Metal Casting Zone

Hey all, been lurking for quite awhile on here and others and decided to finally register and post. I was wondering if those of you who cast regularly, if you had to or chose to, do you think that you could turn your operation into your main income maker. I am looking for a change in jobs and have been thinking about this for years. I have done casting in the past on a very small scale, but I am looking for a realistic perspective. I can make anything sound good in my head, but cannot afford to "bet the farm". I have lots of ideas for parts and items for commercial sale, but just looking for some input or perspective. Thanks.

Welcome to the forum.

I imagine we have all pondered this in our heads. Like you, we are afraid to bet the farm. I think there would be a niche out there with hotrods, cycles, antique machinery and small machine shops. I've dropped a few hints with machinists and some friends but not too many takers. I'm just having fun right now.
The Mother Earth News I saw about 30 years age said "Set up a home foundry and the world will beat a path to your door." Or, something like that.
What's your background and what are your thoughts of sellable items?

Here's the link, it was 27 years ago, I still have the magazine. Dreamed for 25 years and finally tried it a couple years ago.

Mother Earth foundry, Dave Gingery

welcome to the forum, it is possible to set up a back yard foundry for profit atleast untill big brother step in and wants his share and the enviromental protection agency wants to know what you emissions are and you wastes scraps chemicals ect ect....
better off to keep it on the down low and just make suplimentary income.

good advice a1 keep it small and quiet otherwise you will have to move to an industrial estate with big rents. unless you live in the country on a rual property miles from no where.

Jammer wrote:
Here's the link, it was 27 years ago, I still have the magazine. Dreamed for 25 years and finally tried it a couple years ago.

Mother Earth foundry, Dave Gingery
i remember reading that article back in "82"

Thanks for the replies guys. Jammer, you pretty much nailed it, vintage hotrod and custom type stuff and equipment restoration parts. Stuff that would be production runs and not just one offs. With the feelers that I have out there. I think that I could move enough volume to possibly make it work. (At least for the first couple of years) I also have pretty much all of the equipment to keep everything in house with the machining and what not. In this economy, any new business venture is scarry though. I just would not want to have to turn to the art side of it which seems real hit and miss to me on selling pieces. Not too worried about EPA and the like. I am pretty rural in my setting. It is kinda funny reading that mother earth news story stating that Gingery is currently writing his machine shop books. Those books in my mind were written in the 60's or early 70's. I did not realize that it was the 80's. They have just seemed to have always existed. He has definatly contributed alot.

"Art" is the easiest part of it, just make something that looks like crap and put a huge price tag on it. Someone is bound to buy it.

***My apologies to real artists that make some very beautiful things and are paid accordingly.

You mentioned being a bit worried about starting in on a new business venture in Casting everything in house, but when it comes down to it-- if you go for it and go into business for yourself you can take it in a few directions.

1) What if it works out? You have a successful business you own yourself and are free to expand as you please or simply coast along living comfortably.

2) You learn it will take a bit more than your up to to make it work for a living, but you now have the casting experience to REALLY sell yourself to a larger casting foundry. That's valuable experience you can take advantage of.

With that skill there's plenty of ways to put it to work for your life. Keep it up.

I started out with a $12,000.00 investment in a spin casting setup, from TechCast in NY.
I have been running my own casting business for over 25 years.

I do mostly zinc alloy parts as the metal is low temp and easy to machine.

I reproduce all sorts of antique auto parts, toy parts, gas pump parts,etc.

Anything that was made of white metal is a good candidate for business.

A few years ago, I started to sand cast larger parts that I could not do on the spinner system.

Sand casting is much cheaper than the spin system, but the two ways cover a lot of different casting jobs.

eBay is a great way to get your products out to the public.

Also, don't be shy of "one-offs", as the right part can make you a lot of money.
The rarer the part, the more the price goes up.

Production work, on the other hand, can get boring.

Petrobond casting is one method I use.

Where are you located?