A big new foundry project... for me, at least

Discussion in 'Sand Casting' started by Tobho Mott, Jan 10, 2022.

  1. Magnetic fog wipers might work for the shield.
     
    Tobho Mott likes this.
  2. Chazza

    Chazza Silver

    Agreed.
    Some small sharpened ripper-points, as used on road graders, could form a parrot-beak to penetrate the rim and propagate cracks. Shears on the closing-faces, could either be welded as you suggest, or I could use some old bench shear blades I have in my collection.

    Small bites make for good crucible-size pieces.

    Like you say Denis, not much noise; no hot metal hazard; not much waste of aluminium; small energy use.

    Thanks for the link!

    Cheers Charlie
     
  3. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Have you guys seen how Clarke does it at his iron foundry in Mississippi?



    Jeff
     
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  4. Chazza

    Chazza Silver

    Nice machine.

    Lots of picking up pieces and rearranging scrap on the machine though. If the crusher was elevated, the first breaking bars could be for argument's sake 12" apart; the scrap drops and falls onto bars 6" apart, etc. All this time the breaker bar just keeps descending breaking the scrap to a desired size.

    In the meantime, small parts have dropped between the breaker bars into the drum. The only handling would be placing new scrap, once the bar has ascended. Full drums could be lifted, or wheeled out from under the crusher.

    A wooden fence near the operator would be nice to deflect the bits that fly sideways.

    Thanks for posting; heaps of good ideas spring to mind,

    Cheers Charlie
     
  5. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    I couldn't bring myself to go out in the cold again to check yesterday's molds last night, but it was worth the wait, they both filled. :D 7 more pours like this to go.

    20220120_084308_copy_1040x520.jpg

    The wheel I cut up is enough for about five and a half of those... But I still have some easy to cut wheel bits I can deal with here with my angle grinder, and I get back an ingot and a fat riser and pouring basin/sprue for each 2 molds I pour. I think I just might make it...

    20220119_214939_copy_1040x520.jpg

    Jeff
     
  6. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    The last mold!

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    28th one like it. Here it is next to its twin:

    20220129_142042_copy_1040x520.jpg

    Seems like they filled... Can they really all be done?

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    Used every bit of the one wheel I got cut up too, almost like I planned it. :D

    Jeff
     
  7. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Yup, woohoo! :p

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    Jeff
     
  8. They look great, you going to make some of those for yourself?.
     
  9. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Of course! I made myself one of the 15cmX15cm flask using these patterns back in late October, just to make sure I liked Olfoundryman's design well enough to make 7 more:

    http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/free-3d-flask-pattern.1300/page-7#post-42691

    I made myself a rammer and a rapper and a strike too, to try them out before making 7 more of each of those. I used them to make the molds for all the rest! Well, not the tiny flask. It's too small to make any of these castings in.

    Jeff
     
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  10. Melterskelter

    Melterskelter Gold Banner Member

    Betcha you're getting pretty good at molding this pattern and pouring it! There is something good about multiple repetitions of a given pattern that allows comfort with the process and improves execution of it. Nicely done, Jeff.

    Denis
     
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  11. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Thanks. After a while with the flask sides ramming them up did start to feel more... automatic, I guess. I'm sure you must notice that too when you're making straight edges... I thought I'd get faster at making those sides but that only started to happen on the last 3 or 4 molds.

    After the first 2 flask sides molds didn't fill because I let the the sprues suck air, the next 28 molds in a row all produced usable castings. :cool:
    So they weren't difficult to mold and cast anyhow.

    A little tricky getting my bbq tanks to behave in -20C weather though. Normally I run my hair dryer blower full out and adjust the propane to tune, but for the past few weeks I've had to keep turning the air down again and again during each melt instead of turning the gas up a smidge once or twice.

    20220130_102745_copy_1040x520.jpg

    Jeff
     
  12. Melterskelter

    Melterskelter Gold Banner Member

    Did you float the tanks in warm water? Not practical?

