Thread: Casting Scales from Silver Gold Brass etc.

RE: fly-presses - when I was a boy I used to work one in a 'light engineering' factory called the Salisbury Forge. It was one of my first jobs, and I operated this huge press, about 4 feet high with a cross-piece to which cannon-ball weights had been added for extra 'umph' - in between running errands, making the tea for everyone and rolling cigarettes for those who were on 'piece-rate' and didn't want to lose any time.

When I first started, they told me a man would be coming to see how fast I could go. I didn't want to look bad, so when he turned up with his clipbook and stopwatch I went at the press like the clappers.

He had an odd, bemused/amused expression on his face. He asked me if I usually went that fast, so I said no - this was a special occasion. He must have taken pity on me and knew I had been set up by the old lags, because he halved my rate and told me that's how many I would have to do per hour. Even then it took some doing. Riots due to lack of tea-making and cig-rolling soon ensued.

Regards,
Neil

I once read about a goldsmith being accused for murder, he had two helpers working for him and they where "running the fly wheel", while he was managing the tooling.
One of the boys got caught on a hook on the wall and when the ball came behind him he was crushed!
They said the goldsmith had a to small a workshop for that press.

In Stockholm they have a 1700 era goldsmiths shop with one of those, it's quite fun to operate but you have to be ready to duck when it hits the bottom, they come swinging back really fast!

Joseph Rodgers with solid silver scales, spotted on fleabay not too long ago.

Really gorgeous imo and I thought they'd fetch more than they did.

Casting scales has been on my "to do" list for quite some time now.

The only problem has been my being too lazy to get the other thing on my list done
that being "bring the price of silver down to 15 bucks an oz"

Originally Posted by Magpie

Casting scales has been on my "to do" list for quite some time now.

The only problem has been my being too lazy to get the other thing on my list done
that being "bring the price of silver down to 15 bucks an oz"

If you figure your time and equipment $29 USD per ounce isn't expensive.

I once found a gold class ring dumpster diving! I decided to make another ring from it. I made the top of the mold to thin and was using a vertical centrifugal casting machine. It was hot in my dungeon of a basement and I had no shirt on. When I spun it the bottom of the mold blew out and the gold went to the ceiling and down to my back then into the crack of my rear. I don't know if I still have a scar there because I can't bend that far. My wife was watching and about fell off the stairs laughing at my dance. I am glad the gold was free! (I still saved about 1/2 of it.)

I did some more I lightened I lightened up the scales quite a bit. I am by no means an artist, but I thought I might as well put some detail into it to see what it would look like finished. I haven't been able to cast the scales, but it's just a matter of finding the time. I'll post some pictures with progress when I can.

Bump.

How did the cast go?

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Riots due to lack of tea-making and cig-rolling soon ensued.

Regards,
Neil

Ahhh, young Neil Miller! Rolling tea boy! A picture comes to mind!