Casting Metals
- Thread starter Norman
- Start date
They picked it for me, I guess it is just one of the default photobucket pics.............
Great photos. Norm, what did you use for parting dust? I like the baby powder container, I use an old stocking, but I may try your method. Your green sand worked very well, no sticking, no dropouts. Where did you get it? And I love your snap flask. Great job. I looked at all 39 pictures, but where is the pour and final product? I am waiting for the next exciting episode. Tune in next week, same bat time same bat channel.
Jim
Jim
parting dust is dollar general baby powder. When you get the(baby powder) talc power make sure its only talc and not corn starch with talc.
I made my sand from play sand bought at walmart sifted out the big stuff. I ground up in a blender, some of Rufus's cat litter (fresh unused) Benoite clay. Its the clumping cat litter with a citrus smell.
1 lb clay to 10 lbs sand mixed it up by hand and also put it on the shop floor and walked on it
mixed it up and walked on it a few times.
Flask is home made.
I have all the patterns made except for the last one for the shaper, I did a test ramming of all patterns yesterday to see if I can pull them with out damage of the mold ,one pattern had to have some light sanding on one corner so it would pull cleanly the rest worked good.
I made my sand from play sand bought at walmart sifted out the big stuff. I ground up in a blender, some of Rufus's cat litter (fresh unused) Benoite clay. Its the clumping cat litter with a citrus smell.
1 lb clay to 10 lbs sand mixed it up by hand and also put it on the shop floor and walked on it
mixed it up and walked on it a few times.
Flask is home made.
I have all the patterns made except for the last one for the shaper, I did a test ramming of all patterns yesterday to see if I can pull them with out damage of the mold ,one pattern had to have some light sanding on one corner so it would pull cleanly the rest worked good.
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May try it tomorrow. You want to play? We could do some Saturday if you want and the weather is good. I need to get some used oil I have very little right now.
I still need to get some 5/8" plywood or particle board to make the shaper table a chunk about 2' sq. should be enough I might make it out of 3/4" ply as I have some that will make the table just a little thicker so it shouldn't hurt anything. Once the table pattern is made I will have all of the needed patterns made.
I still haven't taken any photos of the patterns, I liked your photos of the cylinder head mold.
I might need to make more sand as the biggest flask will maybe take all that I have made and still need more to fill it completely.
I still need to get some 5/8" plywood or particle board to make the shaper table a chunk about 2' sq. should be enough I might make it out of 3/4" ply as I have some that will make the table just a little thicker so it shouldn't hurt anything. Once the table pattern is made I will have all of the needed patterns made.
I still haven't taken any photos of the patterns, I liked your photos of the cylinder head mold.
I might need to make more sand as the biggest flask will maybe take all that I have made and still need more to fill it completely.
Hi Norm,
The do it yourself green sand is exactly what I did. I used a coffee grinder to get a powder consistency to the kitty litter. A blender didn't seem to get it fine enough for me. I guess my mistake was either too little bentonite or water amount was wrong. I used 8 parts sand to 1 part fine sifted sand. But I did by volume (margarine containers. The clay weighs less, so I probably did way less than 1/2 of your ratio. I'm gonna try this using your method. Hopefully no more dropouts. I am posting this so if anyone else decides to try it, they will see common problems, and avoid the mistakes that can easily discourage people. Good luck with your project. I can't wait to see a pour. Jim
The do it yourself green sand is exactly what I did. I used a coffee grinder to get a powder consistency to the kitty litter. A blender didn't seem to get it fine enough for me. I guess my mistake was either too little bentonite or water amount was wrong. I used 8 parts sand to 1 part fine sifted sand. But I did by volume (margarine containers. The clay weighs less, so I probably did way less than 1/2 of your ratio. I'm gonna try this using your method. Hopefully no more dropouts. I am posting this so if anyone else decides to try it, they will see common problems, and avoid the mistakes that can easily discourage people. Good luck with your project. I can't wait to see a pour. Jim
YouTube - video-2010-04-17-20-19-24
Here's Norm making his first pour.I don't think he cussed to much
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Here's Norm making his first pour.I don't think he cussed to much
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the other molds was the clapper for the gingery metal shaper it had a shrink void but at the time we didn't know it didn't come out the best. We poured the ram today it also has some defects but I'm going to use it the defects are just rough looking spots I think due to not enough venting.