    Denis
     
  13. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    I had enough hauling heavy stuff around moving molds from my basement to my shed then moving mulled sand and empty flasks from the shed back to the basement to want to try that. First time it happened in mid melt so that wasn't an option. Turning the air down worked so I kept that up. I'm now wondering if I should start turning my furnace down a bit even in warm weather, to save gas.

    I did think about getting the diesel drip line back out of storage though, and just using propane for preheat. A while ago I got one of those 1970's puke-yellow coffee urns with a tap on the bottom at the thrift store. It should make a nice heated oil tank for gravity feed with very little plumbing needed if I ever get around to trying it. It even has its own filter. :D Not my idea, I stole it from Bill T.'s signature block on alloyavenue.

    Jeff
     
  14. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Dropped off all the castings today. I think he'll have an easier time getting the flask sides to go together square and installing the alignment pins than I did with a drill press and hand tools...

    20220206_144744_copy_1040x520.jpg

    Jeff
     
  15. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

    Nice project!
     
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  16. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Working on casting some patterns for students in the class to choose from, so they won't get too beat up right away...

    Phone stand:

    20220221_104423_copy_520x690.jpg

    And a bunch of you will recognize this guy I'm sure...

    20220220_230348_copy_520x1040.jpg

    20220220_230356_copy_520x1040.jpg

    I decided to thicken up the back side just a little to give them a fighting chance, on top of filling the undercut the hook bit causes... The original is THIN!

    20220218_153953_copy_481x519.jpg

    20220218_214313_copy_476x767.jpg

    20220218_214342_copy_510x774.jpg

    Jeff
     
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  17. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    I still need to make myself the leather part of that belt buckle! I've had my copy cast for years now but need to figure out how to put the leather on it haha.
     
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  18. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    They are actually setting up a leatherworking shop at the school too... :D Belts that can snap on and off of buckles are also a Thing that can be ordered online though, if you just want to wear yours.

    Anyhow, the petrobond and parting dust finally arrived at the school yesterday, as did the custom built 3ph 208v induction melter. Sans wiring diagram. He's finishing up machining and assembling the flasks today and I guess calling China to figure out how to wire up the melter too. The plan is that tomorrow I can go in and try it all out in the actual classroom, to see about any last minute changes the whole setup may need. I'll get some pictures next time I'm there. Resin printer gear arrived there a few days ago and has been busy cranking out patterns I haven't seen yet as well. I've been working on preparing a few patterns here too.

    The 1st 4 hour class is at 8am on Saturday, ie., the next day... Nothing like taking it right down to the wire! Well 8am is really a test class for some people the owner knows, so that we can get some reliable feedback and figure out if we forgot or need to rethink anything, so it's not so bad if there are hiccups then. However there's a real class happening at 1pm the same day, 3 out of a possible 6 people have already signed up since the casting classes were added to the website a day or 2 ago! :confused:

    This is getting kinda real... But also kinda exciting. It's a much faster step toward building a bigger foundry shed where I can finally set up Bill J's big furnace than just waiting for people to come knocking wanting ones and twos of custom castings a couple times a year. And those have all been referred my way by the school anyhow so far.

    I'm booked to teach one class on wednesday evenings and 2 on saturdays for the next few months, at least for starters. Should be nice to have anytime access to the school's tools and workshops for my own projects as well.

    Jeff
     
  19. Melterskelter

    Melterskelter Gold Banner Member

    I guess the person cranking out patterns is an experienced caster? The reason I ask is that my experience with printed patterns given to me has been somewhat disappointing. They needed a lot of finishing work before they were usable. Probably not a problem if printed by someone with a good understanding of casting.

    You’ve got your hands full!

    Denis
     
  20. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Well, we are running a test class this morning and the owner's mother-in-law is hoping to cast a harry potter 9-3/4 train station cookie cutter off a thingiverse print with no draft... o_O I got it to pull almost clean yesterday after a good deal of rapping, and I have some ideas to help her hopefully do the same today. The resin printer has really good resolution at least, layer lines are not a problem. I'm sitting in the parking lot now and he just arrived, I'll post some pictures in a bit when I have a minute but I gotta go.



    Jeff
     

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