Down here on the southern Pacific coast of Mexico, we have a small snail that excretes a purple dye, which has been used for fine cloth for many centuries. I have a good friend who is really into purple snails. He goes into the ocean and finds snails, removes them from the rocks, milks them, and puts them back on the rock so they keep on growing.
I needed some tanks (oxygen and acetylene) and, come to find out, he had some. His dead father had them. Big ones. He said he would lend them to me, long term, and asked me to cast some purple snails in bronze.
He loves his snails, and I love having tanks almost as tall as I am. I only use gas to weld my bronze sculptures—and I'm 70 years old. I'll probably die before I have to refill them.
Richard
Purple Snails
Re: Purple Snails
Hi Richard, I always envisage you as a younger man, its amazing the perception we can have at times
When life gets tough, remember: You were the strongest sperm
Re: Purple Snails
I think you will find that they won't last that long
David and Charlie aka the shop monster
If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette
If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette
Re: Purple Snails
You're right. It's amazing how fast the stuff runs out. I also have a longevity problem. My father's brothers and sisters (13 of them) mostly lived into their 90's, with several living to be over 100.I think you will find that they won't last that long
Richard
Re: Purple Snails
Richard, I hope you live a long and fruitful life. Me I'm old enough to know better then to tell others how old I actually am.Rasper wrote:You're right. It's amazing how fast the stuff runs out. I also have a longevity problem. My father's brothers and sisters (13 of them) mostly lived into their 90's, with several living to be over 100.I think you will find that they won't last that long
Richard
NIce job on the Snails
David
David and Charlie aka the shop monster
If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette
If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette
Re: Purple Snails
I poured more snails today. These are larger.
Re: Purple Snails
And yet more snails are in the works. It seems that people love them; everyone around here wants their very own snail—go figure.
Here is the wax ready to be invested.
Those two strange looking thin vents from the bottom have a purpose. They allow the escape of air, but more importantly, they will be welding rods. I make one or two welding rods whenever I can.
And here is the flask. I use a double layer of plasterers lath as reinforcement inside. I remove the sheet metal flask before burn out.
But where is the poured investment? Well, I was planning to photograph it but I forgot. It's in the kiln now. Too late.
More later.
Richard
Here is the wax ready to be invested.
Those two strange looking thin vents from the bottom have a purpose. They allow the escape of air, but more importantly, they will be welding rods. I make one or two welding rods whenever I can.
And here is the flask. I use a double layer of plasterers lath as reinforcement inside. I remove the sheet metal flask before burn out.
But where is the poured investment? Well, I was planning to photograph it but I forgot. It's in the kiln now. Too late.
More later.
Richard
Re: Purple Snails
Are these going to be the new "Pet Rocks"? I'll have to look around here for some snail shells to try out.
quando omni flunkus moritati
Re: Purple Snails
Too much work. Picking up rocks is easier.Are these going to be the new "Pet Rocks"?
I poured it today. It's our rainy season now so I had a clear day and figured I had better use it even though I suspected that I hadn't burned out the investment quite enough. I was right about that. There was a little steam but I got some good snails.
Here is the investment right after the pour. And a couple of ingot molds.
And the furnace with the Lionel Hot Shot oil burner. (Do I win the ugliest furnace award?)
And the snails:
And the bad side where the steam was.
I also dropped the investment on my foot when I was turning it over. OW! My wife is applying ice packs while I post on forums.
Richard
Re: Purple Snails
nice snails, hope nothings broke in the foot
DA
DA
David and Charlie aka the shop monster
If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette
If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette