PLA as good as wax?

So I have been slowly making everything needed for lost wax casting, and just joined the forum today. I have finished the electric forge, vacuum pump, vacuum tank and flask, crucible tongs, and halfway done with the burnout oven. I just started trying to print with printable wax, but it's not working very well. My local guy gave me a couple samples, and I'm having a hard time getting good prints. So I see people doing lost PLA, but I have read online that PLA doesn't burn out as cleanly. Is this true? Or is it not bad enough to worry about? Should I keep trying the wax, or just say 'screw it' and use PLA?
Thanks for any advice. And keep in mind, I'm a complete newb at this. I have never casted anything before, but am hoping to be able to do my first cast in a few weeks.

 

Cool. You may be who the guy that runs the print shop near me told me about. I'm drawing a blank on his name, but he mentioned that there was a local guy doing lost PLA. I'm actually a couple miles from Newark (toward Wilmington) off of kirkwood hwy.

I have been a model maker (hobby not career) for years, and have always wanted to do castings. I just finally got around to making the stuff. So I don't really have a particular thing in mind to cast, but there have been plenty of previous projects that I wish I could have done castings for.

The tongs I made feel good for me, but they are made to be easy to use with my forge. If I ever get a deeper or bigger forge, the tongs may be too short to reach the crucible comfortably.

I'm sure I'll be here (in the forum) quite often as I start to actually melt metal and pour. I'll also post some threads on the other equiptment I made. But if anybody sees anything potentially wrong with anything I post, even wrong terminology, please let me know. Like I said, I'm new to all of this, but want to learn as much as possible.

Thanks,
Scott

 

Yep, it's Matt. I'm bad about remembering names. Very nice guy and has been a huge help for me with my printer. It's a folgertech prusa i3 with a Titan extruder and e3d hot end.

I do just about anything. Plastic model kit, scratch build models, rc helicopter, planes, cars, custom made whatever anybody wants me to make for them, etc. I have a website, but don't know if a forum is an appropriate place to self promote. I do have a few ideas for future projects: 1/3 scale Ducati, r/c 1/8 scale Erickson sky-crane, the sword of omens,,,. All of which I could use castings.

I think I know where bank shots is. Sounds familiar. I'm sure I've driven by it a hundred times.

 

Ok, but keep in mind that I am by no means a website designer. I know it looks dated and, well, not good. And I honestly haven't touched it in a very long time. But feel free to check it out.

 

This is the last commissioned project I made for a client in Germany. It's 1/48 scale of the aircraft he maintains for the BMW flight department. I forgot to get a pic of it on its base, but all the lights work.

 

Thanks, I appreciate that. Yea, one of these days I'll actually finish that 750.

 

I have been using SketchUp for many years. I actually drew that aircraft with it. But I just downloaded fusion 360. I have not played around with it much yet, but it looks much better than SketchUp. Once I figure it out.

 

So you're close to gooddeals? I go there all the time. One of my favorite places. That and fazios.

 

Yea, fazios isn't as good as they used to be, but I got enough material to make a vacuum pot and a couple of flasks for $25. And had material left over.

The sprue base is 3d printed in ninja flex. I put the file on thingiverse. And, yes, I painted the flask. Yes, I know it won't last with the abuse, but it is high temp paint, and I really don't expect the paint to last. I'm just trying to prolong the rust as long as possible. If I'm successful in this casting stuff, I'll buy a real one.

 

I'm trying my best to do it right the first time. I can't believe how many people on YouTube take the laziest shortcuts and use the wrong tools and procedures.