Hello, I Am looking to Cast Parts For A Gas Lamp

Hello, I am looking to cast items for replicating a late Victorian lighting fixture. described as a gasolier / gasalier / gasalier. This has sparked an interest in home casting. You may see from the photo of the fixture that the parts relevant for casting are somewhat elaborate and therefore potentially challenging. I am looking to produce six of these fixtures to be installed in a railway / railroad dining car that was built in 1894.

 

Hello Tranby1, welcome to the forum.
Will the parts be used with gas/propane?
What casting methods seem most interesting to you at this time?

 

Many thanks for the welcome. The new fixture will emulate the form of the gasolier although will be illuminated by electrical LED,. I am interested in sand casting (that preserves detail) and lost PLA or similar. The latter may be applicable to producing a fluted tube (column) with two slots running part of the length - something like the attached imafe

 

Do you have one of the lamps as a source for measurements/information or will you have to design your way into it?
Which metal(s) are you considering?

 

Unfortunately we do not have any lamps or dimensioned drawings, we have to rely upon photographs and estimating the sizes from scratch / empirical observation. We are planning to use aluminium for lightness.

 

I'm not an expert yet, but this sounds like a perfect opportunity for prototyping first in PLA, then scaling up by 1.8% (AL shrink factor) for a lost-PLA casting. Not too long ago, I asked and apparently the burn-out part can be done in an old BBQ grill (assuming you're intent on a quick/cheap solution). Hope that helps. Oh, and welcome!

 

Hi Thanks for the advice. To be fair the shrinkage factor is not really an issue as the other parts that it would locate to can be tailored to fit, it is more of how to produce it e.g. lost PLA versus sand moulds. In terms of the latter I was mulling over whether say four quadrants of sand could be produced then joined up to form the mould for the external ribbed side of the casting and then a conventional circular core with possible side arms to produce a hollow for the prongs that would protrude from within to without the casting.

 

Hello, Many thanks for the advice, See my response to similar comment from r4z0r7o3 . Cheers

 

I want to say the trade name for the part above is reeded tube, which can still be had from lamp supply houses.
Doing it as a one-shot casting (reeded cross-section at diameter and length with the slot) would be clever but perhaps more difficult than cutting and slotting available material.
Is there latitude to make the walls thicker to facilitate the pour? Approximate size of part?

 

Many thanks for the advice. There is indeed opportunity to beef things up as the casting could be used to provide the structural integrity by displacing the need for stiffeners elsewhere. Stiffeners would be required if simple off the shelf reeded tube were used. I guess I have options.