Hi, Im a newer member and I would love to be able to start casting but I know that I need some instruction / training in order to do that. Would anyone be available early December to help a girl out?! Thanks!
1 Like
Hi Ashley, welcome to DMS! Iām not sure if we have met before, my name is Joseph. Iām happy to help point you in the right direction. For casting, I assume you are referencing lost wax. For this process, DMS has centrifugal and vacuum capabilities depending on your projectās needs.
We have been working on creating online content for our centrifugal process that you can complete on Moodle if you are interested in being our test subject and first user. It is not an all-inclusive course and there have been some recent equipment upgrades that are not detailed in the content. However, it will be a good starting point for you to cast at DMS. If you havenāt already met Johnny @JBluJkt, you can find him in the jewelry studio area almost daily and I can PM my contact info if you would like to schedule a time to discuss in more detail.
5 Likes
Sorry to hijack - if youāre looking for guniea pigs for the Moodle course, I would be VERY VERY interested; Iāve been looking to get into lost wax casting as well.
Please add me as a test subject. I have been harassing @JBluJkt and Jewelry about doing some casting classes for over a year now. Itās been very frustrating. 
And @jnorine ā did you try clicking that link? I thought it sounded like it was ready to go, pretty muchā¦
Hi there! Yes I am referring to lost wax. I have training in it from college however its been a few years and Iām rusty as far as equipment operation (also new studio, slightly different machines etc. So I would love a refresher and just over all orientation on the process again. Johnny did PM me so I am going to work with him to get me started! I will definitely check out the link and I appreciate your help!
Thank you
1 Like
I did. Itās currently set up to either need an invite or approval. So, I assumed pre-approval was needed. 
To be fair - I am more than happy to patiently wait as well; but if test subjects are needed, I volunteer as tribute?
2 Likes
Iāve enrolled you and @jmeinel and @abmiller. For now letās go with those three test users and then after we update the equipment and incorporate feedback weāll open it up further. Please understand that this is not a committment of a studio casting class. This is just the pre-requisite.
Iād really like detailed feedback on the course. With your feedback, please give me a little information about how much background you bring to this so I can calibrate the feedback. A professional jewelry caster might have a different perspective than someone who has never been exposed at all.
I will also alert the three of you ā¦ there is one page on the quiz with a picture. Follow the instructions carefully for that page. Failing to follow the instructions precisely can cause a correct answer to be graded incorrectly because it canāt recognize your answer.
As for your frustration - casting classes are very arduous for the instructor(s). They require lengthy several-hour sessions on two consecutive days. And sadly, some of the participants show up ill-prepared so the other participants and the instructor suffer while those people catch up. Our objective is to bring all the participants up to the same level to make those classes more efficient.
And itās surprising the number of people who lose interest when they find out they canāt melt down their grandmotherās silverware and cast that.
For those who are curious ā¦ current state:
- jewelry-sized objects
- about 1 ounce or less
- new, unused jewelerās casting grain
- you provide your own metal
- bronZE, silver, gold, platinum
You must provide your own crucible if you cast silver, gold, or platinum.
There is a $5 consumables fee per investment flask to cover the cost of the investment āplasterā unless you bring your own.
7 Likes
In my 2 years here, Iāve only seen 1 actual casting class that Clark did. I couldnāt get into it, so I have harassed Clark every time I see him to offer another one. There still hasnāt been a class. 
I have no problem doing a pre-class and will definitely enroll in this one. Can we get someone to commit to actually offering a casting class for those who take this online prerequisite?
This Moodle course is fantastic! Once I get some experience under my belt I would love to offer classes for people who want to do this as well!
3 Likes
Eh, harassment isnāt actually appreciated, weāre all volunteers, and weāre still in a pandemic.
4 Likes
Thank you for setting this up.
1 Like
Would also like to be able to do this in the future.
1 Like
There are many components to learning how to cast. The multi-faceted process of jewelry casting includes modeling, molding, wax working, treeing, investment, burnout, casting, devesting, clean up, and finish out. The amount of instruction required to teach all these aspects really requires a team of people in a series of classes. Johnny and I have worked hard to offer several classes and recruit others to help us teach. In the past, we depended on 3D fab for a resin printer to produce our models. However, the ups and downs with the Form Labs proved to create some challenges. Not to mention our own equipment problems. As of today, our equipment obstacles have been resolved but teaching all the steps in a cohesive and efficient manner remains the challenge. Demos and project assistance are easy and usually can be done by request. However, teaching the entire how-to on each step and really teaching someone from the ground up isnāt as easy. I hope that by leveraging online pre-study course work the process can be streamlined to make things easier for the instructor and student.
