Kookaburra shell

[Lefty]

Made by a mate of mine. This particular species of marine snail is - apparently - found in Gladstone harbour, one locality in New Guinea and one in Japan and nowhere else. Cast from a shell picked up by my father about 50 years ago at Barney point and kept in the display cabinet with the rocks.

 

[Bezza]

Awesome job. Looks great

 

[Mr Magoo]

That looks awesome. After reading why it's called the Kookaburra Shell that is now all I see. 8)

Rotate it about 45*

Cool.

 

[AtomRat]

What an awesome piece Lefty! I see it magoo!

 

[Lefty]

Cheers - I should have rotated it the right way so the kookaburra shape was more obvious .

Shortly I'll begin playing around with this stuff myself. Someone on another forum told me to use ammonium chloride when open-casting (I have the clay casting kit, crucible, torch etc) to help de-oxidise the metal just before pouring into the mold. I didn't recall seeing it with the jewellery making supplies (though I should check again) so I've asked at Bunnings and a pool/spa place. They both looked at me a bit strangely and I felt obliged to quickly follow up with "no, I'm not making a bomb, it's just for silver jewellery casting"

 

[LONEWOLF]

Nice work Lefty's Mate ....I don't think I would be too keen to get my feet wet in Gladstone Harbour Lefty... :/ ... You can get your Ammonium Chloride from ebay.. or a Saddlery Place..... used in Tanning Hides and as a food flavouring agent E510..... Yuck.... Never ask for Ammonium Ni@#$%#...you may have some explaining to do ...

LoneWolf....

 

[Lefty]

Cheers LW - the snail that was in this particular shell went to snail heaven decades before the latest Gladstone harbour debacle. Even then Barney point beach wasn't exactly the Gold coast. I remember picking up kookaburra shells from the half-kilometre long strip of shellgrit, mud and oyster rocks in the shadow of the coal piles that they chose to call a "beach" when I was a kid in the 70's and early 80's.

Thanks for the tip - there's a feed barn/rural suppliers here that might carry it.

Sounds like asking for the other kind of ammonium compound could lead to a visit from ASIO

 

[Heatho]

No limits to what you can do with precious metals and gemstones.... Awesome work by your mate Lefty, very creative!

 

[LONEWOLF]

Yes, those sorts of places near you should stock it... You could also try a photographic shop as they also use it to develop photos, might be a bit pricey tho...

I worked for a rural supply store in Mackay and we stocked the ''Other'' one by the 5 ton Bag, used by the Sugar Cane Growers and Farmers..... not any more LOL

LoneWolf....