Join us at CAFAC for the second annual Minneapolis Molten Metal Iron Invitational!
This four-day immersive workshop will culminate in community iron pour on Saturday, April 4. Open to artists and students of all skill levels, this sand mold workshop offers hands-on experience in casting molten iron using traditional foundry techniques. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced caster, you'll learn new skills, connect with fellow makers, and create a custom iron casting.
The Sand Mold Studio & Iron Pour experience includes:
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Guidance by instructors through the process of mold making, including establishing parting lines and ramming multi-part molds using resin-bonded sand.
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Presentations on metal casting techniques and hands-on demonstrations of the entire casting process.
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30 pounds of iron and 100 pounds of resin-bonded sand.* You’ll have the opportunity to create one to three molds, depending on experience and time constraints.
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Working alongside an experienced casting crew to learn furnace operations and pouring molten metal.
At the end of the workshop experience, you’ll have a complete one-of-a-kind iron casting of your own design. If you have casting experience, we recommend bringing your own completed pattern ready to be molded. However, if you’re a beginner or don’t have a pattern ready, you’ll be able to create simple patterns on the first day from materials like plasticine, found objects, or through reductive carving. For those new to casting, basic forms such as bowls, tiles, or belt buckles are available and can be customized.
Open studio hours:
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Wednesday, April 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Orientation, pattern review, iron breaking, intro to gating and flasks, sand mixing, start ramming molds
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Thursday, April 2, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Multi-part mold demos, work time, iron breaking
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Friday, April 3, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gating and venting, intro to gluing/banding/weighting molds, work time, iron breaking
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Saturday, April 4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Pour floor setup, pour team assignments, dry run, burn in, first tap at 2-3 p.m.!
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Sunday, April 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Break open molds, clean up, pack up
You’ll have access to the studio from Wednesday to Friday, allowing ample supported work time. For many participants, this is more than enough time to complete your molds, so you may also use this time flexibly to accommodate other commitments. Please plan to be onsite for the duration of the iron pour on Saturday and for at least 2 hours on Sunday for breaking out molds and cleanup.
Find more details about facilities, schedule, what to bring, and more.
Workshop fee: $395 ($295 tuition + $100 materials)
*Additional iron and resin-bonded sand available at per pound-rate
Instructors: Brighton McCormick & Pete Gierzynski
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
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