Patent ID: 7204294

Claim:
A method of casting a part comprising: forming a wax pattern having a seed crystal that is integrally formed in the wax pattern between a wax component section and a spacer section by placing the seed crystal into an injection die and then injecting wax into the injection die; forming a mould by: encasing the wax pattern in a refractory material; and removing the wax from the wax component section and the spacer section, wherein removing the wax from the wax component section and the spacer section results in a mould component section in contact with an interface surface of the seed crystal and a spacer section located on a side of the seed crystal that is opposite from the interface surface, positioning an end of the mould having the spacer section on a chiller surface, the spacer section of the mould providing a space between the seed crystal and the chiller surface; and filling the mould component section with molten castable material to form the part as a single crystal structure.