Swimming with the Cuttlefish

It is a beautiful day.  The sun is glaring down on us through the gaping hole in the ozone layer conveniently situated above this fair island nation, and I have spent the day deferentially hiding my fair Irish skin under the cover of whatever awnings and shadows I could find.  All I need now to make the day better is a quick dip in the ocean.  But wait!  A small snafu on the horizon.  It seems that contrary to popular belief, the water here is less than balmy.  I have a bone to pick with all the people over the years who clumped all of Australia and New Zealand into one, warm, sandy beach filled with surfers and people calling each other "mate."  So swimming is out.  Instead, I'll vacuum my apartment.  It's a real gas and good practice for next week when our Thursday visitors attempt cuttlefish casting.  There will be a lovely coating of smelly toxic fish bone to clean up after the day's work.

Cuttlefish casting is the process by which one carves a mold into two pieces of cuttlebone and pours molten silver into said mold in the hopes of producing something worth looking at.  It's a great introduction to casting and a fairly cheap process at that.  Unfortunately, it smells awful, and the cuttlebone dust is actually made up of microscopic burrs that will lodge themselves and their carcinogens in your lungs most unpleasantly.  So wear your mask!

The real fun in cuttlefish casting comes from the unique texture of the cuttlebone which leaves an imprint on the cast pieces.  Take a look:

The cuttlebone has an asymmetrical striation that can produce very interesting casts.  The visibility (depth) of the pattern varies depending on how the carving is finished before it is cast.  This mold was likely cleaned with a brush in order to expose the natural texture of the bone.

The principle difficulty in cuttlefish casting arises in   pouring the silver.  When the carving is more complex, with multiple appendages, it can prove difficult to pour successfully.  In some cases, the silver will not reach all corners of the mold.  Success requires the right sprue and often a bit of tweaking.

Hopefully, next week's attempts will prove fruitful for all.  They will certainly be messy!

Cheers,
the wild minion