BADGE – Foundry: Metal Casting

Casting metal is a 6,000-year-old process still used in manufacturing and fine art. The founder melts metal (usually aluminum, bronze, or cast iron) in a crucible, pours it into a mold, then removes the mold material or the casting once the metal has cooled and solidified. In our classes, beginners learn the safety associated with pouring 1800 degrees of molten metal, how to pack a sand mold, and how to pour liquid metal into the mold.

What You’ll Learn

In this class, students will learn casting terminology and get an overview of the proper tools and devices used. They’ll also learn how to light a small furnace properly, melt bronze in a crucible, pack a two-part sand mold, and pour molten bronze into the mold to create a three-dimensional object.

Please Note

Proper safety attire is mandatory!

• Leather, closed-toe boots.
• Long, natural fiber pants (denim is perfect).
• Long sleeve, natural fiber shirt (cotton or wool).

MAKE will provide the following:

• Leather apron
• Casting gloves
• Safety goggles
• Face shield

About the Instructor

Jazmin Novak is a New Mexico-based multidisciplinary artist. Her focus lies in creating sculptures influenced by the desert environment. Incorporating bronze, aluminum, iron, and glass, her work reflects the importance and beauty the landscape holds. Novak believes connection to one another is imperative to our well-being and uses animal figures as narrative devices to communicate stories of connection, identity, and shared humanity. Novak is a Diné artist born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sculpture allows her to tell stories from an Indigenous perspective. Each work is informed by the process, allowing the piece and the narrative to grow together.