Casting Metals

[harry76]

Ive loved this thread and its inspired me to try casting metals. I have bought the first 2 Gingery books, i have more time then money So id love to build my own workshop. I dont know if i can do it, it seems so daunting, but im going to try.

How does the Gingery lathe perform?

Thanks for the inspiration Norm. Ive seen the stuff you have cast and its so cool. The idea of casting opens up a whole new world of whats possible.

I look forward to seeing more of this little engine you are buiding.

 

[Norman]

Harry76, You would be better off saving up some cash and buy a your first machine tools like a lathe, china made lathes and mills are going be be way better than home made ones.

I didn't build the lathe just the shaper, mill, and dividing head. I've since bought a Grizzly lathe 10"x22" G0602 and a Grizzly G0619 mill, I'm real pleased with both of those machines.

The Gingery mill and shaper were fun to build and did do what I wanted but now they are taking up space on my work shelves. I can use the gingery dividing head on my Grizzly mill so I probably will keep it. The shaper I'll keep it just because it's a tool that is not common anymore. The Gingery mill I'd sell it if I get someone interested in it.

Now the foundry for me is the fun stuff. Mine is waste oil fired and my casting sand is home made so is the furnace.

I recommend skipping a charcoal fired furnace and building a waste oil furnace. Make your own casting tools read all you can on casting and give it a try.

Ilikeabikea gave me a aluminum wheel off of his car. The wheel was damaged that is how I ended up with it. That wheel is now being turned into the steam engine. Of all the aluminum that I've melted and cast this wheel has been the best! The quality of this aluminum is very nice I haven't had hardly any hydrogen pits in it at all. The only bad part was breaking the wheel up so I could melt it. So if you find a aluminum wheel it will work real good for casting.
Thanks, Bob!!! for that wheel.

 

[Norman]

couple of photos of more work done on the steam engine.
This is going to be around 14" tall

Cast base and it's pattern.

steam chest cover, steam chest, and cross head and their patterns.

Next to photos is the mold for the base.I used 7 gallons of sand to make the mold.

 

[GearNut]

Mighty fine work there, Norman.
This is an awesome project! Thank you for updating us. I appreciate your work!

 

[Norman]

Here's a project cast a gear blank and make a new gear for a lathe. This gear can no longer be bought. If you could it would cost $170.00. The guy I made this gear for insisted on paying for this gear same price as if he'd bought it from Sears. So now the heat is on me to make it, and make it correctly to size with all the small features except for the 60 small holes on the side of the gear. It took 3 days from start to finish. I worked on it 3 to 5 hours a day.

Here is the gear next to a pattern, the pattern is just a stack of disc's form other casting projects.

Here the pattern is rammed up in the sand.This is where I add the top of the pattern stack and the top half of the flask.

Here is the as cast gear blank fresh from being cast.

Gear blank is all machined to the o.d. sizes on the lathe now to the mill for cutting the teeth. I didn't take photos of it in the lathe while machining it to size..... I just forgot to take photos of it.

 

[Norman]

Gear blank set up in the mill with the dividing head There needs to be 62 teeth cut on the blank.

First cut only 61 more to go

I'm about 1/4 of the way there. The cutting tool is home made along with the dividing head.

All the teeth are done, it came out good! Now to get rid of the extra metal, drill then tap the holes, and cut the key way.

 

[Norman]

Boring the gear to 1.000"

Another shot of boring the gear to size.

I cut off the short shaft that was cast on the gear blank as it was only used for holding the part while work was being done on it. Now it's no longer needed so off it comes.

machining the face of the gear to match the old gear. I didn't add the holes around the gear as the guy didn't want them.

 

[Norman]

Milling the gear to it's width. This could have been done on the lathe, I just wanted to do it on the mill.

The gear blank is set up on the rotary table for machining the circular shape with the two nubs( tits for you dirty minded guys).

All the hard stuff is over, just need to drill and tap a few holes and it's done.

Drilling the set screw hole, hardest one to do because of the angle.

 

[Norman]

Finished gear.

Did I make any money doing this? Probably not.
Did I have a good time YES!
I also made a guy very happy with a gear he could not buy.
Would I do it again? sure, I like making this kind of stuff.
Hope you enjoyed this.
Norman

 

[rustycase]

Wow!
That's real talent, Lord Vader.
I can't imagine how you hardfaced the teeth to hold up under the wear it will see, and retain tolerances...
Awesome!
Best
rc

 

[Norman]

No need for any heat treating the gears are aluminum. What killed the original gear, was abuse from a previous owner. This gear had all the teeth worn badly and 2 teeth were almost gone.

 

[GearNut]

Absolutely awesome!
Some day (or year) I really gotta get myself a lathe and mill.
First I gotta get a garage big enough to put them into.
You really are an inspiration, Norman!

 

[rustycase]

GN, I've seen some respectable small projects built on the Sherline table top lathe and mill.. have you ever considered them?
rc

 

[GearNut]

I think I would go the way of a Smithy Midas 3 in 1.
http://www.smithy.com/midas.
I just don't have the $$ or room for one.

Definately not one of those Harbor Freight ones. (Sorry Dan ) I used one and did not like it. True though it was badly abused before I got to it.

 

[Dan]

Now ya tell me GN!? LOL.

 

[Norman]

I would not get a combo or a 3 in 1 machine. From what I've heard the combo machines will do lathe and mill work but not as well as a dedicated machine will do.

 

[GearNut]

Thank you very much for the tip, Norman! It will weigh heavily in my thoughts when I do purchase equipment and start making my own parts.

 

[Foundry_Man]

What a cool thread!

I just finished by first 2 stroke cruiser, and also happen to work in a foundry down here in Melbourne, Australia.
we specialise in automotive castings, such as cylinder heads, intake manifolds etc...

Norman you seem to have casting worked out already, if anyone wants to know more or needs help with anything let me know!

I'm already planning on making some replacment HT cylinder bores and heads, with all the nice smooth port work already done.

might make some little intake manifolds as well for the fun of it.

 

[Mr.B.]

Foundry Man-

Welcome to the forum!

I have a question for you---?

I’d like to home cast a aluminum cylinder head for a old Wisconsin brand engine, to be appox 5” x 7” x 1/2” thick not including the cooling fins.

What would be the recommended oversize percentage I should use when I make the wooden pattern?

I hope you stick around, I'd look forward to your insights!

Thanks!

-Kirk

 

[Foundry_Man]

Foundry Man-

Welcome to the forum!

I have a question for you---?

I’d like to home cast a aluminum cylinder head for a old Wisconsin brand engine, to be appox 5” x 7” x 1/2” thick not including the cooling fins.

What would be the recommended oversize percentage I should use when I make the wooden pattern?

I hope you stick around, I'd look forward to your insights!

Thanks!

-Kirk

Hi Kirk,

we use 1.2% oversize for aluminium. no matter how big or small the casting

we've done a fair few reproduction motorbike heads, and things with fins can get tricky, let me know if you need any help with any part of the process.

cheers!