From Living Grasshopper to Bronze: Experimental Casting

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This was a challenge to see if I could take I living insect and do a lost organics burnout method to make a bronze grasshopper. Most of the time I do lost wax casting which has a science to it, but when ever I do lost organics there is always trial and error. This is the first time I have ever seen anyone do lost insect casting. I am amazed at the result
For those wondering how the grasshoppers were un alived, they were put in the freezer. since they are cold blooded they feel no pain. Its how they die every winter.
for investment I use ultra vest from Rio Grande Jewelry supply.
its never let me down.

[@mevk1]

WOW !!!!!! Great to be back again -party on Wayne. I could not believe the fricken antennae filled with bronze, and then not drying out the hoppers was pure genius - You killed it !!!!!

[@erikanderson2236]

You do some fun creative things. Missed you the last few months. Glad you are ok.

[@sargisgevergizian7118]

Good to see you back

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

It’s been a while!

[@Metalstacker]

That is really impressive my friend!! They look stunning and I like thet approach you make in casting stuff like this :)

[@playkvlh9122]

Congratulations - that is one priceless grasshopper! 😎

[@HighDollarHobo]

I know the time it takes to make vids like this. You did a fantastic job at capturing the process for us.. had to subscribe.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Thank you! Glad you found the channel.

[@calicamo1]

The detail that was captured is amazing!

[@mattjohnson7364]

That’s so cool! Can’t believe the antenna survived. They are hard enough to preserve in the drying process 😄

[@JohnJones-oy3md]

Beautiful work - I am so impressed that the antennas filled. Your next challenge, if you choose to accept it - a butterfly. 😉

[@mevk1]

With the glorious Mission Impossible theme song playing in the background at the end.😎

[@leegregory5403]

"Well Grasshopper do you see to hide from the humans for they will freeze in bronze and life is a memory." Came out very good.

[@vicstansell1840]

Nice thing about steaming the flasks of all the wax Is that it will also save the heating coils on your kiln. Always look forward to your videos good job.

[@JohnJones-oy3md]

I was just thinking last night that I hadn't seen one of your videos in quite a while. The next day I get a notification for this upload. Wonderfully weird.

[@SestoMazzanti]

Oh. yes!

[@LunarburnStudio]

nicely done!

[@michellemwina6051]

you are making me look my cat with a certain eye 😄😄😄😄😄 should I eternize her?😂😂🤣🤣 those whiskers though🤣🤣🤣

[@чиабатта-р9с]

Wow! I thought the grasshopper will leave it's ashes and won't completely burn out. Amazing results!

[@samiam7]

Really enjoyable video bro

[@1967250s]

Awesome. I'd really like to do some casting now!

[@ManChildMaineiac]

So cool! Nice job.

[@rockelec]

Fantastic casting

[@mircea277]

Interesting experiment.

[@freemanmetalworks1698]

Wow, wow, wow, wow . . . wow.

[@mevk1]

My sentiments exactly

[@sarahchilley6442]

Very interesting to watch.

[@joshlintula9457]

Very nice!

[@Nagas4]

Amazing!

[@chopper_1987_]

Awesome ❤️🇺🇦 cool and perfect performance

[@luckystar9279]

Holy crap this cool

[@max3d_0ut]

Awesome how armor like exoskeletons are and when cast in metal look almost robotic.

[@paulmanhart4481]

Have you tried putting a ceramic slurry on top of the investment, and covering the hole with a very thin aluminum disk? This would seal the vacuum chamber to create a better vacuum. The thin aluminum disk would melt right away so the bronze can flow. But now instead of just drawing air through the investment, you have an actual vacuum inside. I thought of this when designing my vacuum casting device and haven’t tried it yet or spoken to anyone about it. Thanks. Paul

[@mustafayilmaz406]

bro really made a bronze bug cast 🤣

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Someone had to do it! As far as I know I’m the first one to do it.

[@mustafayilmaz406]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios you did well

[@patriciofreire3375]

Would be interesting if you let the grasshopper oxidize and turn green

[@Krondor]

Super cool! Are any of these for sale?

[@mevk1]

I believe Mr. Lundgren has an Etsy store but these one-of-a-kinds may be priceless.

