I'm from Keswick, about 40 minutes north of Toronto. 30 years ago I made my first aluminum casting, it was a lens cell for a telescope. It was done with Petrobond in sand, melted in a steel pipe crucible using a propane weed burner and some firebrick as a furnace. Basic and cobbled up as it was, the casting turned out pretty decent. I'm planning on getting into/back into casting but more than likely using lost PLA or foam and possibly, investments for doing miniature engines, only doing aluminum and looking forward to learning a lot from the people on the forum. LaVerne
Welcome LaVerne. as you already know, it doesn't take much as far as heat, to melt aluminum. It's easy to work with and machine. We'll look forward to your future projects. I did this just to show the art of the possible with lost foam. If I was going smaller scale, it would be 3D printed lost PLA in investment. http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/motorcycle-cylinder-sample.1521/ Best, Kelly
Yes, because the size of most of what I want to do will be fairly small and complex shapes, I imagine the lost PLA will be best for most of what I will do. I've gone through several of your threads, I'm very impressed, you've provided lots of good information on the foam pattern making! I've also read through the foundry tutorial, now I just have to build a propane fired furnace, I've dragged around half a garbage bin of sand and a bag of petrobond for most of thirty years and three moves, now just have to make use of them.
Hi Jeff, not anywhere near there yet but here is where I want to get, along with the miscellaneous 'bits'.
Welcome, LaVerne. This is a very informative forum and although I am a newbie on this forum I have decades of experience of home foundry work and casting. I hope to contribute some of this knowledge shortly and perhaps even to your project(s).