My advice to anyone else wanting to learn jewelry casting is to first learn CAD modeling and resin printing or wax carving. Iām not sure all these things are currently taught at DMS (and not areas Iām necessarily a pro at myself), but it is the first step in the jewelry making/casting process. An alternative to this step would be silicon mold making and is how we did a few of the classes in the past. Both processes usually require their own class and a ton of patience for the trials and tribulations inherent with the design process. To my knowledge, all members that have come to the department prepared with completed models and appropriate materials to cast have all been enabled to complete their projects. If anyone ever has a particular project they need help with, I am happy to help.
I say all of this for the membership at large to know, jewelry casting resources are available at DMS. However, with the current COVID situation, a full-on series of classes for jewelry casting is not likely. If anyone has this knowledge to share and wants to help to teach, please reach out and or attend our monthly committee meeting that is held on the second Tuesday of every month. In the meantime, we will continue to work on deploying online content and helping members by request. Big thank you to Chris Marlow for putting together the Moodle content and helping us grow the value that the jewelry department brings to DMS.
9 Likes
Thank you for the details Joseph, this gives a clear understanding as to how much has to be learned to make a project. I think we have gotten use to make and take mode 1.5 to 3 hours class and wa-la I have a piece.
There is really a very small amount of people going to DMS available or want to teach due to C19 concerns. Hopefully C19 will be beat soon.
Yes thank you so much for all your effort and information! The module was a fantastic and informative refresher on casting. It is a ton of work but so rewarding
Hopefully C19 will chill out so we can start having classes again!
2 Likes
I actually disagree if there is only 1 teacher allowed to do sign-offs for a particular process and they never do classes. My issue is with sign-off classes, not classes in general. When that is the case, the chairs need to make sure that others learn to teach so that we donāt have that issue. Itās not just jewelry. Itās also an issue with the multicam and a few other areas.
Some areas (like ceramics) have gotten really good because there are numerous instructors that can teach the sign off items. Even jewelry was getting better (until the pandemic) and offered sign-off classes for almost everything except for the casting. Iām a member because I want to make things. I canāt make stuff if classes arenāt offered for tools that I need/want to use. 
Thank you to all volunteer members trying to develop and grow a small metals committee and make jewelry casting available available to interested members.
The process of casting jewelry size pieces is a long one with many parts. Each part has to be done specifically and properly to get good results- have your piece actually cast, and then there is the finishing of the cast object after that.
Online tutorials to educate and guide are excellent. Iām sure youtube has literally zillions, and the new online program discussed in this post sounds great!
But- and please note this is my opinion as both an educator and one who has cast her own work off and on for 30yrs- many skill sets are best learned with a teacher who can guide and correct while the student is attempting to learn the new skill.
Carving your wax, spruing, making your investment, and using the specialized equipment to actually cast, are all among the skills that must be done in a certain order and in a certain way, so the process is safe, the students can achieve decent results, and the integrity of the special tools and equipment is maintained (nothing broken etc).
I have found without exception that DMS members are the most giving and supportive folks ever! Always willing to help, share, educate! But the entire process of casting does require the commitment, by both student and teacher, of an extended class. Something that the jewelry committee may not be able to plan and provide right now.
My point is, that maybe we shouldnāt expect to get everything from DMS, or get everything for āfreeā from volunteer members. Some learning paradigms may be best gotten from a paid in-class setting first. Then one can continue the process of education and exploration on oneās own at DMS.
Brookhaven Community College (now Dallas College, Brookhaven Campus), has excellent small metals and jewelry casting classes. The Craft Guild Of Dallas has classes. And they have a wax carving and casting teacher named Cathy that I recommend very very highly. She has been a professional in her field all her adult life. The Creative Arts Center may have wax carving and casting classes.
All the above classes may be affected by Covid and may be limiting the amount of students they accept, or may be limiting the classes they are currently offering. Hopefully after Covid, or when Covid is far more reduced, their regular class scheduling will resume.
3 Likes