Search the Community

Dear Hivemind, Please could those who know what they're doing have a look at this casting tree? I am going to be making 5 of these and casting them all in bronze via ceramic shell and gravity casting (Just pouring the stuff in and letting it fill the mould via gravity). I would just like to ask if anyone can see any glaring errors I've made before I waste a week's work and pour them! Thank you for any advice! James

Hello. I'm interested in historical metallurgy, and I have a question about differing types of bronzes, specifically copper/tin and copper/arsenic. I cannot seem to find any information about producing harder flavors of bronze (preferably without resorting to zinc/brass). Anyone know specific copper/tin or copper/arsenic alloys that could be used to make tools to work cast bronze (90/10 or 88/12)? -Jeff

Dear Hivemind, I am soon to be casting a set of bronze pommels and crossguards. I am going to be using ceramic shell and lost wax to do this hopefully. As it happens I have a basic idea of what I need but as I have never made a refractory slurry before I don't know exactly what I need and in what ratios. I have been looking at sourcing raw materials and this is what I think from exhaustive googling that I might go for: https://www.artisanfoundry.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=281 And https://www.artisanfoundry.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=142 My question to the omniscient lot of you is... do I just mix these two together and bam, I have a refractory slurry, then each dip add fine sand, allow to dry, then repeat? Are these not ideal for small bronze castings? Is there something easier/cheaper/better? Thank you for any advice you can give! James

Just saw this bronze dagger from Ancient Egypt, Middle Kingdom period. Probably +/- 3000 years old.

I have been working on a project that is without doubt my best work thus far (no spoilers yet!) but ran into a snag with casting the fittings. I already carved the wax, made a silicon mold of it and a few copies. That all went fine, and actually came out better than expected. However, after setting it in investment, the bronze well, failed miserably. I had a small sprue vent to help the air escape, and that filled about half way before a void the size of the thing I was casting formed between it and the top of the flask. Is this because the bronze was too cold? Or the mold not preheated enough? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully, I'll be able to give it another go this afternoon. Thanks John (Large cone part was the top of the mold, thin wiry thing the vent, and the bit on the end of it being the bottom part of what I was trying to cast)

I've done a long overdue update of one of my websites to display my bronze age, iron age, early medieval, viking period and history inspired contemporary creations: http://1501bc.com/metalworking/ I hope to at some point further professionalise my site, and make a combination with my older work (http://1501bc.com/nf_main_eng.html ), which will be more personal then just a display of work. But I have to get my head around to figure how yet.

This weekend I did the first castings at my home foundry sinds I moved last year. I'd build a furnace a year ago, but hadn't gotten around to using that one yet. But I wanted to make a few products to sell (though fine with keeping them too )The results are an early khopesh (Egyptian sickle sword), winged axe (Dutch), duckbill battleaxe (Levant), and an early copper age axe-adze (Bulgaria). For the latter I'd molten 2kg pure copper, which is more then I've done before with this set up. My furnace in operation. Not easy bellowing and taking photos at the same time

This is a reproduction of a so-called duckbill axe. It's a style battle-axe that was common in the bronze age of Levant (Israël and surroundings). It's 12cm long, and weighs 400grams. The composition is around 12% tin, and a little bit of lead, and the rest copper. The edge is hammerhardened.The price is 125 euro OBO. Hafting possible, but that's extra:)

This is a recent commision which has consumed my life for the last 9 months or so. It is forged out of 3/8" x 1 & 1/2" W2 bar purchased from Aldo Bruno, the NJ Steel Baron. The customer took a very active roll in the birth of this sword and had a hand in every step of the process. This would not work with everyone but, this time, it worked out beautifully and he has a true appreciation of all the hard work and artistry involved. Currently, the client is polishing the sword and it is between 900 and 1200 grits. I supplied it to him at a 600 grit finish. The owner of this sword (and his college age son) have been doing extensive cutting and he intends to use it during a cutting event sponsored by a local Aikido Dojo. I am eagerly looking forward to the event. STATS: W2 Steel 25" blade (right at the length of the largest historical example) 2 & 1/8" wide at widest point, just under 2" at narrowest point (1/8" wider than historical examples) 8" handle (from front of guard to end of rivet) Weight is just under 2 pounds (I added weight, in the form of lead shot, in the handle to balance the blade) Handle is constructed from Padauk wood, Cow bone, Bronze sheet, Steel rivet block, Lead Shot, and Epoxy Blade features a raised rib down the center, which is much wider than historical examples, with a re-inforced tip ~Bruce~