Wild Horses, DickSteele, and anyone interested.- Tuffa Casting

A previous poster asked me about tuffa casting. Tuffa casting is a classic Native American method of casting silver.
Tuffa is a volcanic stone soft enough to carve designs into, then backed with a flat piece. A channel is carved into both to allow silver to flow to the pattern. You will notice the vents also carved to let the air excape and the void filled with silver.

The mold clamped shut (rough finish piece on top).



The piece after pouring sliver, and the halves of the mold separated.



A close up of the rough casting and the carved side of the mold.



I will try to finish this piece tonight if I can. Tomorrow I leave on a long vacation.
Thanks for looking.

I love the symbol you carved into the stone. I wonder if there is some kind of inexpensive substitute for the silver that I could use to incorporate this into an art lesson? Melted wax, maybe? I'm always looking for new lessons, and this is something I knew nothing about. I'll have to research it more. Thank you for the inspiration!!!

:hi:

There is non-toxic fume casting brass available. I don't think wax has the specific gravity to push it's self through the mold.
What is the age group you teach? Are torches and crucibles ok in your classroom?

BTW www.ijsinc.com has tuffa stone and brass casting grain available. I don't use it after finding a source of very high-grade tuffa from another Native Artist. The tuffa from Indian Jewelry Supply costs $1.00 per pound. The shipping is more then the stone. Good luck let me know if it works for you

ones who asked you....)

I have a question for you when you get back from vacation... when will you be back on DU? Thank you for posting this!

And I will post picture threads ad infinitum.

i will bookmark it for dicksteele and my partner :hi:

I'm always fascinated by how things are made, and when things are done in a classic or traditional way, it's even better.

Beautiful piece, btw, as is the pendant you gave CalPeggy.

The pattern/figure is a Mountain Spirit from a 18th century lithograph of a Chiricahua Apache (I'm Chiricahuan) medicine skin.

You could be making millions (okay, thousands?) I want to see your jewelry.

I handed him my off the shelf sitebuilder software and some pictures. The process of becoming a cyber-store has started.

I'll be buyin'

It looks like a very fulfilling hobby to have; i always wonder how things like this are done. Have a great vacation! :hi:

Silversmithing Traditional is now what I do.

I get it, sorry I didn't put two and two together, I've seen your pics from shows and I should have guessed it was more of a vocation. :hug:

As a new profession. It incorporates a profound idea, to walk in beauty. The result of my labors are focused on producing a piece that will "sing" to someone. To use what remains of my people, in order for their story to be told in a good way. Finally to be able to provide for my family while I walk in beauty.

I will have concrete confirmation of this goal as I walk this path. My hands will be able to express what my heart sees. Once this occurs I will be in harmony with the inner, and outter me. Ounce I have found harmony with me, I can seek it with others via smoothly interacting with other, and if they see my vision like what I say with my hands I have synced with the people that surround me.

What more could a human ask for?

I think it's great that you are able to support yourself in an artform. I love the silver snake jewelry that I have, my favorite is a diamond cut one, so I can't wait to see your online store. I find that I am moving more toward at least manual labor the older I get rather than trying to fit myself into an office/whatever environment like that, because at least an honest uncomplicated part of me is producing the labor. Your post has an almost lyrical quality about it and I really enjoyed reading it. :hug:

Casting is one of the few crafts I have not tried yet!

I actually have a class already paid for at an art foundry
downtown, but I can't decide on a "first project".
I've got so many ideas, I haven't been able to settle on just one.

Is the tufa mold a "one time use", or can you make duplicates?

Wide at the base and narrow at the top you might get two or I've heard up to three casting per mold carved. I've never gotten more then one. Native Americans will sometimes take a tuffa rough casting and use it as a sandcasting mold to produce multi copies.

How many castings can you get from the mold?
I am a moldmaker by trade but the materials i use are totally different.Silicone, fiberglass, polyurethane etc,,
It is neat to see different types of molds and casting

The tuffa is so soft the sides of the designs break the tuffa as you lift out the casting. I've heard three is the max casting per mold.