Wheel Patterns

[RONALD]

To complement Trainman's great videos on You Tube, you should go back to 2007 and read what others have done:

http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... 7&start=24

I have a different approach to my casting and patterns, and below is what I posted in 2007. I did not use loose compacted sand when I made the mold, but used Sodium Silicate treated sand, which is then hardened, I also located the sprue right on top of the back center of the driver, which worked fine for me. Had to add several weights to the mold, because the first mold poured lifted up the cope due to the pressure of the molten metal. I have also done many wheels in styrofoam which, of course, needs no permanent pattern. I use shellac on my patterns.



"Here are three Match Plates I made a few years ago. I screwed two pieces of maple together, and on a rotary table, laid out and milled the spokes. I then hand detailed each spoke. When each of the wheels were done, I split the wheels in half and mounted them on a sheet of plywood, to make the Match Plate. I molded and poured test castings in aluminum, and when they turned out ok, I made up the molds for iron. I took them to an Iron Foundry, and because I had made some brass castings for the owner, he poured them for free. You will notice there is still a little flash on the spokes, and only the preliminary machining has been done. This was for a future project that I have yet to start, but when I had the opportunity for free iron, I took advantage of it."