Hi, I've been a blacksmith for about 12 years now. I've tried casting in bronze several times and it's always gone poorly. I joined this forum hoping to find someone who could cast a bronze mace head for me. In addition to payment I also have large amounts of copper.
Welcome! You found the right place. While I dont have the time to cast your mace, we have the knowledge here to help you get it done. Many here cast aluminum, iron and silicon bronze. Bronze is my thing. It's a wonderful metal to work. I'm not your typical youtuber, but check out my channel to see the method I use. Got a picture of what you are trying to make? I love medieval weapons.
Welcome to the forum. Where abouts in Nj are you?? I'm over here in Fair hill MD... might be able to help you out, but @Tobho Mott is our medieval weapons guy. How large is the mace, and what problems were you having with your casting? Have any pictures of your attempt?
Glad to have you! You'll get answers here. You have our interest because we've all been there. Are you using sand, or some other method? Pete
Welcome to the forum! Sounds like a fun project. I have had lots of fun casting some bronze axes. Do you already have a pattern for the mace head you could show us, or any pictures of what you have in mind? Jeff
Well, one attempt went bad (I think) because the mold wasn't hot enough (I used plaster of paris) and the outside was strange looking, inside it was full of air bubbles. I have a lot of trouble getting my forge up to a temperature that melts bronze. One time I tried putting the mold in the forge and using that as the crucible. It gave off a lot of nasty fumes, the metal never melted and the mold fell apart. I've wasted a lot of propane on this. I realize that I'm a swordsmith and I should stick with what I'm good at. I made a wax model of the mace head, I'm willing to ship that along with plenty of copper. The casting should weigh slightly over 1.5 lbs it has a diameter of 2.375" and a height of 3.125
That sword looks great! Don't feel too bad about your casting results; lost wax casting using homebrewed plaster-based investment comes with a steep learning curve. To be honest, melting the bronze is probably the easy part no matter what casting method is used. What do you think, Dave? If you and the other lost wax guys can't take it on right now, lost foam casting looks like another good possibility. Undercuts from the diagonal-facing smashy parts would make it a pain to sand cast. I'm not set up for lost wax. And my foam pattern carving setup isn't really up to making patterns this nice, plus (FWIW) I'm up here across the border in Ontario to begin with. But if there's nobody more local available, and Kelly wants to take a look at the pictures and drawings and whip up a few foamies on his magic patternmaking router to send my way, I'd be willing to give pouring it a shot. It looks like a fun casting. Heck, if the foamies came pre-dipped in some of that green mud he's got, maybe I would even like it enough to finally give up my bare-doggin' ways. Alternatively, everything you need to know about building a small melting furnace that can easily melt bronze is right here on this site waiting to be looked up, if you want. You could make all kinds of cool bronze guards for your swords and stuff like that with a modest diy casting setup. A chopped up scrap propane or air tank plus a few feet of kaowool and a 5# box of satanite is almost all you need to build a great little fast melting propane furnace cheap and easy, plus you'll need a free Saturday and an angle grinder, and if you have a welder that would be really handy too. There should be a link to the build thread here for the one I built this way in my signature block below, and that is just one among many examples others have posted on the forum. I helped a blacksmith friend do a 10kg copper melt last summer with mine after he cooked one of his coal forges to death trying to do it himself. I typically get 20 minute melt times from cold to pouring temperature for bronze, using a simple forced air burner that runs on 5psi of propane and a hair dryer, but a venturi based Ron Reil type forge burner or the like would work just fine if that is what you are used to. Jeff
Plaster probably isn't up to the task of molten bronze temperatures. It has water trapped inside in cured form and heating it above 150 degrees C / 300F drives off the water again as steam which is going to ruin your casting.
I would be willing to settle for a simpler casting that I can then machine The big issue is that I can't just buy a big block of bronze with a hole in it. (I also don't have the tools to drill a large hole in a block of metal to the depth or width needed) A simplified version would weigh 1.7 lbs and a version that's just a club shaped block with a hole in it would weigh 2.73 lbs
Right now I'm in limbo. My work partner had a heart attack on Friday. So I will probably get stuck with alot of overtime again. I'll find out more in the days to come...
I could make foamies and would enjoy a collaborative effort with you Tobho, but I'm afraid I'm just too jammed up for the forseable future. Since he already has the wax maybe Kurtis Kiesel would be interested. He's set up to shell and though not exactly local, Ohio I believe so short ship times. Best, Kelly
@Zapins I live in Flemington. I don't have much of a shop but if you ever want to visit you're welcome to @DavidF, Sorry to hear about your partner @AL203 Should I PM Kurtis Kiesel?
I only suggested Kurtis because he's set up for lost wax and shell,casts bronze, and showed some interest in the last pay-for-service request.....so probably worth a try. The other guys could certainly do it to but just keep in mind, even with a wax and someone who's set up to shell you're asking a stranger to devote a several days effort......and if for some reason you don't have first pass success.......then what? This is hobby stuff and most of us are usually conflicted with the other demands on time and our own projects but we try to help out where we can. Good luck, Kelly
Kelly hits the nail right on the head. My wife gives me the stink eye when she hears pro bono or collaboration. I'm just up to my ass now and it's easier to offer helpful advice at this point. There is a huge satisfaction in acquiring all the equipment and knowledge and getting a piece to come out right. What do they say? You wont know the sweet taste of success without mouthfulls of bitter failure. or something like that.
What kind of Bronze do you think you have? "Nasty Fumes" sounds like a zinc brass or 85-5-5-5 with lead and tin. Zinc put out an acrid white smoke that can make you feel very sick. You would think you have the Covid.
