There are many jewelry casting process variables that can affect the quality of the castings. Because of this, process control is vital. One area requiring control is the investing process. Jewelry investments are designed and manufactured with control and consistency in mind; however, these attributes can be negated by improper use of the investments. To ensure that an investment performs as designed, all of the factors that can influence performance need to be controlled. One of these areas is the water that is mixed with the investment. It is commonly thought that the water quality and temperature used with investments can affect working time, setting time and fluidity. This paper will explore how variations in water quality and temperature impact the properties of the mixed investment. Water from a variety of sources will be evaluated. In addition, proper process control to negate the impact of water quality and temperature will be presented.

Author: Ralph Carter