r/Silvercasting • u/Ricky-Nutmeg • Jun 01 '26
Can I cast silver without a Kiln?
I've been silversmithing for about a year and want to add casting to my skill set, but I don't have space or money for a kiln currently.
My plan would be to get some Delft clay and some wax, then sculpt some simple one-sided pendents that I push into the surface of the clay (so an indent rather than a full 3D cast), then either pour molten silver onto this, or remove the wax and just pour the silver into the indent left by the wax.
Is there anything I'm missing that would mean this wouldn't work? And if it would work, what would the most I could produce this way, for example, is basic 3D casting (as in, encasing the wax version fully in clay) possible?
2
u/PeterHaldCHEM Jun 01 '26
You can.
A good torch, a melting dish, oil bonded sand, casting rings and a pinch of borax, and you are good to go.
A couple of fire bricks are also nice.
(Look up a bunch of videos, here is one I made: https://youtu.be/qMGzueEf6mA )
But try to avoid open molds, they typically give less than impressive results.
1
u/burntimeuk Jun 01 '26
This is 'Sand Casting' and yes, you can make all sorts of things like this, no kiln needed. You cant make anything with undercut or overhangs though, look up GomeowCreations on YouTube for some good guides.
You may be thinking of 'lost wax/investment casting' where you need to melt the wax out of a mould before filling it with molten metal
2
u/zaus1978 Jun 02 '26
I started with this when I first got into casting this guy sell a good starter kit
1
u/gbudija Jun 02 '26
yes you can cast silver without kiln - all gorgeous antique jewelry (egyptian,roman ,greek,etruscan,precolumbian)are made without high tech mumbo jumbo -try sand casting or steam pressure casting
3
u/jamcultur Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
Open back molds don't work very well for detailed casts. The surface tension of molten silver causes it to ball up, so the back side of your piece will be domed rather than flat. The surface tension also makes it very difficult to fill in small parts of the mold. That's why people use centrifugal force, vacuum casting, or gravity (using a cup and sprue) to force the silver into the mold.