Metal Casting Zone

I am wondering if I can use a clay mold for steam casting instead of using investment. Also, if I'm going to use steam casting, should I include risers? Or is that only with gravity casting?

Hey Dwarf 1,
In my experiance clay would not be a good mold material,it's too dense. The best investment I've used is "Satin Cast 20" made by Kerr. It's obtainable from jewlry supply companies.It's made to allow steam/air/gasses excape through the sides of the mold. A second material would be Dental casting investment ,available from their supply houses. I don't know how large a casting you are doing but generally,for small pieces only the sprue beneath the steam lid is all thats needed.Any others located under the steam lid will be for inserting the melt into the mold and any out side the steam lid will launch steam and molten metal every where (not a good idea).
Hope this helps.
Good luck....
Blindpig

Thanks! Yea, I did some more research and found out that investment would be the best. I'm starting out small- with rings. One sprue would be best. I'm creating my ring mold as we speak, so I'll have pics of it up soon. Thanks!

-Dwarf

good one... what metal are you using in your rings.

If I had more experience and cash, I'd like to use gold. But I'm probably gonna end up with sterling silver. I mean, I could use either- cause if I screw it up I'll just melt it down again. haha

good one...my son in law is studying ring making at university they are only allowed to use bronze to practise with..... when you remelt metal you lose a percentage of the metal due to oxidization ..... so stuff ups in silver and gold can be very expensive! hense the bronze option in the schools. bronze is very close to silver melting temps so if you can do it in bronze ....then you can work in silver...then onto gold!!

Hi draft1


Make a note of what Blindpig says in his post because he is spot on with the advice to use satin cast 20. Thats what I use for my lost wax.

I remembered when we did a steam casting in Tec in 1980 the wax ring was made up with very thin sprues around 2 mm Dia, but there were 6 or 7 of these connected to the ring shank area. Once the flask was burnt out the flask was placed on a fire proof base and the metal was poured on to the top of the flask,as the sprues are so small the molten metal doesen't run down into the ring cavity untill the very damp asbestos top (used in those days) was pushed down hard onto the top of the flask, the water in the asbestos cover bilt up steam in the sprue area and the steam pressure would force the molten metal into the flask . As i remenber the ring cast OK. The ring wasn't a very complex design.
Hope this helps Johncast