Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Electro-Forming- Technique

Iv tried casting, I'v tried making by hand and now I am on a new discovery of trying electro-forming! Just like electro-plating where you take a conductive object and you plate it with another metal using anodes and cathodes and positives and negatives ..... (I did not do science!!) But this is the tricky part, I am taking an organic object that has nothing conductive in it and i am copper plating it so it is actually being formed into metal by creating a metal cover over its outside, and what happens to the inside I donot know but am going to find out along the way!

A very lovely lady Kirsten has been extremely helpful by starting me off and teaching me a few things (alot of things) and even letting me use her electro bath and chemicals to help me start off my electro forming flowers. Her dad and her have a "Baby shoe" bronzing business and they have been sooo kind and helpful.

I have come across many challenges already and have not even properly started yet. It has been the most challenging process I have tried for my research so far just in terms of finding out scientific "stuff", having the guts to phone people I don't know and to ask questions and use equipment that is owned by someone else and then also trying to source products that come in kilograms when I need less than one thenth of that, but I was so greatful to find people that were so willing to help me.

So the next at least month is going to be some extensive testing and documenting to try and explore electro forming as much as I can. at the moment my only set back is that I need to get Plascon thinners and they only sell it in 10 leters and I need a cup of it! :)

today my challenge is to find out the ratio of copper sulphate to acid to water for a 1l beaker and not a 95 l bath. I have to do the math!! and I need to get that thinners!! And to start my first batch of electro plating at home!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

This is what happens when the electric roller is hungry

Please be careful kids. Don't try this at home!
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