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Original
| Found: Hillegom/Lisse
Age: 1600-1200BC This pin is part of a hoard, found on the border between Lisse and Hillegom. >>> more information |
Mould
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Material: clay & sand, baken
The main purpose of this mould was to cast pins for making rivets. But in case it filled to the bottom, I added dubble conical pin heads, so I could also use them as clothing pins. |
Casting result
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The first cast was fully succesful. From earlier attempts to cast pins I never expected the mould to fill all the way to the bottom. In the previous attempts I used clay tubes, instead of two part moulds. Apparently the two part mould fills much easier. Afterwards I found that there is a lot of mismatch between the two sides of the pinheads. So a lot of work is needed to get them symmetrical. Therefore I've decided to use modern tools for that. One of the pins has some charcoal inclusions near the head, so I'll be using that one for rivets. |
Finishing
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The two pins on the left are worked using modern tools. I then attempted to forge them to make them longer and thinner. This was difficult as the metal is quite hard. I also lost a piece from one of them when it broke while annealing the pin. The second pin from right is the one I use for rivets. I got it hammered quite thin, but more work is required. The pin on the far right is a new casting, which I cast in a differen mould. This one doesn't have a lot of mismatch, so I'm finishing it authentically. |
Finished pins
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The two pins which I've finished with modern means have been completed. They're significantly shorter then the originals on which they are based, and they lack the decoration. Nonetheless they're quite beautiful, which I'll definately use during the next season. Now rests finishing the last cast pin and the pin which I'll use for rivets. |