[@bwalker1023]

Did you catch the deer and position him before casting it also?

[@rogerdevero8726]

Well Done: solved the problems and achieved SUCCESS! Keep up the great art works John 3:16

[@SculptyWorks]

Impressive! But I can't help but feel sorry for the grasshoppers! 😉 Can you get a hold of some cicadas? They might look neat in bronze! 👍 oOoh I know, how about a tarantula?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Cicadas would be cool. I think a tarantula wouldn’t turn out as well because of the “hair” on it. I feel like the texture wouldn’t look right in the metal. A mantis is my dream. We don’t have them where I live though.

[@SculptyWorks]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios I thought tarantulas exactly because of the hair. Imagine if you could capture that fine detail in the bronze! 😉

[@mevk1]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios I think one flew out of my rose bush the other day and freaked me out. Was huge and most prehistoric like. Never seen one before so not positive and my eye sight without glasses in not very good. If I ever see it again will try and capture for you, maybe?

[@mevk1]

Never did see that alien creature again, and probably never will, given this was the 1st one I'd seen in my 50+ years, but if I ever do see him again, will try to capture freeze and send to you - keep up the outstanding work!

[@cindylundgren1924]

Amazing job!!!

[@SilentPartner79]

Good to be the dominant species.

[@James-W6WOF]

Hello. Where do you get your bronze? Thanks.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I get mine in 15lb bars from Lancaster foundry Pennsylvania. Or I make my own out of copper and tin.

[@DesmaraisChris]

Love the video man! If I make and send you a largish borosilicate marble would you be down to try casting it into something?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Casting round objects is very difficult because of the metal shrinkage. I tried a golf ball and man was that difficult!

[@othername1000]

Etsy shop looks quiet, where do you sell now?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Yeah. It’s quite for now. I will get it up and going more coming the end of May.

[@Gallowaylights]

I wanted to do a honey bee😊

[@mircea277]

I have made an experiment myself ... :) Half of it anyway ... I used liquid clay instead of wax ... it worked ... for the first half of the experiment. I just have to cook the mould and poor the bronze to see the result ... :)

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

It’s fun to experiment!

[@rezaemami1]

Don't vacuum the plaster mixture. Instead, mix it with detergent, so it will be highly porous and let gasses escape when pouring. To improve the surface finish, brush a layer of plaster on your wax, so you will capture all the details, but then use a plaster slurry that is full of small bubbles. I discovered this method after hundreds of pour.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

This isn’t plaster though. It’s casting investment. It’s made to be porous and for this method of casting.

[@daykangemcutting8679]

that was croood.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Croood?

[@daykangemcutting8679]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios puting a nail in a live creature while its moving isnt crood?your job is great dont get me wrong i enjoyed your video but you can put the bug in a jar and let it die first.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

@@daykangemcutting8679 I don’t know if you know this. But all the grasshoppers out there are dead now frozen to death. Which is exactly how I put these guys to sleep. It’s very humane.

[@daykangemcutting8679]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios well my knowledge on this topic is limited sorry if i sounded offensive.

[@MichaelGeorge-q5u]

I haven't gotten a garage I got a helium bottle one disc and I'm a 1000 pounds short of a set

[@nobackhands]

After drying the grasshopper drip in polyurethane to seal any openings.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Might be worth a try.

[@jonatanfelipe1830]

thankfully grasshoppers don't make experiments melting men

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Yep!

[@OblateSpheroid]

You only need to kill one and then create wax duplicates from a reusable mold. No need to impale that many grasshoppers.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

There is no way that wax would flow into a space as small as the antenna and to even try to capture them and vent them would be a pretty complex mold. Much easier and better to use the real thing.

[@mevk1]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios No clue really, but maybe the antennae could be doubled or tripled in diameter which might also strengthen and help prevent breakage, and they do have various wax injecting tools that help fill molds, though that is another skill and even with greater thickness still might not fill properly -don't really know? I do know that silicon bronze is a very tough malleable metal (you can bend it nearly 180 degrees!) so you picked the perfect metal for moving them.

[@airplayn]

I'd try using superglue to freeze the grasshopper into the pose I want. I think a JUMPING one would be a great idea.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I’ve thought about trying one with the wings open.