Cuttlebone Casting
 

Okay, so first I went to my local Pet Smart, where I found a six-inch
cuttlebone in the bird aisle. I paid two dollars for it. After that,
I went to Michael's, where I bought a razor blade knife, and some
double-sided tape. Finally, I went to the Home Depot, where I got a
stone tile, and some sandpaper. The stone is twelve-inches by twelve-
inches by just shy of one-half of an inch, and It is made out of
natural marble. I paid five dollars for it.

I used the double-sided tape to fasten the sandpaper to the stone, and
then I rubbed the cuttlebone on the sandpaper. After this, I used the
knife to carve the image of an arrowhead into the bone.

Well, that's about it so far. I still haven't made the pour yet, but
I thought I would go ahead and post this anyway. Has anyone here ever
done any cuttlebone casting before?

Mike Mandaville
Austin, Texas

Cuttlebone Casting
 

On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:06:45 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry Muso
wrote:

Okay, so first I went to my local Pet Smart, where I found a six-inch
cuttlebone in the bird aisle. I paid two dollars for it. After that,
I went to Michael's, where I bought a razor blade knife, and some
double-sided tape. Finally, I went to the Home Depot, where I got a
stone tile, and some sandpaper. The stone is twelve-inches by twelve-
inches by just shy of one-half of an inch, and It is made out of
natural marble. I paid five dollars for it.

I used the double-sided tape to fasten the sandpaper to the stone, and
then I rubbed the cuttlebone on the sandpaper. After this, I used the
knife to carve the image of an arrowhead into the bone.

Well, that's about it so far. I still haven't made the pour yet, but
I thought I would go ahead and post this anyway. Has anyone here ever
done any cuttlebone casting before?

Mike Mandaville
Austin, Texas

Sure. But a little differently than you're describing. I normally used either
a flat charcoal block to face the second side of the mold, or another smoothed
cuttlebone. These materials don't chill molten metal so much, so the mold has a
better chance of filling evenly. Whether that's an issue depends in part on
what metal you're casting. My experience is with sterling silver into
cuttlebone molds. Lower melting metals might not be as picky, and might work
better. Don't know, as I've not done it. Also, I didn't carve the desired
image into the cuttlebone. Instead, I carved it as a postive, in a piece of
wood or wax or whatever. Then placed it between the two cuttlebones and pushed
them together. The stuff is soft, and the model presses into it, leaving a
reasonably accurate impression. I always felt this also gave a smoother mold
surface, since it crushes the cuttlebone, compressing the mold surface. a sprue
and vents still need to be cut with a knife. If using only one cuttle and the
charcoal, you just press your model into the one side of the cuttlebone, and the
other side, next to the carcoal block, (a standard jewelers soldering block),
casts flat. Either way, the two sides of the mold are bound together with iron
binding wire.

The mold is generally good for only one pour, at least with silver, since the
cuttle burns quite a bit, and the mold surface is seriously degraded. In the
process, as well, the casting takes on a quite distinctive texture from the
cuttlefish, which resembles a sort of coarse wood grain pattern as the
cuttlefish burns unevenly according to the "grain" in it's structure. That
texture is one of the hallmarks of the method, and many people who use it do so
just because they like that added texture the method imparts. If a smoother
cast surface is desired, sand casting or lost wax casting is far superior. I
don't know to what extent a low melting metal like the zinc you were discussing
earlier, would behave the same. I'd expect much the same, but a less pronounced
texture, and possibly being able to get more than just one pour from a mold,
though I don't know that, just a guess.

Hope that helps.

Peter

Cuttlebone Casting
 

Muso wrote:
Okay, so first I went to my local Pet Smart, where I found a six-inch
cuttlebone in the bird aisle. I paid two dollars for it. After that,
I went to Michael's, where I bought a razor blade knife, and some
double-sided tape. Finally, I went to the Home Depot, where I got a
stone tile, and some sandpaper. The stone is twelve-inches by twelve-
inches by just shy of one-half of an inch, and It is made out of
natural marble. I paid five dollars for it.

I used the double-sided tape to fasten the sandpaper to the stone, and
then I rubbed the cuttlebone on the sandpaper. After this, I used the
knife to carve the image of an arrowhead into the bone.

Well, that's about it so far. I still haven't made the pour yet, but
I thought I would go ahead and post this anyway. Has anyone here ever
done any cuttlebone casting before?

Mike Mandaville
Austin, Texas

If I read you right, your going to use this piece of cuttle bone as an
open mould.
good way to start.
you didnt say what metal you plan to melt.
i suggest you again start at the bottom of the casting trade and use
some lead.
Then I suggest you repeat the design using 2 pieces of cuttle bone , ie
making a closed mould with a pouring gate and air vents for the blind
mould areas.
you could make the mould withthe arrowpointing downwards or the other
way up.
what ever takes your fancy.
Each step you take will be a learning step for you.
have a go and come back with your results. weel will look at anything
you make wether good or bad.
good luck in your first steps.
Ted

Cuttlebone Casting
 

Muso wrote:
Okay, so first I went to my local Pet Smart, where I found a six-inch
cuttlebone in the bird aisle. I paid two dollars for it. After that,
I went to Michael's, where I bought a razor blade knife, and some
double-sided tape. Finally, I went to the Home Depot, where I got a
stone tile, and some sandpaper. The stone is twelve-inches by twelve-
inches by just shy of one-half of an inch, and It is made out of
natural marble. I paid five dollars for it.

I used the double-sided tape to fasten the sandpaper to the stone, and
then I rubbed the cuttlebone on the sandpaper. After this, I used the
knife to carve the image of an arrowhead into the bone.

Well, that's about it so far. I still haven't made the pour yet, but
I thought I would go ahead and post this anyway. Has anyone here ever
done any cuttlebone casting before?

Mike Mandaville
Austin, Texas

My wife and several other folks we know have done it. (I assisted) They
did direct carving on one side. I think the pieces came out well. 'Tufa'
(?) stone casting might be intermediate between cuttlefish bone and
sand/investment casting. i think those molds can be used a few times.

There may be some videos on-line of the process too.
Have you melted sterling before? I suppose you have a crucible and flux
etc.? You might prep a coffee can or plant pot with some vermiculite or
sand to help hold the mold securely upright too.
Any way, being a natural substance, expect some stink from the mold.
Might be advisable to avoid inhaling either the dust when sanding the
pieces flat as well as the smoke when pouring.

Carl