This is something i have wanted to make for a long time, it is made from a mish mash of various types of gold with the largest amount being 9ct with a little bit of 10,14,18 & 22ct.

Making my own casting flask

I do own several flasks and moulds but nothing the length i required so i made two frames screwed together out of 1 inch wood.

Making the mock bracelet

I used a piece of 4.5mm steel and a pair of lion head beads i saw on ebay. I cut the steel to length and drilled holes in the lions heads and glued together.

To use the mock torc i filled one half of the flask with delft clay and pressed the mock into place and then covered in talc so the other half of the mould would not stick, i then screwed the other half of the flask together and filled it with delft clay.

This is where i had the fiddly part of removing the mock without damaging the impression and putting in pouring holes and vents.

pouring the gold

I didnt have time to take pics as you need to be quick pouring the gold, but here is the furnace i use.

forming and tumbling the torc

Just like pouring the gold forming the shape needs to be done quickly so no pics but i used a leather mallet around a round bit of wood.

The tumbling is to harden to gold and i use stainless steel media.

Polishing the gold

I use a felt pad on a rotary wand with a polishing compound to make everything nice and shiny, this is the last step and i am done.

The finished product and some thoughts

Finally done after 2 hours of work, the bracelet contains around £600 of gold but that does not matter as it is for myself, if i make another i will use a thicker bit if wood for forming but overall i am happy.

I will be making nine more of these but in silver over the coming months as scrap silver builds up.