Casting Classes

Aluminum Casting

Instructor: Terry Griner

Come learn the basics of Sand casting. Being hands on and getting dirty…hands is a requirement for this class as participants will be casting small items supplied by the instructor that they will then get to take home.

The instructor will go over the basic parts of a two part mold and demonstrate the steps while making an oil sand based two part mold. Tools and terms will be discussed and attendees will learn about ‘draft’ and parting lines. After the demonstration, attendees will make their own molds. The instructor will light the foundry and the metal to be cast will be discussed. Once the metal is melted and the students molds are ready the instructor will pour into the molds and after cool down, the castings will be shaken out and cleaned up.

Safety around the foundry will be discussed and enforced.

Basic Pewter Casting Class

Instructor: Terry Griner

Come learn the basics of carving a mold and casting metal in it! Getting your hands dirty in this class is a requirement as attendees will be carving small items in plaster blanks supplied by the instructor to create castings they get to take home.

Attendees will get to learn the basics of mold carving. The instructor will go over the basic parts of a carved mold and demonstrate the steps to make one. Tools and terms will be discussed and students will learn about ‘draft’ and parting lines. After the demonstration, attendees will get to make their own molds. Basic carving tools will be provided.

Safety around the foundry will be discussed and enforced. The instructor will light the foundry and the attributes of the metal to be cast will be discussed.

Once the metal is melted and the molds are ready the instructor will pour the metal into the molds. After cooling down, the castings will be shaken out and cleaned up.

Basic Bronze Casting Class

Come learn the basic techniques of Sand casting. A desire to be hands on and get dirty is a requirement.

Bronze is an alloy of copper with tin as the main additive with other elements such as Phosphorus, Manganese, Aluminum, or Silicon added which makes Bronze hard and brittle. This alloy was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal. Historical “bronzes” are highly variable in composition, as most metalworkers used whatever scrap was to hand.

Attendees will be casting small items supplied by the instructor, and learn the basics of making a two-part sand mold. The instructor will go over the basic terms and components of an oil sand based two-part mold and demonstrate the steps in making a cast part via this technique. After which participants will make their own molds and leave with their self-made souvenirs.

Safety around the foundry will be discussed and enforced.  Please wear closed toed shoes and long pants and sleeves of all natural fibers.

Advanced Bronze Casting Class

Come learn the more advanced techniques of Sand casting. Get hands on experience and dirty hands!

Bronze is an alloy of copper with tin as the main additive. Sometimes other elements such as Phosphorus, Manganese, Aluminum, or Silicon are added. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal. Historical “bronzes” are highly variable in composition, as most metalworkers probably used whatever scrap was to hand.

I cast a ‘clean’ alloy called Silicon Bronze.

We will be working on two part molds, picking where parting lines should be, and casting small items supplied by the instructor or brought by the students, and you will get to take something home with you!

Students will get more advanced techniques of making a multi-part sand mould. Tools and terms will be discussed. Students will learn about ‘draft’ and parting lines. I will go over the ideas of multi-part sand moulds and demonstrate the ‘bedding in’ of objects to make a full 3D two part mould. After that students will get to make their own moulds. Safety around the foundry will be discussed and enforced. I will light the foundry and the metal to be cast will be discussed.

Once the metal is melted and the students moulds are ready I will pour into the moulds and after cool down, the castings will be shaken out and cleaned up.

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