Hammer & Hand is a metal & jewellery collective based in Hobart, Tasmania and Bangalow, New South Wales.

I have cast larger bronze pieces in the past using #Lostwax and #SandCasting in #Greensand and after running out of  #Cuttlefish I thought I might look into small scale Jewellery castings in sand… Julian had mentioned a casting system using a product called #Delft Sand but the price of the sand (an Oil sand) is a bit steep for me so I went hunting up some fine sand and Bentonite to make a greensand.

I acquired some fine #Zircon sand and #Bentonite from a ceramic supply place … Mixed it at 5% Bentonite and made a couple of flasks out of square steel tubing.. (Thanks Ben Beames for the method from years ago !)

So I want to make a few Brooches based on classic Tattoo Art and I’v shaped a ‘master’ using “Sculpy” .. a polymer clay ..

Well !! .. Steep learning curve ..Again!.. and the last 3 of 8 attempts have been successful !  The pictures here include a bit of the process.. and the finished brooch will be able to be engraved with a message.. ie:   MOM…. TROO LUV … ROVER… KEVIN… ABBOT .. MURDOCH..????