UPDATE: I have improved this technique and a much better example is on this post:
Make your own fish trilobite or turtle belt buckle.
This is the shape of the Twin Cities with the neck of the dinosaur approximating the path of the Mississippi.
I used:
a small porcelain dish like a evaporation dish or crucible to heat the zinc
UPDATE: This is much easier with a small can like one that veggies come in. Plus it is esentially free instead of $5.
a source of scrap zinc
clay
plaster
a candle
an item you would like to cast
a place to have a fire
a coat hanger
tongs
Sandpaper or a Dremel tool.
To start I pushed the dino into the clay creating a negative. Then fill the hole with wax. This wax will be a positive of the eventual cast.
Next I placed the wax in the bottom of a milk carton and pour plaster over it.
Once the plaster was set I melted the wax out of the plaster by holding in over the fire.
Now the fun begins.
dish with the zinc and waiting for it to melt.
then I pour into the plaster cast
I Bent the coat hanger to attach to the belt as shown below.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
DIY: Screen printing a hat the cheapest way.
You will need:
Screen printing ink (i used superball that cost about $5 at a local shop but you can probs get it online), a paint brush, a nylon, krazy glue, push pins, a hat (preferably a free hat you don't like.... yet) and some sort of frame. Of course all this can be done on a t-shirt as well.
Also props to craftgrrl for the concept of using nylons.
Start with a hat that needs re-purposing like this cooperate gecko hat:
I don't show this but I blacked out the gecko with black screen printing ink.
Draw your image on a 3x5" note card.
Stretch the Nylon around a frame and tape it down:
Trace the image onto the nylon with a black pen:
Take the card away and cover the lines with Krazy Glue:
Once the glue has dried test the screen on a piece of paper:
If you are satisfied with the image cut out the section of the screen:
Pin the screen to the hat and paint it:
Remove the screen and touch up the design:
Wash the screen let it dry and repeat.