Wheaton Arts 2014 Aluminum Scratch Mold Workshop

Wheaton Arts Festival of Fine Craft

Aluminum Scratch Mold Workshop - Sea Robin Studio

1501 Glasstown Road, Millville, NJ 08332

This is an example of an aluminum casting workshop by Sea Robin Studio on October 4th and 5th, 2014. Sea Robin Studio has conducted a number of these workshops for festivals and schools. Participants made 6" hexagonal tiles by carving their own designs into sand molds (furnished). They got to see their tiles poured and taken out of the molds. Sea Robin Studio finished the tiles with a patina of the participant's choice and mailed them to participants, usually within about a week.

Colleen, Steve,
Rachel Colleen with
crucible

Colleen Larkin-Ayers, Steve Morse, and Rachel Wenner poured aluminum scratch molds for participants at the 2014 Wheaton Arts Festival of Fine Craft in Millville, NJ on October 4th and 5th. For a cost of $40 (16 years old or younger $30), participants made 6” aluminum tiles.

Unlike iron casting, which requires a crew, aluminum casting can be a small scale DIY operation with a homemade furnace running off a small propane tank like a gas grill uses. Steve has made made and used these furnaces, and used one at the festival.

Pictures below show participants, molds, and finished tiles from the 2014.

Proud mold carvers! This mold is reday to be painted with an alcohol/graphite mix to make it smooth. The alcohol is then burned off.

Here is the finished fire dancer. Here is a scallop. Rocket! A couple of fairy shrimp. Yoga
NJ! Fish