05/10 Creating Beads and Hollow Forms with Lost Wax Casting

Saturday, May 10, 2025  
10:00 am - 2:00 pm PST

Instructor: Jennifer Stenhouse

Spend a fascinating weekend learning the process of lost wax casting with a focus on creating a bead or hollow form. Students will learn the entire process of lost wax casting, including making a hollow model, investing tricks, vacuum casting, and finishing.

Topics will cover the proper use of simple molds, specialty waxes, and the use of pins to support investment to successfully create a cast hollow form. The primary focus of Day One will be how to quickly create models, use wax working tools, make simple molds, and investing. Day Two will concentrate on casting and finishing tricks.

There’s a lot of information in this fast-paced workshop, so bring your coffee & creative gusto!

Prerequisite:  Students should have basic jewelry skills, including how to saw, file, solder, and finish/polish metal. Also, having some previous experience carving wax models and casting is helpful.

All classes include the video recording, which you will have access to for 60 days after the class. The Zoom link, handouts, video(s), and other important information can be found by clicking on the individual class link on the "My Courses" page. The Zoom link and handout (if any) will be available 24 hours before the class starts.

You also get 1 free session of Open Studio Access (OSA) in the month following your class, the Zoom link can be found on the course video access page.

The class supply list is below and contains links to buy the supplies you need.

Supply List for Students

The links below will take you to RioGrande.com or other suppliers. To see prices for precious metal items, you need a free Rio Grande account. Students in the Rio for Schools program enjoy wholesale benefits for six months (instructor code = RFSLMF). This site may contain Amazon and other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, at no cost to you, we may receive a small commission on qualifying purchases.

Recommended Materials

You should have access to tools and equipment for vacuum casting or a casting service. You should also have some sterling or bronze to cast.

The tools listed below are helpful for working in the studio to create the wax models.

• Assortment of waxes to create model:
• Injection wax, extruded wax, or carving wax you can carve or melt and pour into molds
• A carving wax that you like to work with, I recommend purple for this project.
• Sprue wax (I like 6 ga)
• Sticky wax
• Water soluble wax or a water soluble material for core (Otto Frei)
• Dental wax carving pen (Amazon)
• Wax files (Amazon)
• Wax burs. Course ball burs and a variety of shapes are helpful. (Amazon)
• Two-part silicone RTV mold putty (Amazon)
• Wax carving tools
• X-acto knife/tools
• Spiral wax blades (Otto Frei)