whats the best way to get from paper to wax mold?

On , in ¸õ "bob" wrote:

I have a couple of "logos" that I have designed and printed. I need to
have a wax pattern or rubber mold made from these designs so I can make
some pendants, keychains and stuff from them. Where can I go to get
something like this done? Ive done some web searches but the "mold
makers" Ive found all seem to make only "industrial" kinds of molds.
Im just not good enough at wax carving to make these myself and its not
a high volume project so I cant spend a fortune just for a couple of
molds.

thanks for any suggestions


One way is to find a graphic arts place (print shop, essentially) that still
does zinc etch plates for printing. In the old days, everything was printed
from such stuff, or linitype, etc, and it's still possible to find some shops
that still produce the etched plates for specialty printing purposes. You send
your paper printouts (high contrast, please) to the print shop, and get back low
releif eched zinc or magnesium sheet metal pieces with your design etchedinto
it. It's important to decide, and tell the print shop, whether you wish your
black printed design to be the top raised (printing) surface of the plate, or
whether that's the part to etch away, as well as whether you wish the design
flipped to a mirror image (the norm for printing), or to "read right on the
metal", so the image you see on the metal is not backwards... (this is normally
how to do it for jewelry use.) The etched plate can be trimmed to size and
shape around the design just as you'd want your final item to be, and then it
can be rubber molded the same as any jewelry model, and from there, lost wax
casting takes over. The only real trick to this is finding the graphic arts
shop that can do this. I seem to recall, at least fifteen years ago, using a
firm I had to mail stuff to, called Owasso graphics. But at this point Idon't
remember where they were. Might have been Michigan, where I lived at thetime,
or could be anywhere in the country. Sorry I can't be more precise. ButI know
they're not the only ones doing this. Beating the bushes with your localprint
shops find find such a place, or perhaps a reference to one you could use. When
you talk to the shop, also ask about whether they can give you a deeper etch
than usual, with as steep a sided etch as possible. The standard etch is
sometimes not very deep, and the slope from the top printing surface to the
recessed background can be somewhat shallower than one might like. But overall,
this method works just fine.

An alternative, slightly less precise, is to have a rubber stamp made of your
design. Specifications are the same as above, in terms of having the design NOT
reversed, since you want it to look right when looking at the stamp surface, not
when you look at the stamped mark. Ask them if they can, NOT to mount the stamp
on a backing and handle. If they can do that, then what you get is a vulcanized
(or cured resin) rubber stamp in the form of a sheet, about 1/8 inch thick, or
rubber with one side having your design. This, like the etched metal plate, can
be trimmed to desired final shape, but it does not get directly rubber molded.
(well, some stamp materials might be compatible with some mold rubbers, but it's
tricky. test with a scrap of the stamp rubber first to make sure the mold both
cures correctly, and does not adhere to the stamp rubber.) Normally, I've
simply sprued up the stamp rubber piece, invested and burned it out, and cast
it. Then after cleaning up the casting, I mold the piece for final production
runs. The rubber stamp method is less precise because of that extra casting
step, but offers the advantage that the rubber can be easily curved, as well as
adhered to a carved wax model and the two burned out and cast together, if one
wishes.

And finally, the modern way. These days, taking a printed design and converting
it to a low relief castable wax model is childs play for many of the small bench
top CAD/CAM milling machines. There are a number of them on the market, and an
ever increasing number of jewelers who use such, as well as specialized service
bureaus that do nothing much else than take Customers digital art and turn it
into models ready to cast, or with some methods, ready to use as is. If you
find such a bureau, you could email them a simple high contrast scan of your
designs, and get back the models ready to mold as is, or cast and mold, or just
cast. This option may cost you slightly more than the other two options, but
chances are it will give you the most precise and clean results. I'll bethere
are some readers of this group who can tell you who to deal with for this. If
not, ask this on Orchid, and you'll get a bunch of replies.

Peter Rowe

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 01:56:04 GMT, "Peter W.. Rowe,"
wrote:


I seem to recall, at least fifteen years ago, using a
firm I had to mail stuff to, called Owasso graphics. But at this point I don't
remember where they were. Might have been Michigan, where I lived at the time,
or could be anywhere in the country. Sorry I can't be more precise.

