Hello all, Joined this forum to learn from the experts. Just built a hot wire table and cast a few trial parts today. Attempting to cast an aluminum tunnel ram for the scale small block Chevy I'm working on. Was amazed by Kelly's intake manifolds for Ford Trans Ams. Have cast in sand, but never foam. Liked it a lot so far.
I believe it's roughly 1/6 scale. Building it from Steve Huck's plans for the Demon V-8. Excellent build so far. Started in May 2021.
Here is where I left off with the foam tunnel ram attempt. Looks kind of chunky to me, but I've got plenty of pink stuff and aluminum to get it right. look forward to learning from others in this forum.
If that's your first go with foam pattern fabrication you're off to a heck of a good start. Trying to get a feel for size. Based upon the engine picture, is the valley pan about 4" long? I take it you will drill the runners and mill out the plenum? As solid, chances are pretty good you could have just gated into the two plenum openings because the design of an intake manifold is also a good proxy for metal flow, but as a lost foam caster, you only get one chance, and I tend to over gate as well. You may not need/want all that sprue length.......depends. What are you planning for coating, vibe/packing the mold, mold media, pouring cup, and pour temp? Maybe start a thread over in the lost foam forum. Best, Kelly
I like the design of your hot-wire cutter. The tilt function of the wire adds utility. And it generally looks to be nicely made. Denis
+1. Free hand cutting on the hot wire takes a steady hand and some talent. Tuning the wire to a slow/proper cutting speed helps a lot. Ever try pattern cutting? You might be surprised at the quality result than can be achieved. For a small number of copies the pattern can be as simple as a piece of dense cardboard cut with a razor knife and stuck to the foam with 2-sided tape. For a more durable pattern, tempered hardboard (Masonite) or sheet metal. I show this here at about 5:30. One thing you might consider adding to your hot wire is a height adjustable support/eye. If you set the support just above the stock height it will significantly improve the accuracy and perpendicularity of the cut surface. I waxed the wire and filled the support eye with refractory mortar for insulation and durability so it was zero clearance which also helps accuracy. With patience, you can do a lot with a hot wire. Best, Kelly
I thought I had seen it before. Steve Huck posted a build thread on the Artsoft Solutions site, which I think is an offshoot of the Mach3 forum. I haven't seen any activity from him there since about 2017 as far as the engine is concerned. He built his in 1/5 scale which is a more popular scale than 1/4 for RC model cars. Newfangled Solutions CNC Software Home of Mach3
