Showing off my expanded Electroforming setup

CreditRiverArtGlass · #1 2009-05-17, 10:19pm

Just thought I'd show you guys what I did to my setup so I could electroform multiple pieces at once instead of just a few at a time...

I've been electroforming ALOT these past several months... mainly acorns & birdhouses. It's kind of tough, though, because you can really only have maybe 3 pieces in the "bath" at one time... you have to adjust the electric current accordingly (current x2 for 2 pieces, x3 for 3 pieces & so on) & I can only fit so many in my small Pyrex beaker that came w/ my kit at one time. They take probably 8-12 hours each, too. So lately, w/ shows & now B&B coming up, I've had a long line-up of acorns ready & waiting for their turn.

A few months ago I started trying to figure out how I could possibly expand the setup so I could do more pieces, knowing that if I got a larger container & had more pieces in there at one time, I would have to do some serious adjusting to the current to try to figure out what would work out best w/ however many pieces I was doing. Then I thought that maybe I would just have to have more than one set-up w/ another few rectifiers (power source), which would be a nice chunk of change. Don't think so. My next thought was that maybe I could put some sort of splitter on the lead wires so I could split the current between 2 beakers... then it occurred to me that the thick copper wire that each of the pieces were suspended from could just be expanded over multiple containers & the current would be the same for each container, not split between them... so I wouldn't have to multiply the current times every single piece that was being suspended from that wire, just times each piece that were suspended in each container.

I know... I lost you, didn't I??

Anyway... it made sense to me, so I tried it, adding a second round glass container & it worked! I was able to do 3 pieces in each one at one time, no problem!! That was awesome!! But, I didn't like the round containers... they felt small & restrictive. I read a bit & found out that I could use acid resistant plastic containers & was pointed to a restaurant supply place. I found some plastic steam pans that would be just perfect... (Cambro Camwear® Food Pan, 1/6 Size, 6" Deep, Clear #CAM66CW135) The 3 containers took about 5 bottles of solution from Rio Grande... which was cheaper than 1 gallon from Dalmar.

Here you go... I set this up a few weekends ago & had 12 acorns going at once... it was great! That went too well

... I've been busy getting more acorns & birdhouses ready to go...

Check out my blog for better pictures... some acorns, too...

evolvingBeau · #2 2009-05-17, 10:29pm

That is awesome! I haven't even gotten into electroforming yet but if/when I do I'm going to remember this.
Thanks for sharing!
Cool idea with the acorns too, the electroformed texture is totally on point with the real thing.

framerak · #3 2009-05-17, 11:16pm

Julie, I love your acorns and birdhouses! Absolutely stunning. I haven't tried e-forming yet but I'm pretty darned impressed that you've taken it to new heights. You ROCK!

cgbeads · #4 2009-05-18, 7:29am

You can also put two or three acorns/beads on each bar and double or triple the beads you do.

rkoza · #5 2009-05-18, 8:05am

I think this is the coolest Julie!! Thanks so much for sharing your tip, much appreciated!!

Torched Art · #6 2009-05-18, 8:32am

My friend gave me her electroforming kit a year ago, and I have been too intimidated to try to use it. I guess it's just another thing to figure out when I have been so busy with life in general. I'm off to read your blog. Thanks for posting, I'm impressed with your innovation.

Lorraine Chandler · #7 2009-05-18, 8:49am

Thank-you Julie for sharing this!

May we print out the pictures and instructions and keep it with our other tutorials?

Lorraine

Frit Diva · #8 2009-05-18, 9:17am

Julie~ Which electrofoming kit did you start with? I think I understand the theory behind your multiplication, but I just want to clarify... you multpily the current times the number of items in any given bath (not all the pieces) because each bath is functioning as an independant "circuit"? There must be a limit to the number of baths you could run from a single rectifier, right? And, finally, do you need to have the same number of pieces in each bath and do all the pieces need to be similar in size? What would happen if you had 6 pieces in one bath and one piece in the other bath? Or one larger and one small, etc....

I did some electrofomring many years ago, but it's all kind of fuzzy now....

p.s. the idea for little acorns must be floating around in "the universal ether"! I started making (non-electroformed acorns) a few months ago, and I was so surprised to see somebody else doing them. Totally different styles, of course... but interesting to see another "flavor" of the same idea.

Jo

artwhim · #9 2009-05-18, 11:25am

Great idea Julie! Love the acorns and birdhouses! I had no idea one rectifier could handle that many at once.

CreditRiverArtGlass · #10 2009-05-18, 11:50am

Thanks guys! I just love the textures that you can get just by default w/ electroforming... definitely perfect for acorns! I love these little guys... made my first one in May of 2007 when our local ISGB chapter was doing a group electroforming, it seemed like the perfect thing to do. They turned out so freakin' cute... I knew I wanted to make more! Picked up my electroforming kit just after the Gathering was here that summer & was too intimidated to pull it out till I was getting ready for my first real show season last fall. I shouldn't have waited... it's so easy to do & these acorns are a huge hit!

Angela... yep, you saw my acorns in person at Glass Stock... the birdhouses morphed from the acorns a few months ago. LOL.

Donna...that's exactly what I do... I can get 4 acorns in each bath w/out overcrowding...

