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View Full Version : Colloidal silica for ceramic shell casting - who supplies it?



Gunnaduit
25th Sep 2018, 11:35 PM
Has anyone found a source, in Australia, of colloidal silica, as used for ceramic shell investment casting?

If no luck here I'll see if I can wheedle that info out of one of the art bronze foundries - it seems that this is their favourite casting technique.

BTW if anyone is curious, I found an older book (1980) that has a good detailed how-to process description for this technique in a back shed or college situation - "Methods for Modern Sculptors" by R.D. Young and R.A. Fennell. See Trove.nla.gov.au for library holdings.

clear out
26th Sep 2018, 07:37 AM
Barnes pattern supplies up here in Sydney used to supply stuff for Shaw process casting system.
On Kevin’s passing his daughter has gone more into stuff for the film etc industry but they might be worth a call.
A bloke I know up Bathurst was using this for sculptural stuff, I’m not at all conversant with the process personally.
H.

Gunnaduit
26th Sep 2018, 08:40 AM
I found Barnes on the net, Moulding, casting & sculpting supplier in Aus & NZ - Barnes Products (http://www.barnes.com.au). They have all their products online. Very good, exhaustive even, for silicon mould-making supplies. Unfortunately nothing there that is used for ceramic shell casting.

I've sent emails to a couple of the Sydney art-bronze casting outfits, asking for their source. We'll see if either one replies.

Gunnaduit
26th Sep 2018, 09:47 AM
So one of the art foundries did reply, saying that they buy it from Foseco in Padstow.

I called Foseco in Padstow, (the call was transferred to Foseco in Dandenong Vic so it's the same story for either branch) and they do sell it, but only by the 150kg drum (it's a slurry). Price is $11.05/kg, ex-gst, so drum is $1823 inc gst. The other thing is that they state the shelf life is 12 months.

Unless any new info comes to light, the non-availability of smaller amounts, and the limited shelf-life preventing stockpiling or ebaying the excess, seems to kill the possibility of backyard ceramic shell casting in Australia. As the well-known US idiot Donald Trump would say, SAD!

clear out
26th Sep 2018, 05:46 PM
Google ‘Shaw process’.
They are in Mortdale.
They have a web site which may or not be helpful.
H.

Gunnaduit
26th Sep 2018, 07:02 PM
Thanks, I had a look at their website - that's pretty much the nirvana of industrial ceramic shell casting (or are they doing ceramic mold casting, i.e. literally using the shaw process, so not just their business name. I can't tell).

I suppose with these commercial investment casting foundries, whether industrial or art, it might be possible to buy a few kg of their bulk supply of colloidal silica. I've emailed that question to one of them. Maybe they'll answer, or not.

bt 66
10th Apr 2019, 09:37 PM
i buy colodial slica and zircon flour from Castmetal services. And also the stucco .
The colodial i buy comes in a 20 litre Bucket