Metal Casting Zone

Hello everyone! This is my first post and I'm really excited to join this site!

I'm trying to make a small 4 - 6 inch metal tobacco pipe. I have the sketches drawn but have no idea where to start with making a prototype. Should I try to make the prototype myself with metal casting? Or would you recommend I talk to a professional about this? Any type of help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

If someone is willing to lend me their expertise and answer my questions one-by-one, I'm willing to pay for the help. Please message me.

Thanks in advance.

It would depend on how complicated the pattern is. If it is a simple bowl that will have a stem and mouthpiece added later, you could sand cast it like a small bell. If it's more complex you may have to consider lost wax casting.
Check out www.foundry101.com for some ideas.

One concern is that a metal pipe will give a bad taste to the tobacco. It may be too hot to hold.

Thanks Jammer, thats some useful information!

My questions is...if I'm an inventor should I try to learn how to metal cast myself or get someone else to do it for me? Metal casting seems a bit complicated and I don't really have the expertise, so ideally I just want to work with someone.

The design is going to be relatively straight forward - like any tobacco pipe you find at a headshop with just a few minor adjustments here and there. I need a prototype made! Is there a directory of local metal casters?

Btw is there magnetized metal for casting? I want a part of the pipe to be magnetized.

Welcome! Don't be intimidated, you can do metalcasting with charcoal from the corner store, an old soup can and a hibachi to hold the can and charcoal. Use a hair dryer for air and voila, molten aluminum (or even one of the lower melting alloys). Easy to do, hard to master. For a prototype, if you don't mind hand finishing a bit, carve one up in foam and use lost foam to do it. easy peasy. Just search for "lost foam" on here and you will have a pretty good idea of how it's done.
As far as a magnetic casting alloy, no such beast exists that will retain its magnetism in a molten state. Cast iron would be the closest thing, and you would have to magnetize it after casting. You would be better off just leaving a place for a magnet and gluing it in.

interesting concept. is this going to be a "smokeable" pipe or an ornament? the only metal pipes ive seen were stainless steel with a "plastic tip/mouthpeice"