Travis helped me pour the bronze for my Utah teapot molds during the week after the Fall semester ended. I really appreciated his help in showing me the furnace controls at AppState. The McEnglevan furnace operation is pretty much just like the three we had at UWM. The pour went well and was uneventful. I was trying to channel Chuck Kraus as I was pouring. He would never spill a drop outside the mold. As you can see, I didn't manage that, but I was still glad that the riser came up strong and the molds didn't leak. I hate using these wood clamps for sand molds; I guess I was spoiled by steel bands at UWM. As I mentioned before, the sand molds were not solid enough so I ended up with a ton of burn in. That said, I was wanting to experiment with texture in the sand, so I guess I fulfilled that. The investment molds ended up with a lot of flashing, but I really was thrilled with the patterns left from this. I knew right away, that this was going to work out well in the final form. I cut the sprues off at school and then came home to finish the grinding at my home shop.
I am so thankful for those year of pouring with Chuck and grateful for all the knowledge he shared with me during my early years at UWM. I owe him so much! Every time I walk past our Foundry I am reminded of his influence on me and my work. I am also so thankful for my new colleague, Travis Donovan, and his willingness to provide advice and a positive outlook on literally everything. I look forward to working with him for many years to come!
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