The last part of the video was pouring the excess melt into ingots I'll reuse them on the next melt
makes it easy to fill the crucible. When I melt the aluminum the first time from old engine parts
I get a bunch of dross/slag when I remelt from ingots I get a bunch less dross.
I got the furnace a little too hot today and melted some of the refractory cement on the lid
Ooops. I'll have to check it out tomorrow once its cooled off if it ain't hurt too bad I'll pour some more junkyard parts.
One ear on the crucible melted off so I'll weld on a new washer to fix that.
I'll have to have Ilikeabikea take some photos of my junkyard castings I'm busier than a one legged man at a butt kicking party. So no photos from me.
Thanks Ilikeabikea for the videos.
The last part of the video was pouring the excess melt into ingots I'll reuse them on the next melt
makes it easy to fill the crucible. When I melt the aluminum the first time from old engine parts
I get a bunch of dross/slag when I remelt from ingots I get a bunch less dross.
I got the furnace a little too hot today and melted some of the refractory cement on the lid
Ooops. I'll have to check it out tomorrow once its cooled off if it ain't hurt too bad I'll pour some more junkyard parts.
One ear on the crucible melted off so I'll weld on a new washer to fix that.
I'll have to have Ilikeabikea take some photos of my junkyard castings I'm busier than a one legged man at a butt kicking party. So no photos from me.
Thanks Ilikeabikea for the videos.
I did some more castings today for the shaper. It went very smooth the cast parts came out good
I'm really starting to enjoy this! I can't wait to get this thing made and the mill. Then I might try
some engine parts for the china doll. I might make some side panels first might even try
making a couple of heads with no combustion chamber so a guy could machine into the head what they want. Any of you guys interested in one of the heads if I do cast them?
They will be rough looking and you will have to machine them your self.
The rougher the finish on the fins the better they will cool, more surface area.
I'm thinking of trying a cylinder someday make it so the transfer ports are covered by a plate that is removable for the porting, its just a idea for now but the possibility's are almost endless
if you want to make it.
The cylinder can be cast with a steel sleeve. I did a cast on a couple of parts that require a steel
3/4" dia rod in them and they came out great.
With cast parts you have to machine them and making the milling machine and shaper will make it possible to make the tools.
If you can't afford to buy it, then make it.
I'm really starting to enjoy this! I can't wait to get this thing made and the mill. Then I might try
some engine parts for the china doll. I might make some side panels first might even try
making a couple of heads with no combustion chamber so a guy could machine into the head what they want. Any of you guys interested in one of the heads if I do cast them?
They will be rough looking and you will have to machine them your self.
The rougher the finish on the fins the better they will cool, more surface area.
I'm thinking of trying a cylinder someday make it so the transfer ports are covered by a plate that is removable for the porting, its just a idea for now but the possibility's are almost endless
if you want to make it.
The cylinder can be cast with a steel sleeve. I did a cast on a couple of parts that require a steel
3/4" dia rod in them and they came out great.
With cast parts you have to machine them and making the milling machine and shaper will make it possible to make the tools.
If you can't afford to buy it, then make it.
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Norm, you live the life i want. Im a student at virginia tech, and with millions of dollars of cnc equipment im not allowed to touch any of it.
I would love to have one of those blank heads if there are any available!
Hopefully I'll be able to use the lathes at the factory I'm interning at this summer. Ive had a CAD file of a head I've wanted to make for a year or so now.
Anyways my dad has a very well equipped wood shop but I'm more of a metals man. I was wondering how much i would have to invest to get a simple metal lathe. Also, is there any way i could use a wood lathe with a tool rest to machine aluminum? I suppose worst comes to worse i could use a foredoom tool's burr and files at low speeds. After a few year of that i could have a finished head!
I don't know if you've thought about it but would it be difficult to make a water jacket for one of these engines? If you could grind a stock cylinders cooling fins to be symmetric about the cylinder's center i you could easily make a sleeve that fits tightly around the cylinder, then cut channels for coolant. Not sure how you'd do the head, though. How do they cast the water jacket in engines?
I would love to have one of those blank heads if there are any available!
Hopefully I'll be able to use the lathes at the factory I'm interning at this summer. Ive had a CAD file of a head I've wanted to make for a year or so now.
Anyways my dad has a very well equipped wood shop but I'm more of a metals man. I was wondering how much i would have to invest to get a simple metal lathe. Also, is there any way i could use a wood lathe with a tool rest to machine aluminum? I suppose worst comes to worse i could use a foredoom tool's burr and files at low speeds. After a few year of that i could have a finished head!
