I decided to have a little more fun today and try my hand at casting a matchplate for the 7X7 flask. I had a brainwave and decided to try using a scrap of drywall as the spacer between the flask halves. Seemed to work great! Before ramming up the patterns with the plaster followers and gating, I laid out all the components and traced their outlines on the molding board so I'd know just where to position the patterns inside the flask correctly without having the spacer and the smaller flask in the way to act as a guide. I knew the drywall should hold up long enough for the aluminum to freeze and that it had been kept dry indoors for years, but I figured the paper covering might gas off some. So I made sure to tear off any little flaps of paper that protruded into the hole in the spacer and didnt worry about it any more than that. If anything like that happened, I can't see it in the casting. A little charring on the edges of the paper but the spacer looks like it could even be reused. Jeff
very well done!!! probably something I should do, but most of my matchplates are 14X15, flipping the mold to cast aluminum matchplates that big would be a real pain, and working in petrobond, it's near the limit of green strength. and there is nothing more frustrating then having the cope drop as you try to close a mold. Again Well Done V/r HT1
Wow, much mo' better than having a couple loose pieces laying around the shop that you can't find when you need them. Nice work!
Thanks guys, I'm pretty stoked about how well that worked. Jason, yes the final castings will be in bronze, this aluminum casting is just a pattern to make molding these much easier. Particularly if I ever make more of them. Jeff
Actually you're just horsing around! ;-) Or maybe you are just trying stir up some fun. Good work, Jeff. Denis
Got the alignment holes drilled and kwiky vibe device installed... Rammed up one mold with the matchplate and one with the original castings and loose plaster follower pieces. I wanted to compare the results. Got them poured yesterday afternoon. Can you tell which set was molded off the matchplate and which off the original parts? If you look closely there is a tell-tale sign. The best looking set of 2 castings is going to consist one piece from each of the 2 molds, I think. Now I just have to cut off some gates, drill a couple holes, file off some mold lines. Jeff
Those came out Lovely! I hope that she (or one of her horsey friends) needs a few more in the future so all the extra "Playing" pays off (in $$$ not just experience)
Heh, we'll see I guess. Got the parts all ready to go, the lady is picking them up in a couple days. She sent me some pictures of the progress she has made on the horse. Pretty amazing transformation! She now thinks it might be a 1918 horse, after finding pictures of another one just like it. They made all sorts of changes to how these horses were built over the years, mainly to prevent riders from breaking them climbing on and off. This one has cast aluminum legs rather than wooden, for this reason, after changing the position and angle of the earlier carved wooden legs failed to dissuade riders from using them as steps. They also started carving them with the ears laid back, to keep them from getting used as handles and being yanked off. That must have been after this one was built. Jeff
Not a very friendly looking pony is it? Most on early carnival rides were down right scary. Your parts look excellent.
Nice job Jeff I can't believe she'll put a mis-matched pair on there. You know there will be 'purists' that will want them in iron. Start practicing, it'll give you an excuse to fire up the oil burner!
Thanks guys. I tried to get her to go for 2 sets but these were always painted anyway, so they won't end up looking any different, and she wants to at least have the one original set on her horse... It does look pretty fierce, doesn't it? Forgot one: One day I'll try cast iron... Jeff
This was a lot of fun. She seemed really happy with the castings too, I'll post pictures of them painted and installed when I get some. Those horses have a "glamour" side that faces outwards on a carousel ride; I'll find out how much she really likes them when I learn which side she screws them onto, I guess. I posted up 36 minutes of video covering the horse castings project from start to finish, if anyone is interested: Jeff