Casting is the shop’s newest capability and one of its most satisfying. Print a pattern on the 3D printers, invest it in plaster, burn out the plastic in the kiln, and pour molten metal into the cavity that’s left. An hour later you’re holding a solid metal version of whatever you printed. Members have cast pendants, badges, replacement hardware, knobs, and small sculptures.

The process, roughly:

Pattern: design and print the part, with a sprue (the channel the metal flows through) attached.
Investment: mix plaster investment, pour it around the pattern in a flask, and let it set.
Burnout: heat the flask in the kiln to burn the plastic out and dry the mold.
Pour: melt the metal in the furnace and pour it into the hot mold.
Finish: quench, break out the plaster, cut off the sprue, and polish.

Training and classes

Because it involves molten metal, casting is only done with a trained member present. The good news: we teach it regularly as a free class. Our first metal casting class in February 2026 filled up fast, and we’ll run it again. See classes and the recap.

Safety

Face shield, leather gloves and apron, long pants, and closed-toe leather shoes are required for anyone near the furnace. Moisture and molten metal are an explosive combination, so molds are dried thoroughly and tools are preheated before they touch the melt.