I don't know if you've thought about it but would it be difficult to make a water jacket for one of these engines? If you could grind a stock cylinders cooling fins to be symmetric about the cylinder's center i you could easily make a sleeve that fits tightly around the cylinder, then cut channels for coolant. Not sure how you'd do the head, though. How do they cast the water jacket in engines?
Re: i am not sure about some of this i only make
Not sure how you'd do the head, though.///////////// i only make simple parts and knives and blades ect. something like this ''warning turn down stupid music lol ,, >YouTube - Japanese Traditional Metal Casting i only on a very rare occasion fire any thing any more ,, i make more cast than any thing BITY Mold Supply - Mold Making, Mold Rubber and Casting Resins | Home P.S !!!!! I am so sick and tired of ordering off line !!!!!! How do they cast the water jacket in engines?[/QUOTE]
Not sure how you'd do the head, though.///////////// i only make simple parts and knives and blades ect. something like this ''warning turn down stupid music lol ,, >YouTube - Japanese Traditional Metal Casting i only on a very rare occasion fire any thing any more ,, i make more cast than any thing BITY Mold Supply - Mold Making, Mold Rubber and Casting Resins | Home P.S !!!!! I am so sick and tired of ordering off line !!!!!! How do they cast the water jacket in engines?[/QUOTE]
So you could cast a cylinder with no ports? I wonder if you could buy diagrams for differnt types of porting? I might be interested in something like that. Chama
the world wide web is not so vast as one may think i
as far as diagrams for ports and motors are very hard to find , any where , the last good sorce was at the ---renaissance fair in pensacola florida---- if it comes again you need to be there ! its the old way but you can get ideas from the black smith !!
as far as diagrams for ports and motors are very hard to find , any where , the last good sorce was at the ---renaissance fair in pensacola florida---- if it comes again you need to be there ! its the old way but you can get ideas from the black smith !!
With a simple home shop made foundry you can make just about anything you would want.
It might look like heck making a home made cast part or machine but that is the fun of doing it.
If any of you guys want a lathe, shaper,drill press, or a metal mill then check out the Dave Gingery books book 1 to 7 you can make your own tools from scrap aluminum by melting the metal and casting it in green sand molds. All of the info is in the books. You don't need expensive tools or machines to make your shop tools.
I'm doing the casting of a metal shaper now then on to making the mill. I cheated a little as I have a small sears metal lathe.
Its like Christmas every time I pour a new casting I can hardly want for it to cool enough to dig it out of the sand and see how it turned out. If it don't turn out good remelt and try again, you learn from the casting what you did not do right so its self teaching if you study what came out of the sand.
I found play sand at Walmart makes good casting sand its very fine grained. I also use cat litter ground up in a blender for the clay. 10 lbs of sifted sand to 1 lb of ground cat litter add just enough water to make the stuff look and feel like brown sugar.
All of my castiing tools are home made the most expensive part was a 1/4" ball valve to control the waste oil burner. For flasks I used old wooden fence lumber.
To make the patterns I used med. density fiber board and scrap lumber. Lot of sanding to make them smooth. You can make all of your patterns with hand tools.
Casting aluminum is an inexpensive way to make parts and equipment.
It might look like heck making a home made cast part or machine but that is the fun of doing it.
If any of you guys want a lathe, shaper,drill press, or a metal mill then check out the Dave Gingery books book 1 to 7 you can make your own tools from scrap aluminum by melting the metal and casting it in green sand molds. All of the info is in the books. You don't need expensive tools or machines to make your shop tools.
I'm doing the casting of a metal shaper now then on to making the mill. I cheated a little as I have a small sears metal lathe.
Its like Christmas every time I pour a new casting I can hardly want for it to cool enough to dig it out of the sand and see how it turned out. If it don't turn out good remelt and try again, you learn from the casting what you did not do right so its self teaching if you study what came out of the sand.
I found play sand at Walmart makes good casting sand its very fine grained. I also use cat litter ground up in a blender for the clay. 10 lbs of sifted sand to 1 lb of ground cat litter add just enough water to make the stuff look and feel like brown sugar.
All of my castiing tools are home made the most expensive part was a 1/4" ball valve to control the waste oil burner. For flasks I used old wooden fence lumber.
To make the patterns I used med. density fiber board and scrap lumber. Lot of sanding to make them smooth. You can make all of your patterns with hand tools.
Casting aluminum is an inexpensive way to make parts and equipment.
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