Has anyone experimented with using an inital dip in Investmnet prior to dipping in SS? I want to make little intricate things but the SS is nearly impossible to remove entirely. I was thinking that it would make clean up much easier. I cast 12-16 pieces in a single mold at a time. Investment casting that many pieces at a time is not efficient at all.
sounds like a good idea. Im having big problems getting shell out of deep detailing even with a sand blaster. Let us know how it works if you give it a go
Thought it might be a good idea, so I clicked his posts and got a surprise.. Check out the second one down. If it works, it would make clean up a lot easier.. Maybe dry wall mud would work as well as investment.
I tried it using RanCast investment. One cast was a 3" bust of Walt Disney out of PLA. tried one coat of Rancast and then 5 dips of SS. Burned out fine. Did not work. Pitted and just ugly. Just using SS they are beautiful. The other was a 6" US Parks plaque out of wax. I encased it in a 1" deep flat mold then dipped in SS when it was mostly dry. only did 3 dips. Burned out nicely. No cracking. Mold blew out and was a total loss. One using SS was perfect. So I will not be trying that method again again. Btw, all Brass castings
Could this method be used for hollow passages? I recently cast an intake manifold using slurry and removing it from the intake tract is proving difficult. I was wondering if investment could be used to fill the runner passages so that it could be washed out later?
Chuck I'm assuming it was an aluminum casting using lost foam. You might consider using Kellys method of casting aluminum, instead of using shell casting.. I also recommend reading his other threads on lost foam automotive manifold castings, and other engine related parts. There's a wealth of information in all his threads. Here's one to start you off. Automotive Intake Manifold – Boss 302 Independent Runner | The Home Foundry Here's another one, just so you don't miss it, covers how he first did the cutting of the foam parts. Tubular Lost Foam | The Home Foundry