Lorraine.... you can certainly use this as a tutorial... although my explanation could certainly be clearer!! (maybe combined w/ the info below?)

Thanks Kimberly! The square containers just seemed to make sense.

Jo... I got my kit from Janelle Zorko... she was @ the Gathering in '07 (I was a new pup!) & answered all of my questions & had a Gathering deal going on.

& yes... you somehow understood my explanation.

LOL. Great questions!!

When working w/ just one typical bath, say the current for a single piece is 0.2... so it would be 0.4 for 2 pieces, 0.6 for 3, etc. My rectifier goes up to something like 3.5... so obviously you could do many more pieces in one bath, but then you're dealing w/ how much copper (anodes) you need to have w/ all of those pieces, etc.

Once I started thinking about "electricity", I realized that the current running through the copper rods that the pieces are suspended from is a solid current running from end to end. It doesn't get weaker as it gets farther away from the electric source & it doesn't get weaker because more pieces are being hung from it. The only reason to adjust the current in a single bath is because more or less pieces are in that bath... it has nothing to do w/ any other bath.... so yes, each bath becomes it's own independent circuit... containing the full current w/in each bath. I think the only thing that would keep me from having many many more baths set up on this one rectifier is a matter of space.

& yes... you have to balance the amount of electroformed surface in each bath.... so if I had one acorn in a bath & 6 in another one, the 6 acorns would be sharing the current amongst themselves... the single acorn would be taking on the exact same current as the guys in the other bath, so it would most definitely be over-deposited, if not crumbly, etc. Of course you could balance one large piece in one bath w/ several smaller pieces in another bath.

As far as acorns go, Jo, their appeal is universal... they represent strength, potential & patience. We're definitely not the first to make glass ones & I'm certainly not the first to electroform them... but it's cool because we can all bring our own style & personalities into our own pieces to make them ours. I've never posted mine here because someone else posted theirs here first in the fall of 2007. It was a total fluke. I wasn't making mine public yet... had the setup like I explained above but wasn't using it yet, was busy elsewhere... but out of respect for her & the fact that I didn't want to look like I was copying her idea (such a sensitive subject), I've not posted them here. Our process & styles are completely different, how we sell them is different, too... we actually did the same show a few months ago & will be NEIGHBORS at B&B next month, LOL, so we've chatted.

Customers will buy what they're drawn to... I almost feel like I should tell them to check hers out before making a decision, LOL... it'll be interesting. It'll also be nice to be her neighbor & get to know her.. she's a nice lady.

Hi Kathy!

prairieson · #11 2009-05-18, 11:50am

Quote:

Originally Posted by grrlartist

...There must be a limit to the number of baths you could run from a single rectifier, right? ...
Jo

The rule of thumb is 10 square inches of electroforming per amp. So if you have a 3 amp rectifier, it can readily handle 30 square inches of electroformable surface. There will be negligable power loss with multiple baths due to the extra wiring in the circuit, but nothing to worry about.

karrina · #12 2009-05-18, 4:31pm

WOW Julie, that's the coolest thing on the planet! I had been contemplating for awhile how to do more than 1 bath and everything you said made perfect sense.

I didn't realize you could have a few small pieces in 1 bath with 1 set of anoids, well I thought so, my pieces are too big for that.

Thanks so much for the picture and information~ Your website and beads are gorgeous too! Have a great show at B&B

CreditRiverArtGlass · #13 2009-05-18, 7:47pm

Thanks John!

& Thank You, too, Karrina!

vichall · #14 2009-05-19, 6:01am

Nice set up, Julie!

I've been thinking along similar lines in my planning to teach my carved electroforming technique. How to handle the output of a classroom full of students?

The technical terms for the wiring you are describing are series and parallel. If the electrons must flow from one piece through the next until ultimately returning to the supply, that's called series connection. If the current splits and electrons run through one path or another simultaneously, that's called parallel connection.

Your containers are perfect. I'll have to look for those.

Vickie

CreditRiverArtGlass · #15 2009-05-19, 12:38pm

This definitely would be an awesome setup for a classroom, Vickie...

Thanks for the technical terms! It would be nice to be able to get the description down to something understandable, LOL... I don't know how to get the point across w/out going into major detail... & even then, I don't think it's totally clear!!

Get the lids for these containers, too... I didn't & wish I had....

StephBonniwell · #16 2009-05-19, 1:24pm

Great job, Julie! Thank you for sharing and your work is fantastic!!

CreditRiverArtGlass · #17 2009-05-21, 11:41am

Thanks Steph!!!

FairyVerre · #18 2009-05-21, 6:22pm

Wow Great electroforming work ! I gotta try this, it looks fantastic !

CreditRiverArtGlass · #19 2009-05-25, 6:00pm

Thanks FairyVerre!

NMLinda · #20 2009-05-27, 7:53am

Very impressive, Julie! And generous of you to share your set-up with us. I get the sense, from your post, that you don't have formal electronics training. If that's true, what you did is even more impressive, and I admire you for taking on the challenge to expand your system yourself. It looks quite professional.

Linda

Juls · #21 2009-06-20, 6:33pm

Julie, it is very generous of you to share your set up. I have been trying to figure out how to electroform more at once ~ patience is a virtue that doesn't belong to me. Thank you so much!