; and give some a wee grind.
me being me, I now imagine your rustic stone cottages as elegant Monopoly hotels ... I'm thinking trimming metal and giving some "a wee grind" is a bit more of an effort than you let on ... and well worth it in the end
ReplyDeleteLoving those shapes. At the moment I seem to be in unrelenting pain. Serves me right for having a couple of short trips away. My arthritis is telling me I am old!
ReplyDeleteOh and I am Penny, not anonymous!
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