Investment Casting Costs

[MightyDi]

Thanks for posting. I’ve been wondering about this process.

[rrnut-2]

Try this foundry, as they do some good size brass and bronze castings. They cater to the small orders.

Hildebran Designs, Inc.
386 Center Conway Road
Brownfield, Maine 04010
PHONE: (207)935-3729
FAX: (207)935-0114
CELL: (207)890-9596

Jim B

[daves1459]

Try this foundry, as they do some good size brass and bronze castings. They cater to the small orders.

Hildebran Designs, Inc.
386 Center Conway Road
Brownfield, Maine 04010
PHONE: (207)935-3729
FAX: (207)935-0114
CELL: (207)890-9596

Jim B

Thanks, I'll give them a try.

Dave

[Howard Gorin]

I have been selling castings for many years.
I have used several investment casting foundries, they have all closed.
The best foundry I used was for sale. I expressed an interest in buying the business.
The owner decided to sell the business to another person.
The new owner was able to loose the help and the customers and close the business.
The new owner managed to accomplish this feat in about two weeks!
The last foundry I had used has been supplying poor parts to me and another live steam parts supplier.
They have tripled the price of castings. Ingot bronze and other foundry supplies have doubled in price.
When I last went there I was told "I can chose my customers, I don't need your business"
It was on a cash and carry basis, no credit terms asked or given.
I asked a foundry supply company for advice to get a new supplier.
When I visited them I was told "we don't need your business"
The foundry that did my nonferrous sand castings now only casts their own product.
That foundry claims they can not get workers.
They were my resource for about fifty years.
I have used four or five iron foundries, now all closed.
Maybe it is my fault!
It is against my principles to offshore my castings.
Other things I purchase are only available "offshore."
Sadly, I do not see a bright future for the hobby.

[Highiron]

This whole thread has been extremely informative and interesting this is one of the reasons that I solely concentrate on model making mold making and shooting waxes I want no part of being married to an investment casting Foundry I have enough to do between part development wax work Machining and assembling that would fall to the Wayside and put me way behind schedule if I had to also do investing and casting I am very happy with my Foundry and the castings they produce for me I use two different foundries and I have been for several years we have an excellent working relationship and prices do go up and occasionally they do go down the metal Market is very unstable at this point

[RONALD]

I was an early starter in foundry work, having poured Type Metal HO parts in High School using the kitchen stove.

I got interestd in Lost Foam in the 60’s and Lost Wax in the 80’s.

When I taught Physics at Lane Tech in Chicago, I had access to two foundry classrooms.

When they started to eliminate all high school shop thruout the country, I was able to purchase parts of those foundries.

I had no intention of making it a business, and only cast for my own use.

Several times it has been more easy to purchase than create my own, even tho I do not like to.

Below are some photos, that may have been posted here before.

I included one failure.

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