The Best Laid Plans....

Well the new wet cutting saw works a charm... my glass casting experiment - well it was a learning experience.

How to turn flag irises in Dutch irises

They were meant to be flag irises - but it was a real loaves and fishes act - I ended up with a lot more off cuts and broken bits than the left over glass I started off with......

Casting in the copper stems seemed like a good idea at the time - but the copper has burned out so that it doesn't hold the thread I cut - not strong enough so I'll have to glue the flowers into place. Back to brass stems for flowers and apples? I'll have to think about this.

In fact there was a break away on the first iris I cast - much food for thought here.
Now out to the garden with you while I use the time to try another approach......

Winter of Discontent

Well the casting took a long time - and an even longer time to summon up the courage to open the mould. In fact it's a pity I didn't open it sooner - there are a few cracks that may not have happened if the glass hadn't sat locked in for so long.

What should have been three irises

Now it's time to get on with other work while I decide what to do - I've learned that:

• casting three complicated waxes at once is too hard
• letting the glass soak at top temperature for longer did work - the mould was full
• leaving thin glass in the mould is silly - the petals on the thinner flower cracked and broke
• having the glass too thin was silly
• I'm going to make this work!

A nearly good enough iris - yet to cut off the pouring lines

The cutting and fitting to the sculpture is going to be a bit of a challenge too.