Metal Casting Zone

thanks guys .hopefully by this time next week i will be able to post the next part.i agree with jammer fabricating the bed is the way to go. i used a table saw to rebate the pattern and needed to glue a thin piece of ply onto the timber as i couldnt buy 1 inch thick timber. it took me about 12 hrs to make the wooden pattern.

this is the next bit. one thing i learned was .... when using a pva glue in pattern making make sure you paint or seal it first before using green sand. by the time i made the mold the pva glue had gone sticky and of course sand stuck to it. the casting is a bit rough but its all there this has been the hardest pattern and mold ive worked with to date!!!!! my flask was just wide enough and i had trouble ramming the sides where the sprues are and hense a little rough. the casting weighs 840 grs with sprues and vents inclusive.(cant cast it without them lol)

I've started using a mix of powdered graphite and alum for a parting compound. I been getting a lot smoother castings. It's been hanging around 10 degrees F for over a month now. I want to melt something.

its mostly been around the 30 deg c here at the moment so its been excellent except for rain showers. i just use ordinary talc powder as a parting dust but im very careful with moisture. i also dry my sand and sieve it to remove any lumps. it has surprised me just how much fine metal i remove from the sand which otherwise would have caused roughness.

this is part of the compound slide. this was a very interesting molding project. consisting of three pattern peices and basically building a pattern using shapes and resulting in a mold.! you also need to insert a steel "core" which you leave in as part of casting /part. i got myself really worked up over it....but would you beleive it was really simple and perfect first pour!ive really learnt something from this.i could always just buy myself a lathe but i would never have learnt anything by doing so.

You're my hero. You are movin' on with this project. You make me proud. Lokkin' good.

Scottydawg wrote:
You're my hero. You are movin' on with this project. You make me proud. Lokkin' good.well its your idea! im hoping that you can get back into it so we can swap notes on casting and assembly.

this is the compound slide! in order for me to cast the headstock i will need to up grade my pot! so a small pause in this thread is in order for a week or two.

looks great. I may actually fire up the furnace tomorrow afternoon. I will probably cast the second base and process some scrap. I am starting to get over run in old grills, lawnmower engines, lawn chairs etc. I need toget muffins out of them.

i know what thats like! i think its important to pig your metal first as it does clean it up. ive just upgraded my pot and have pigged 10kg today ready for the headstock.ive also been practising pouring with it.