Umha Aois - Bronze Casting Demonstration 2008

Video by Robert Clarke. A bronze casting demonstration held May 2008 at Glendarragh Studios, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
http://www.umha-aois.com

"Umha Aois" (Irish for "Bronze Age") is an ongoing experimental project organised on a volunteer basis by a committee formed of artists & archaeologists. Through research and experimentation we are attempting to rediscover our Bronze Age ancestors' casting methods, and in the process empower the artists involved with unique approaches to working in bronze.

This video demonstrates our discovered techniques to date, using bellows to power a small charcoal fired furnace, melting bronze in a hand made crucible, and casting into a clay mould. The mould is broken open afterwards to reveal a typical Irish Bronze Age axehead.
Please note that although we are striving for "authenticity", some aspects are still in development, such as the lifting tongs, forged by Umha Aois member Mary Jane Verniere. Also we have not allowed "authenticity" to stifle any creative ideas, and as such we do not pretend that our methods reflect any specific time period or place, but rather we strive for a reproducible approach to working small scale bronze with 'primitive' technologies, taking the Irish Bronze Age as our main inspiration.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Bronze Age
• bronze casting
• furnace
• crucible
• molten metal
• bellows
• mould
• demonstration
• Umha Aois

[Sleepindragon2]

Ok here's a nerd question does the bellows need to be a minimum away from the fire it looks like you run the danger of sucking the fire up the pipes and either burning the bags or the assitants hands

[umhaaois]

@Sleepindragon2 The continuous flow of air from the two bags stops this danger. The air enters the openings at top of the bag and is forced out the nozzle at the front. The alternating action of the bellows keeps up the continuous flow of air. The biggest danger is sparks which do indeed burn the bag or hands! Sometimes it is necessary to set up a protective fence between the "bellows slave" and the fire, but as it is often a one person operation this is not always possible.

[DirtxInxThexGround]

Great video to watch,I've just started a course in Archaeology in IT Sligo. Have to do a log book every week and my first artefact is a bronze age axe head mold.

I can't figure it out :P

[umhaaois]

@DirtxInxThexGround Stick with it. Do you have to recreate the mold, or investigate an existing shard?

[whowantsabighug]

What is the crucible made from?

[umhaaois]

@whowantsabighug That is a handmade crucible. It is a mixture of high firing (grey) clay & sand. It may also contain fine "grog" (crushed fired clay or crushed crucibles) and a very small amount of vinegar to add flexibility to the mix. These crucibles can be quite difficult to make as the mixture is NOT very flexible. You can Google "crucible recipe" to get some pointers.

[MrBrandon024]

@Sleepindragon2 your stupid

[cvbpo]

love it

[badran106]

so it is hard to make a 53cm long bronze mask??press link to see..badran 106..

they told me it is ancient...

[emel60]

Oh matey, how do bronze tools keep the sharpess? Like the bronze axe which you made?

[therichm10]

thank god for gas

[humanitarianguyana]

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