< INSPECTING THE WAX PATTERN
SUMMARY OF COMMON WAX PATTERN FAULTS & CAUSES
INCOMPLETE WAX PATTERN: Wax too cold / Badly vented mould.
WAX CHANGES COLOUR: Wax too hot.
WAX BRITTLE OR TOO PLASTIC: Poor blending / Wax too hot.
BLEND SEPARATES OUT: Incompatible blend materials / Blend not fully mixed / Wax too hot.
FLOW LINES & RIPPLES: Wax too cold.
PATTERN SHRINKAGE: Wax to hot / Wax too cold.
AIR BUBBLES: Poor ‘brushed on’ layer / Wax too hot.
WAX PATTERN WARP: Poor blend / Uneven wall thickness.
DEPRESSIONS/DISTORTION: Mould keys mis-located / Wax too hot.
WAX STICKS TO MOULD/CASE: Insufficient release agent / Wax too hot.
FLASHING: Poor mould construction / Wax too hot.
MISALIGNED SEAMS: Case incorrectly clamped / Poor registration of case/mould.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON WAXES
Most waxes have some form of reference information added to them before casting. This information is optional, and there is no reason for the artist to identify their artwork or it’s origins in any way if they do not wish to do this – provided there is no intention to deceive. Typical data inscribed into waxes includes artist identification, edition information, foundry information and dates. Some foundries engrave these details into the final metal cast instead of the wax, this is always so with sand casts, unless the information is already inscribed into the master pattern.
The form in which information on waxes and casts takes varies, however the following few pages offer a basic guide to what is generally accepted as usual.
EDITION NUMBERS >
|
