Cast-Wax-Seal-art - 1/10/10 ਀ഊ"Pewter Casting for a Wax Seal" by HL Hucbald ap Urp, JdL. ਀ഊNOTE: See also the files: casting-msg, cast-cutlefsh-msg, casting-lnks, pewter-msg, soapstone-msg, sealing-wax-msg, seals-msg, seals-bib, Med-Seals-lnks. ਀ഊ************************************************************************ ਀一伀吀䤀䌀䔀 ⴀഊ ਀吀栀椀猀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀 眀愀猀 猀甀戀洀椀琀琀攀搀 琀漀 洀攀 戀礀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 昀漀爀 椀渀挀氀甀猀椀漀渀 椀渀 琀栀椀猀 猀攀琀 漀昀 昀椀氀攀猀Ⰰ 挀愀氀氀攀搀 匀琀攀昀愀渀✀猀 䘀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀ ഊ ਀吀栀攀猀攀 昀椀氀攀猀 愀爀攀 愀瘀愀椀氀愀戀氀攀 漀渀 琀栀攀 䤀渀琀攀爀渀攀琀 愀琀㨀 栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀昀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀漀爀最ഊ ਀䌀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀 琀漀 琀栀攀 挀漀渀琀攀渀琀猀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀 爀攀洀愀椀渀猀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 漀爀 琀爀愀渀猀氀愀琀漀爀⸀ഊ ਀圀栀椀氀攀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 眀椀氀氀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 最椀瘀攀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 昀漀爀 琀栀椀猀 眀漀爀欀 琀漀 戀攀 爀攀瀀爀椀渀琀攀搀 椀渀 匀䌀䄀 琀礀瀀攀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀猀Ⰰ 瀀氀攀愀猀攀 挀栀攀挀欀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 昀椀爀猀琀 漀爀 挀栀攀挀欀 昀漀爀 愀渀礀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀猀 最爀愀渀琀攀搀 愀琀 琀栀攀 攀渀搀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀⸀ഊ ਀吀栀愀渀欀 礀漀甀ⰀഊMark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous ਀猀琀攀昀愀渀 愀琀 昀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀漀爀最ഊ************************************************************************ ਀ഊYou can find more articles by this author on his website at: http://www.hucbald.ramst.ca ਀ഊPewter Casting for a Wax Seal ਀戀礀 䠀䰀 䠀甀挀戀愀氀搀 愀瀀 唀爀瀀ഊJuly 3, 2006 (A.S. XLI) ਀ഊ ਀ഊSeals ਀ഊOne of the earliest wax seals comes from the Babylonian era. These wax seals were made as cylinders and would roll out a scene. These seals date to 3200 B.C. In the early middle ages, pre 1000, wax seals were used mainly by royalty and religious figure heads. Later, these were used by towns and nobility. Medieval signet rings were made of carved gemstones and larger seals were cast of silver, gold, brass or steel. ਀ഊThe use of wax seals was to create a method of authenticity for documents. When a wax seal would be made, several wax seals would be included. The extra wax seals would be distributed to family and notables so that when a document arrived, the seal on the document and the pre-cast seal could be compared. This would ensure that the document was from an authentic source. When the owner of the seal died, the seal would be marred or cracked to render it useless. ਀ഊThe wax was stamped separately and then affixed to the document. It was not stamped directly onto the document. ਀ഊPewter ਀ഊPewter is an alloy of tin and lead. Being made from mostly tin, pewter with higher tin contents (90%-95%) creates a finer quality of pewter. With the awareness of health hazards caused by lead, modern pewter is leadless. This is created by substituting copper for the lead and may contain antimony and/or bismuth and sometimes zinc. An easy source of the same material is solder. The mixture is the same as pewter but may vary in the amount of tin and does come in flux-less versions. ਀ഊHaving tremendous versatility that comes from a low melting point and a high boiling point along with the ability to be carved or pressed, pewter makes for easy casting. Pewter has a long history dating back well before the middle Ages and enjoys wide spread use