Does anyboyd have any pictures of you casting furnaces and moulds? I would like to see it please.

Check out my site at -
http://home.iprimus.com.au/cmckeown/foundry.htm

Cam

Also checkout http://www.buildyouridea.com he uses lost foam casting and also shows how he built his foundry.

Here is a part I just cast using the lost foam method. This is a bracket for the Dewalt laminate trimer I use on my router. This way I can use my winpy machine to make parts in foam that I can then cast in aluminum. The machine evolve on itself and does not require me to buy whole bunch of costly aluminum plates. The finish is of course in the +- 0.02 or so but for critical parts I have to go to the friendly machine shop...

Lost foam must be covered with a kind of high-temp plaster to obtain that finish tough... Hope it help

Para

I know this is the "post your mould" thread but it's raining outside so i'll post the last major thing I cast. It's a turbine impeller housing (i'll post the moulds later as they took a little working out for the parting line)

Here are some of my setup: http://www.nconnect.net/~jgro/foundry.htm

jgro

Some more pictures of the furnace and moulding area (a couple of moulds in view including a pattern plate) My furnace is a little different in that it uses gas oil (diesel) I also have a decommisioned gas burner but gas is expensive here UK the flasks and moulding bench are all proprietry products made by Flamefast I bought them as a job lot when a school 70 miles away had to close it's metalworking facility (health and safety.... :sigh: ) they were on ebay so I placed a bid and bought the whole shebang which explains why theres 2 of everything in there :D the sand is "Mansbond" oil bonded (Petrobond) it's an amazing sand which if you have a good mould then you have no finishing to do, there is 100kg of this sand in the centre section of the moulding bench. The burner unit is a 950.000btu unit which is one of 2 I bought 15 years ago after I figured that if the local Aluminium foundry could use them then I could too :) I have a friend who installs/repairs these so I did a deal and got 2 plus nozzles in 1/2 GPH increments (btw if you're interested in doing some sand casting then go and visit a local founders/casting company...i've visited various places and tbh they are amazed that anyone is interested...oh and make sure you come away with some goodies :) ) I believe the main reason I started doing this around 20 years ago was just for the hell of it :shrug:

I'm ready to start the mechanical side of my Warco GH mill now. Today I got one Axis done! The picture during shakeout shows the pattern used to make the mould. It's been a busy day here :) just needs a coupling and i'll play with that axis and see if I need reduction on the leadsrew.

Just melted my previous casting down and rammed this mould to make the MKII version. Great thing about casting is to be able to change your mind and not lose the materials :D Not considered lost foam casting...yet...I have no need for it thus far.

I want to do alloy casting, on a very small scale, but don't really know where to start...

Nice setup you have Kipper.


Joules



OOH EKK!!!, I see you are also in Yorkshire...

Outstanding stuff, Kipper! Very nice work, and it looks as if you have a nice, organized space in which you play!

Scott

I want to do alloy casting, on a very small scale, but don't really know where to start...

Nice setup you have Kipper.


Joules



OOH EKK!!!, I see you are also in Yorkshire... Another Yorkshireman eh.....Are you as much of a tight sod as me :D I see you'd like to try your hand at casting! PM me a phone number as I have my old furnace sat around doing nothing....I'll use the magic word..... FREE lol

Cheers Kipper, sorry about swallowing your arm there.... :D


Joules :cool:

Cheers Kipper, sorry about swallowing your arm there.... :D


Joules :cool: No worries Joules i've still got one left :beer:

Check out my site at -
http://home.iprimus.com.au/cmckeown/foundry.htm

Cam

On your website you talk about the sand being tempered. Same as conditioned? What quality are you looking for?
Thanks

By tempering I mean the bond strength of the sand. This is increased by the addition of more clay and water. The problem arises with the addition of the water. Not enough water and the sand will be to dry resulting sections of the sand pulling out when the pattern is removed or being washed out when the hot stuff is introduced to the mold. If the sand is to wet you will experience the thrill and excitement of Mount Vesuvious first hand.
As far as “quality” is concerned in relation to tempering, unless you have the equipment to measure the bond strength and moisture level of the sand it all comes down to experience, erring on the side of safety.

Cam