[MR] casting Question

[kymber at mindspring.com]

Mihill -

Well the answer is .... it depends.  Depends on what casting techniques you
are using really.  For example are you sand casting, using a stone mould, or
using more modern techniques of with investment or RTV (room temperature
vulcanizing rubber)?

The medieval people did it in a couple of ways depending on the techniques
they used and the quality of the piece.  One thing that was quite common was
to cast the piece with integral rivets (prongs) coming out the back side. 
Using these the tip could be attached to the belt in the same manner as any
other belt mount.  At times a seperate plate of a matching sheet metal was
attached the back side so the the tip was fully encased.

Alternately there are many examples of cast belt ends where the tip is hollow
and the leather is cinched into the tip.  These castings were made in stone
moulds with "slush casting" techniques or using a peice of WELL DRIED hardwood
as a core that is pulled out from the piece as it cooled.

Please feel free to send me another note with some more detail and questions
on my explainations.  I wish I could find a way to send you all of the strange
hand guestures that go along with my typing.  Ah the limitations of e-mail. 
Hope that this helps some.

Countess Kyneburh, OL
kymber at mindspring.com