Foundry Pattern Making
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- Posts: 16
- Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 7:09 pm
Foundry Pattern Making
Hello
I'm looking for a book, or any information which speaks specifically to the topic of Pattern Making for casting an internally cored locomotive cylinder. I am also looking for pattern making information for the Commonwealth Delta trailing truck.
Any help here would be much appreciated!
I'm looking for a book, or any information which speaks specifically to the topic of Pattern Making for casting an internally cored locomotive cylinder. I am also looking for pattern making information for the Commonwealth Delta trailing truck.
Any help here would be much appreciated!
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
Find Dave Sclavi's Youtube series on making foundry patterns. You'll learn a ton by watching Dave at work.
"Always stopping my train, and risking my ankles, with American made, New Balance sneakers."
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
What scale cylinder pattern and what casting method ? the requirements for greensand casting will be different from investment.
The advent of 3D cad software and 3D printing have made a big impression on traditional pattern making.
Dan.
The advent of 3D cad software and 3D printing have made a big impression on traditional pattern making.
Dan.
- Dick_Morris
- Posts: 2851
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 2:09 pm
- Location: Anchorage, AK
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
There is a short description of stationary engine cylinder pattern making at https://archive.org/details/machinerypattern00dingrich starting on page 26. I have the hard copy Lindsey reprint of the same book. I did a quick search of archive.org and found this one - https://archive.org/details/modernmouldingpa00mull. See page 80, also the proceeding pages on cylinders
The pattern making and moulding kind of go hand-in-hand. There are several other good Youtube videos on more complex patterns and cores, although not specific to locomotives. One of my favorites is luckygen1001. Olfoundryman and myfordboy are also good sources.
The pattern making and moulding kind of go hand-in-hand. There are several other good Youtube videos on more complex patterns and cores, although not specific to locomotives. One of my favorites is luckygen1001. Olfoundryman and myfordboy are also good sources.
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
This a Castle class engine of the GWR under going re-furbishment , pictured is the inside motion frame casting.
This is the 3D cad drawing of the frame casting scaled for a 5” gauge model.
The cad drawing was uploaded to Shapeways.com for printing.
It would require many hours by a skilled pattern maker to come anywhere near the accuracy of the resulting pattern.
The casting were to be produced by the lost wax process so a rubber mould was made from the printed pattern and the required quantity of wax patterns made.
The frames were cast in yellow brass using block moulds with vacuum assisted pour.
This process is ideal for very complex castings with hollows and undercuts that would require cores and multi-piece moulds if done in greensand , probably the reason why no castings were available for this part.
I have produced several other castings for this engine and thousands of castings for other locomotives from gauge one to 71/4” gauge.
Dan.
This is the 3D cad drawing of the frame casting scaled for a 5” gauge model.
The cad drawing was uploaded to Shapeways.com for printing.
It would require many hours by a skilled pattern maker to come anywhere near the accuracy of the resulting pattern.
The casting were to be produced by the lost wax process so a rubber mould was made from the printed pattern and the required quantity of wax patterns made.
The frames were cast in yellow brass using block moulds with vacuum assisted pour.
This process is ideal for very complex castings with hollows and undercuts that would require cores and multi-piece moulds if done in greensand , probably the reason why no castings were available for this part.
I have produced several other castings for this engine and thousands of castings for other locomotives from gauge one to 71/4” gauge.
Dan.
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- Location: Germany, Duesseldorf
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
Hello Abby,
Thanks for posting your process of constructing and casting your fine results! Congratulation for your outstanding work !
To me 3D and Rapid Prototyping the patterns in combination with lost wax casting seems to show the future way how to cunstruct even complicated locomotive parts.
For our models of the N&W classes A and J, we had some less sophisticated parts made by the same method.
It was a long way to construct and get those parts, yet. Not to recommend to beginners, by the way .
Please share some more photos of your castings!
Best regards by Asteamhead
Thanks for posting your process of constructing and casting your fine results! Congratulation for your outstanding work !
To me 3D and Rapid Prototyping the patterns in combination with lost wax casting seems to show the future way how to cunstruct even complicated locomotive parts.
For our models of the N&W classes A and J, we had some less sophisticated parts made by the same method.
It was a long way to construct and get those parts, yet. Not to recommend to beginners, by the way .
Please share some more photos of your castings!
Best regards by Asteamhead
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
Beautifully done!
I think the real skill required here is how to make the rubber molds on such a complex part!!
Your concept and application worked well.
~RN
I think the real skill required here is how to make the rubber molds on such a complex part!!
Your concept and application worked well.
~RN
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
You are making me feel like I am under utilizing my 3d printer...
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
Asteamhead perhaps you will recognise these castings which I made for clients in Germany
and this is a complete casting kit less the wheels for LBSC’s gauge 1 DOT.
Unfortunately most of my pictures are on Photobucket so I can only show screen shots.
Dan
and this is a complete casting kit less the wheels for LBSC’s gauge 1 DOT.
Unfortunately most of my pictures are on Photobucket so I can only show screen shots.
Dan
- Greg_Lewis
- Posts: 3021
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:44 pm
- Location: Fresno, CA
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
If you're going to use a commercial foundry, be sure to check with them before you start. They may have specific requirements or suggestions.
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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- Location: Canada
Re: Foundry Pattern Making
Abby/Dan, do you have a website or FB page?
Mtneer.
Mtneer.
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Re: Foundry Pattern Making
Hello Abby,
Yes,indeed! That AEG turbo generator is one of the most desired parts for models of DR, DB and some other locomotives. Your castings of the exaust chambers are very similar to those used with a lot of different European locomotives, too. Excelent stuff!
But to tell the sad story : Many of such superb castings are prone to being copied unauthorizied by some 'modelers'. Just buy one such part, send it to a lost wax expert and you can produce copies of similar quality (with a Little shrinkage). The Inventor did all that ingenious work but earns nearly null sales. This is one reason why many fine castings will never be offered .
By the way, that Timken cap was sand casted of bronze. That CC-dumy (5 ") was made by a friend - just for himself and a few friends.
Best regards
Asteamhead
Yes,indeed! That AEG turbo generator is one of the most desired parts for models of DR, DB and some other locomotives. Your castings of the exaust chambers are very similar to those used with a lot of different European locomotives, too. Excelent stuff!
But to tell the sad story : Many of such superb castings are prone to being copied unauthorizied by some 'modelers'. Just buy one such part, send it to a lost wax expert and you can produce copies of similar quality (with a Little shrinkage). The Inventor did all that ingenious work but earns nearly null sales. This is one reason why many fine castings will never be offered .
By the way, that Timken cap was sand casted of bronze. That CC-dumy (5 ") was made by a friend - just for himself and a few friends.
Best regards
Asteamhead