Cuttlefish Casting

Last week I taught my 3D Design class how to do cuttlefish casting. I had them carve their own molds and then we cast them in pewter. All but one of them worked out, but it was definetly a trial and error experience. Pewter melts at such a low temperature and stays liquid for so long! If we poured it right when it was molten it would just pour right through the mold. We had to get it molten and then let it cool for like 5 minutes before we poured it. That was the only way it would stay in the mold! Luckily we were able to pour multiple times in order to get a good cast. My students seemed to really enjoy it, mostly because they got to play with fire! I now have a better understanding of why most metalsmiths don't enjoy working in pewter. Enough said.