Category: Electrotyping

  • Electrotype 2

    mold1

    mold2Preparing mould to make a copy in copper of a previously printed aluminium plate.

    The actual copied plate looks much better than the photograph. This method is clearly not for the impatient as the process took 48 hours to get a 0.75mm plate. the electrotype process was originally used in the 19th. century to make copies of valuable silver ware for museums as well making copies of printing plates. Has a lot of potential for making innovative collagraph plates and making more robust copies of delicate plates.

    mold-and-templates

    Looking forward to seeing how the copy compares to the original when printed. Also looking forward to making some more sculptural forms using the electrotyping process.

  • Electrotyping

    Electrotype with mold, cast and model

    This is an electrotype cast made from a ceramic model of the face of Buddha. The model is a Raku fired ceramic piece made by my father. I made the mould from general purpose RTV silicone rubber. The inside of the mold was given several coat of copper conductive paint and then placed in an electrolytic tank containing a copper sulphate electrolyte and a copper anode. The electrolytic process ran for 48hrs. at 0.5v and 1.30 amps. The casting is between 1.5 and 2mm thick. The head dress presented a casting problem in that the shape produced an air pocket that prevented the copper plating out. I have reversed the hanging fixture to get around this problem in the next casting.

     

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