No, I don't have the tools to cast high temp metals at home and I don't have a business either. These parts are the size of fender emblems, placed on the outside of cars. The 'guy' is the mercury man. Ford cars got dual flag racing emblems. Mercury cars got the mercury man face/head placed on things like A/C under dash housings and windshield wiper bottles. This is my interpretation of what a mercury double flag racing emblem might have looked like. so, any mercury car owner might like to customize their car with this part. I don't know how large, if at all the market would be. I have a friend in a car club who wants a pair and a guy in Ohio thinks he can sell some too. So, yes, I would like more than one.
Rather than the checker flag which seems a bit corvettish, Wouldnt feathers or proper wings be more appropriate for the Mercury guy? Your emblem kinda looks like a version of this to me.. Just me thinking out loud. Dont get me wrong, your piece is cool and if it's a period piece, best not to screw with the design.
Just tossing it out there, but the zamack suggested earlier only melts about 100F higher than pewter and is probably quite similar to the original material the emblem was die cast in so.... maybe still in your range. But like most other casting jobs, melting and pouring the metal is only a small part of the work.
Corvette's did come with that flag emblem. Fords came with a different variation. No ford guy would ever put a corvette emblem on their car or vise versa. The two brands need to remain separate. The part I made is my interpretation of what I think Mercury might have done if they made this emblem. It's not a period piece.
I can melt the pewter on a camp stove. I pour it around 400 or so degrees. The mold rubber will go up to 560 degrees. It looks like zamac melts at 725. I'd love to use zamac as I think it's more suited to the parts I'm making. I'll make a call to find out if I can use zamac. Thanks for that tip.
You might want to check with the platers first. Zamac would likely need an additional step in the plating process just like aluminum and not all shops are set up to deal with it...
You made that emblem, then you found your niche! It's time to get a vacuum pump, build a vac table and get a small kiln. You're this close, time to go all the way. What you will pay for this one job could set you up with a lifetime of potential! Coins, emblems, hat and tie tacks, you name it, people will buy it. 3d resin printers have gotten cheap, we figured out how to burn it out cleanly, I'm telling you, the sky is the limit for a guy that can pour hot metal! I often approach jobs with this mentality. I recently set myself up to cut dovetails for cabinet drawer boxes when I could have bought premade boxes online for the same money. Now guess who has learned to make nice dovetails and doesnt depend on anyone?? You guessed it! What I often save on half assed labor, I dump on better quality tools.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I use the bottom half of a pressure cooker and a homemade acrylic lid to apply vacuum to silicone before making molds. All I need is one of those fancy sprues to inject wax into my molds. I think I'm like you in a lot of ways. I spend the same or more money on tools so I can a job myself. I'll have to look into those 3 d resin printers. I tell my wife I need a way to keep myself busy. Maybe I'll do this than buy another boat and fish all day. ha ha ha
lol... Casting metal is WAYY cheaper than a boat and going fishing! Wives tend to like it when their husbands can make them jewelry or other fancy bobbles. The hazard fart sells cheap vac pumps. If you search here for vacuum table, you'll see photos of mine. You can make one for about 10bucks. Riogrande sells Ultravest investment. You'll need that and find yourself a small kiln on ebay or craigslist. You live in a good area to snag a deal on someone going out of business. My family is still using an old B9creator resin printer for making jewelry... If you can draw in autocad, the world is your oyster! If you do small pieces, you can melt your metal with an oxy/ace torch in a small crucible. Visit riogrande.com and you'll see silver is actually not horrendous... (around 450bucks for a pound of casting grain) .999 silver melts a little over 1700 and that's not really hot. With thin bronze pieces, I have to hit 2100. There are other methods to a great kiln, but we can explore those options if you decide to pull the trigger. https://www.ebay.com/itm/203450389032 I have one of these, it's perfect for small work.
I have the same Neycraft, agreed it's a great little kiln. VERY well insulated. I can pick it up at 1000°F bare handed and it's barely warm. I paid 750 for a nearly new one, you can find them used for under 500 on ebay. Fits my largest flask which is a 6x6 steel square tube with a little breathing room for vapors. Manual control is cumbersome but you get used to it. Personally I'm partial to fdm printers for the ease of use and passive control
I got mine for free. I'd really like to buy a spare miffle for it. I know I saw one for sale someplace, but I can't find it anymore. At 300bucks, someone could take it and make a fine furnace.
Thought when i found this on AA it was worth saving.. ** Tech Week** Casting a metal nameplate for your car | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)