Peter, Owosso Graphic Arts is still alive and well in mid-Michigan.
Just FYI...


Blessed be, for sure...

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:05:47 -0700, in Jim
wrote:

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 01:56:04 GMT, "Peter W.. Rowe,"
wrote:


I seem to recall, at least fifteen years ago, using a
firm I had to mail stuff to, called Owasso graphics. But at this point I don't
remember where they were. Might have been Michigan, where I lived at the time,
or could be anywhere in the country. Sorry I can't be more precise.

Peter, Owosso Graphic Arts is still alive and well in mid-Michigan.
Just FYI...



Thanks, Jim,

I don't suppose you'd happen to have their contact info handy do you? I could
put it back in my files in case it were ever needed...

Don't bother hunting much if it isn't quickly and easily in front of you.Not
that big an issue, just might come in handy some day.

Cheers

Peter

I found Ososso at www.owossographic.com but they dont have any contact
information or anything other than just a spash page about who they
are. But I found an address and phone number. I dont know if its
correct, I havnt had a chance to call them yet.
151 N. Delaney Rd. Owosso, MI 48867, (800)444-5552

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 08:13:47 -0700, in @õ "bob" wrote:

I found Ososso at www.owossographic.com but they dont have any contact
information or anything other than just a spash page about who they
are. But I found an address and phone number. I dont know if its
correct, I havnt had a chance to call them yet.
151 N. Delaney Rd. Owosso, MI 48867, (800)444-5552


Thanks.

Their web site does seem to have lots of info and sufficient contact info,
including order forms, etc. I got a good deal more than a splash page when I
clicked your link. Try it again, perhaps?

Also, I note that they offer a free first die to new customers. Perfect for
someone who's not used them before and wants to try this as a cheap meansof
making a model. From the looks of their page, they've come a long way
technically, since I last was involved with them. Looks like a viable
alternative for simple dies for charms, over CAD/CAM milled ones, especially
when one wants simply a dual level low relief, with a nice top surface design
and a depressed background, such as the charms often then filled in with enamel,
or the like. Maybe more, too.

Anyway, thanks for the link.

Peter

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 03:08:44 GMT, "Peter W.. Rowe,"
wrote:



Thanks, Jim,

I don't suppose you'd happen to have their contact info handy do you? Icould
put it back in my files in case it were ever needed...

Not handy - I just googled them. I see Bob already has sent you the
info.

Blessed be, for sure...

You might want to google "pattern resin". Liquid resin
allows for various thickness and pierced designs
on items like pendants and rings. The material can
be burned for investment casting or used as a
master for rubber molds.

Just make a negative on a transparency on your
laser printer or copier and expose to blacklight. It
washes out in cold tap water.

There is a website that shows several projects, including
casting with this material, but since it also points to
my website where we sell stuff, I won't list it without
approval from Peter.

On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 18:23:15 -0700, in "Metalguy" wrote:


There is a website that shows several projects, including
casting with this material, but since it also points to
my website where we sell stuff, I won't list it without
approval from Peter.


The group charter does not allow commercial advertising. But that doesn't mean
it denys the fact that many or most of use make our living selling things. And
a valid useful reply to an on-topic interesting question is also not considered
advertising. The only real exceptions to that are folks who post "dummy"
questions just so they can come back and point to their own sites as the sources
for answers. These are typically rather obvious, and usually amount to someone
posting "where can I buy XYZ", and then the same person or a colleague orthe
like comes right back and points to the OP's site. Obviously, you're not doing
that. And you say the reference you've got is linked to your site. Well,
that's not quite the same as just sending folks to your home page either.Lots
of useful sites, including non commercial sites like Ganoksin, may have links to
sales venues. Just having things for sale doesn't make a site reference an
automatic ad. It's the intent to advertise rather than participate in a group
discussion that's the real point.

Please, we'd love to see your examples.

Peter

There is a website that shows several projects, including
casting with this material, but since it also points to
my website where we sell stuff, I won't list it without
approval from Peter.

snip posting info.

Please, we'd love to see your examples.

Peter
________________________________________________


http://www.granthams.com/Projects/ has a couple of projects
that may interest you. Just click on the photos for each
project folder. Pattern resin for pierced design and the
Whirly Cast folder also shows pattern resin used as
a pattern for an RTV rubber spin casting mold.