Machines in the Making

Spring is sprung and I have been busy...

After a fair amount of research I bit the bullet and bought a brand new motor and an inverter to make my own spin caster with. Now they are with an engineer friend who is making the adaptations I need. 

You might ask why I didn't just go and buy the machine ready-made… The reason is that I don't think you can! All the spin casters I have seen are either really small, for dentists, jewellers and war-gamers, and are designed to cast molten metal at high speeds, or they are much larger and more complex than I need, and cost thousands of pounds. (That was my experience anyway. I'm not sure if I want anyone to tell me anything to the contrary...) 

Above is the motor. Below is the inverter, which will control the speed and direction the motor shaft turns in and tell you the revolutions per minute that it's doing. My friend is mounting the motor with the shaft pointing upwards. On top of the shaft will be a fitting to hold on the aluminium disc onto which will be bolted the circular two-part mold, made in a spring-form cake tin.  That's the plan, anyway!

And I have bought a vacuum chamber (for taking air bubbes out of the resin). 

And I have bought some exceedingly expensive silicon rubber, some resin and some sulfur-free clay for the mold-making. I can't afford to get this wrong too often, not at the amount the rubber and resin cost! It's all taking for ever, but I am really looking forward to having a go at making the Twelvemo Figures myself, again, finally, at last….

Other News?

I am joining in a One-Day Only Pop-Up Shop at the Birdcage Pub in Pottergate (Norwich, UK) Saturday 5th April, with some bits and pieces of stuff… 

Bony bits of jewellery and  other interesting items including the most delicious-looking SKELLIE FRIDGE MAGNETS (Like boiled sweets!)

Some things have NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE and others are at REDUCED PRICES, so if there were some things you fancied but couldn't afford back in November you might be able to manage it this time.

And Finally...

Nah… There isn't anything else to add at present, so I'll bid you goodbye for now!