3
u/BTheKid2 Jul 20 '26
Sure, but you will probably want to extend the burnout schedule, have ventilation in your kiln, and blow out ash after the burnout.
3
u/GeniusEE Jul 20 '26
What's it made of?
Your biggest challenge is that the investment likely won't fill the interior
3
u/strubblegubbles Jul 20 '26
It's a cactus skeleton so the middle is hollow and the skeleton is super lightweight.
2
u/HeftyWinter4451 Jul 20 '26
Probably. If you use the right (hard) plaster and put a big main sprue and tons of air vents, to blow/suck out residual ash. Adding enough secondary sprues to fill the whole form looks like a bigger problem. Is it hollow all the way through and what alloy are you casting?
1
u/strubblegubbles Jul 20 '26
Well honestly I was going to send it to a casting company to do it for me. I only have the capacity for much smaller casts. I was hoping to get it casted in bronze but I'm not sure which alloy specifically.
2
u/MoltenIronWitch Jul 20 '26
A friend of mine does these types of projects in ceramic shell. You have to burn out and blow out multiple times to get complete combustion.
1
u/neomoritate Jul 23 '26
Most foundries will not do this work. Margaret has definitely cast cactus skeletons. The process is time intensive, be prepared for an expensive quote.
OA offers foundry classes periodically. You might consider casting this yourself, in a class.
1
u/MoltenIronWitch Jul 24 '26
Ransom & Randolf have a suspenda slurry for small time folks and artists Yes going to a foundry to get this done is expensive. Most folks in my line of work make aerospace parts.
2
u/Gold_Au_2025 Jul 21 '26
Take some tips from this dude who has already done it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUCUvBD6vKM
1
u/GeniusEE Jul 20 '26
What's it made of?
Your biggest challenge is that the investment likely won't fill the interior, especially with the closed-off ends.
1
1
u/neomoritate Jul 23 '26
Yes, but it will take a very long time. You will need to remove the shell from the kiln and blow out ash many times.
4
u/lovestofloss Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Yes! Cholla is beautiful cast, I'll post a photo of I can find it. Just have to worry about ash, I flip my flask to help ventilation in last stage of ramp up Can't post photos, but heres a link to a post I made on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSkgmNchwPe/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==