Die casting Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:56:35 +0000 Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:56:35 +0000 The Home Foundry http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?forums/die-casting.42/ Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:23:57 +0000 http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/die-casting-mold-tool-steels.2923/ http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/die-casting-mold-tool-steels.2923/ invalid@example.com (Jonathan Schmidt) Jonathan Schmidt
I know that the recommended mold / die materials are:
H20, H21 H22 are ideal but difficult to source, I can' t find any.
H13 Commonly used at 52c, I have made many plastic injection molds with it.

At this stage I am prototyping and experimenting, so I am wondering if any less expensive, easier to work steel can be used as an alternative until the design is perfected.

Does anyone have experience with something like 4130?]]> 5 Wed, 16 Oct 2024 18:57:28 +0000 http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/toying-with-die-casting.130/ http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/toying-with-die-casting.130/ invalid@example.com (DavidF) DavidF
What i did was machine a small mold in aluminum and melt some zinc in a handle ladle with a torch and pour it in, then sat a weight on top of it. By no means is this proper die casting. It was simply a test to see how tings would transfer over and to get a better "feel" of things.
Lets face it, die casting can produce the lowest cost castings however the costs...

Toying with die casting]]> 25 Fri, 19 Aug 2022 02:15:04 +0000 http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/zinc-alloys.2338/ http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/zinc-alloys.2338/ invalid@example.com (mytwhyt) mytwhyt
ZA alloys were initially developed for...

Zinc Alloys]]> 1 Wed, 27 Oct 2021 18:25:23 +0000 http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/casting-a-minature-coffee-pot.1968/ http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/casting-a-minature-coffee-pot.1968/ invalid@example.com (Gerald Dinkins) Gerald Dinkins
I want to explain. In my younger days I was raised on a chicken farm. It was during that time that farming meant that you got bigger or you got out. A nearby dairy farm was selling out and I took notice that after the sale a large concrete block building was being erected. Later on I found that the building was going to be a machine shop that was being moved from the city to the old farm. I was curious...

Casting a minature coffee pot]]> 22 Thu, 29 Jul 2021 17:08:37 +0000 http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/die-casting-lead.1764/ http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/die-casting-lead.1764/ invalid@example.com (3Dcasting) 3Dcasting
The part is a security pin and is sold by the piece, not by weight as most lead products. Hence it was a very appealing offer. After some thought and some tries I ended up machining a small aluminum three part mold that can make 10...

Die casting lead]]> 7