Glass sand casting

While moving into my post Katrina, CERF sponsored "FEMA Studio", I found these old photos while unpacking... Here is how sand casting works: Use two or more sizes of olivine sand (differing "grain" sizes make for smoother castings), mix it with 7% to 10% of betinite clay body. This helps to hold the sand together. Slightly dampen, and run it through screens, as to sift it like cake flour. Make impressions in the sand, and spray it with a mixture of sugar and water (molasses works great). Use an acetylene torch to burn the sugar/water, and to add a layer of black carbon to the sand surface. This barrier will prevent the glass from sticking. Ladle in molten glass at 2300F. Poke vent holes under and around the poured casting, and use torches to evenly cool the glass. When the glass reaches 1150F, load it into an annealing oven to cool. Use Libinsky's annealing chart to cool to room temp. This chart can be found the Bible of Studio Glass; Henry Halem's book "Glass Notes".
Andrew Brott
4/18/06