during the Middle Ages until the 18th and 19th centuries where glass becomes more common. ਀ഊCasting ਀ഊCasting pewter was performed in a variety of methods. Casting into soapstone carved molds, lost wax in plaster molds and even casting into carved cuttlefish bones was used. ਀ഊIn the case of lost wax casting a wax figure would be made in the exact likeness of the intended casting. This was then coated in successive layers of plaster. Once dry and hard the molten metal would be poured into the mold, melting the wax and allowed to harden into the shape left behind by the wax. The plaster was then broken off to reveal the cast item. This process was used to make statues and is still used today. This method was documented around 1100 by a monk named Theophilus Presbyter in Schedula Diversarum Artium, the earliest text on foundry methods. ਀ഊMethods ਀ഊFirst a block of plaster of paris was cast. This was left to dry and solidify. It then was carved to the diameter of a quarter and about 1/8th inch depth. This was then subsequently carved to allow the mermaid to show by removing material around the mermaid. Detail was then added to the mould through a scratching method. ਀ഊCommon flux-less solder was used to melt pewter into the mould. This was then allowed to cool and harden. The casting was then removed and the detail was cleaned carefully using a needle. ਀ഊUsing glue, the casting was then affixed to a wooden handle. Normally this might have had a stem on the casting that would have been inserted into the wooden spindle. The glue method was chosen to aid in speed of assembly. ਀ഊ ਀ഊ ਀䈀椀戀氀椀漀最爀愀瀀栀礀ഊ ਀∀䌀甀琀琀氀攀昀椀猀栀 䈀漀渀攀 䌀愀猀琀椀渀最∀Ⰰ 倀䔀一一䄀䈀䤀䰀䰀䤀 䄀爀琀椀最椀愀渀愀琀漀 琀攀挀渀椀挀愀 攀 挀甀氀琀甀爀愀⸀ഊJuly 3, 2006, July 3, 2006 http://www.pennabilli.org/tecniche/CUTTLEBONE.htm ਀ഊ"Investment Casting History", Protocast, John List Corporation ਀䨀甀氀礀 ㌀Ⰰ ㈀　　㘀Ⰰ 䨀甀氀礀 ㌀Ⰰ ㈀　　㘀  栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀瀀爀漀琀漀挀愀猀琀樀氀挀⸀挀漀洀⼀椀渀瘀攀猀琀洀攀渀琀开挀愀猀琀椀渀最猀⸀栀琀洀 ഊ ਀∀吀栀攀 䰀攀最愀挀礀 漀昀 䤀渀瘀攀猀琀洀攀渀琀 䌀愀猀琀椀渀最∀Ⰰ 䠀椀琀挀栀椀渀攀爀 䴀愀渀甀昀愀挀琀甀爀椀渀最 䌀漀⸀Ⰰ 䤀渀挀⸀ഊJuly 3, 2006, July 3, 2006 http://www.hitchiner.com/HIMCO/History.html ਀ഊ"Pewter", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia ਀䨀甀氀礀 ㌀Ⰰ ㈀　　㘀Ⰰ 䨀甀氀礀 ㌀Ⰰ ㈀　　㘀  栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀攀渀⸀眀椀欀椀瀀攀搀椀愀⸀漀爀最⼀眀椀欀椀⼀倀攀眀琀攀爀 ഊ ਀∀倀攀眀琀攀爀 愀渀搀 椀琀猀 䠀椀猀琀漀爀礀∀Ⰰ 䘀攀氀氀漀眀猀栀椀瀀 䘀漀甀渀搀爀礀 倀攀眀琀攀爀猀洀椀琀栀猀ഊJuly 3, 2006, July 3, 2006 http://www.fellowshipfoundry.com/history.html ਀ഊ"Pewter History", The Rams Horn Studio ਀䨀甀氀礀 ㌀Ⰰ ㈀　　㘀Ⰰ 䨀甀氀礀 ㌀Ⰰ ㈀　　㘀  栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀爀愀洀猀栀漀爀渀猀琀甀搀椀漀⸀挀漀洀⼀瀀攀眀琀攀爀⸀栀琀洀 ഊ ਀∀刀攀昀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 嘀椀欀椀渀最 䄀最攀 ⴀ 䄀爀琀椀猀愀渀猀 愀渀搀 匀欀愀氀搀猀∀Ⰰ 䐀愀爀欀 䄀最攀猀 刀攀ⴀ挀爀攀愀琀椀漀渀 䌀漀洀瀀愀渀礀ഊJuly 3, 2006, July 3, 2006 http://www.darkcompany.ca/fullcirc/fulcirc3.htm ਀ഊ "Seals" Sir Clisto Seversword's Tome of Adventure & Knowledge. ਀䨀甀氀礀 ㌀Ⰰ ㈀　　㘀Ⰰ 䨀甀氀礀 ㌀Ⰰ ㈀　　㘀  栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀猀椀爀挀氀椀猀琀漀⸀挀漀洀⼀㠀㔀⸀栀琀洀氀 ഊ ਀∀匀攀愀氀 䠀椀猀琀漀爀礀∀Ⰰ 䰀椀渀搀愀 䌀氀椀昀昀漀爀搀Ⰰ 匀挀漀琀琀椀猀栀 ☀ 䤀爀椀猀栀 䴀攀爀挀栀愀渀琀ഊJuly 3, 2006, July 3, 2006 http://www.lindaclifford.com/NeilOliverSealHistory.html ਀ⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀⴀഊCopyright 2006 by Ron Sharcott, 1879 Kings Road, Victoria BC, Canada V8R 2P2. . Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited. Addresses change, but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified of the publication and if possible receives a copy. ਀ഊIf this article is reprinted in a publication, I would appreciate a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan. ਀ഊ ਀䔀搀椀琀攀搀 戀礀 䴀愀爀欀 匀⸀ 䠀愀爀爀椀猀ऀ䌀愀猀琀ⴀ圀愀砀ⴀ匀攀愀氀ⴀ愀爀琀ऀ倀愀最攀 㐀 漀昀 㐀ഊ ਊ