FYI

Home enthusiasts discuss their Foundry & Casting work.

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RONALD
Posts: 754
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 7:27 am

FYI

Post by RONALD »

Wow, this forum has really been deserted. You can almost hear the wind blowing and the tumbleweed tumbling.

Of course, like me, you may be waiting for spring to get back to casting metal, can't do it when it's below freezing in my foundry.

There are lots of hobbyists making castings, but how many professionals are there?

Below is the answer, if you live in Ohio, you have a lot of foundries nearby.
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Last edited by RONALD on Sun Jan 25, 2015 7:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
DavidF
Posts: 282
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 12:28 pm
Location: Delaware

Re: FYI

Post by DavidF »

What would be the difference between plaster mold and investment casting? I would have thought they were one in the same?
Is it me or are there surprisingly few investment casting companys?
DavidF
Posts: 282
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 12:28 pm
Location: Delaware

Re: FYI

Post by DavidF »

Google is our friend.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaster_mold_casting

Might have to try this sometime.
RONALD
Posts: 754
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 7:27 am

Re: FYI

Post by RONALD »

While in high school, a looooong time ago, I would use wood putty to make molds. I would then pour melted type metal, "borrowed" from the school shops, to pour my HO parts. (Wood putty should be available at most hardware stores.)

As hobbyists we are free to try any materials or process we want, but commercial foundries are governed by the bottom line.

I did try the V Process once, but it was just an experiment.
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SteveR
Posts: 372
Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:17 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Re: FYI

Post by SteveR »

I know I've been busy. I just had another 100lbs of green sand delivered today. I'm working on a couple of different patterns and while I'm fairly confident with aluminum, I recently bought another crucible for bronze and succeeded in melting some on a test run - see pic.

SteveR
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12x36 Enco Lathe, 9x42 Bridgeport, SMAW, O/A, Miller MIG w/gas, plasma
Not enough measuring tools...
1.5" Allen Models Consolidation on air.
1" FEF in progress
1" & 3/4" LE Projects
Measure twice, cut once, wait - it was supposed to be brass! :)
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: FYI

Post by steamin10 »

Congrats on your brick pile thermal converter. The oldest example of a fire kiln. This type of pot melting furnace is many thousands of years old, larger variants have a wet hearth that is the floor of the furnace covered with melted metals. Similar designs are still being used today in large production facilities. The addition of a 'pot' means less trouble getting metal from furnace to pouring mold. Otherwise a ladle is used, either in dipping into the pool of metal, or tapping the furnace and running the metal into a 'pot' ladle for the transfer. It is only the means of firing and new 'tech' materials that differ over time, back to the beginning of the bronze age.
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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steamin10
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:52 pm
Location: NW Indiana. Close to Lake Michigan S. tip

Re: FYI

Post by steamin10 »

I just had my 'Metalcasters Bible' by C.W. Ammen falll out of a spot on the shelf, and I scanned through it for a few minutes. It has tables of bell compositions and all such manner of tricks hints, molding and feed sprue rules. I cannot say how much trivia is in there, only that a serious caster must have this book on his reference shelf.

Play safe :wink:
Big Dave, former Millwright, Electrician, Environmental conditioning, and back yard Fixxit guy. Now retired, persuing boats, trains, and broken relics.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart. My computer beat me at chess, but not kickboxing
It is not getting caught in the rain, its learning to dance in it. People saying good morning, should have to prove it.
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