Mar
Cooling time
I was out doing some metal casting today. I just acquired a mold that makes two figures: a Prussian from the Napoleonic Era, and a Prussian from circa 1870 – 1914. I also cast figures from other molds today. These included some Civil War troops, a Western figure in buckskins firing pistols, and Revolutionary War riflemen in hunting shirts. While one mold cools, I use other ones. Of course, the main thing was using the Prussian mold for the first time. The results were pleasing, as it produced well-detailed, realistic figures easily.
The problem with the rubber molds is one of heating. I can cast two figures in rapid succession, but then I have to let the mold cool. The silicon and rubber molds hold heat. Too much use will “burn them out.” They have to cool a little while before being cast again. Instead of making many Prussians, I had to content myself with about eight of each.
We have become so used to getting things instantly that we easily become impatient. Some things require that we wait. Others demand that we hesitate. This is the moral behind the old tale of the “goose that layed the golden egg.” There are things that require us to slow down and wait. Haste will destroy them, but patience will assure that they serve us for many years. So it is that a cooling mold is the example of a good lesson in patience.
