Ever had one project you started wondering if it is cursed? I have a belt buckle project I designed for a friend when he retired. I showed it to him after I carved it out of blue wax and he was absolutely tickled about it. I am (sort of ) casting it in Sil Bronze. I have never been so glad I made a silicone pattern of a 'one off' object! I am on my 6th attempt. The failures have ranged from my vac pump failing WHILE turning around with the molten metal to pour, to the bottom of the block blowing out when I applied vacuum. Some of the parts 'might' have been salvageable, but did not have as good detail as I would like for one reason or another, but I do want it to be 'right' for my friend, and something I am happy with giving to him. What is your worst project that seemed to go on forever?
Yesterday I cast a tin lead solder disc six times before I had a defect free casting I could machine without flaws.
Yes. Currently casting a drive wheel for a 2x72 " belt grinder with lsot foam, and just suffered failure #2. I purposely went the lost foam route, because I always wanted to try it, as opposed to a few other options that would have been done by now....Time to make another pattern.....
I'll post in a new thread. I know what happened the first time....Kinda think I figured out why it happened this time (cold shut due to choked off sprue), but it never hurts to have some more eyes and opinions chiming in.
