I know most of you don't spend much time on Facebook or Instagram, but I need to share to get some input. I'm HT1metalworks on Facebook Instagram and YouTube, its where i put my work in front of prospective customers. Facebook has several Metalcasting groups, im a member of Backyard metalcasting & foundry work I posted the above image and said: "pulled bad in 92 it's worse now never got one to come out" from that I got some insane advice.! now mind you i did not ask for advice, I know what is wrong, the bottom of the snake does not have enough draft, and it is the deepest pull on the pattern, also the dont tread on me banner is also Zero drafted , so you get a pull in one or both of those places , so the cure is to fix those issues, but since this is a very nice Brass plaque, to do that I would have to make a silicone mold cast one in plastic and rework it. $$$ I know I could not recoup that money so I located several on the internet, and sent that info to the customers asking for this piece . customers happy, I did not lose any money making a pattern to cast 3 pieces , now the advice: 1) one gentleman vehemently wants me to put a cold riser on the opposite side of the runner or on the opposite side of the plaque , both cold risers , so almost always a poor practice... but riser a 3/8 inch thick 5 inch diameter plaque. WHY??? oh trust me he had answers none based in anything , i hope he was just misunderstanding me 2) from another Navy Foundryman : "have you tried spraying the pattern with nitrocellulose lacquer.. couple of coats…letting that dry … fine steel wool to finish…and as a release agent a mix of kerosene, tallow and plumbago" great advice very old school, but wont fix backdraft He agreed 3) ""switch to shell molding , might as well have told me to 3d print the thing 4) "Have you tried anything to smooth the surface like applying a high gloss clear spray coat?" good advice, and would have been my normal go to, but really would like to maintain the original, it has a great patina 5) "use a pattern lifter" this is an amateur idea that a couple of youtubers came up with to make something really simple complicated as He11 I guess what I'm saying is stay away from this FB group i've had other really bad experiences there ( an admin took me to task for my PPE ) and suspended me so i could not rebut him so admin abuse and well this is just a really great place on the internet! thank you all V/r HT1
Dude, been watching you on Facebook for some time now... Just don't comment much, not my thing. Keep going, you got this..
......and those sites are definitely good for that but cumbersome at best and virtually useless at worst for technical interchange. There's also a huge amount of misinformation.....stuff that is just incorrect. Though it does attact geuine prospects and customers, it also attracts a large number of total yabos that you have to filter out and try not to piss off the real prosects while you're trying to figure out which one they are. Best, Kelly
Not sure I'd even be willing to get out of bed for 3 pieces, but I have reproduced parts like that pressing/using modeling clay as an open face mold and pouring low viscosity casting resins. I've tried wax for one time use mold but it's hard to get wax to release, or release without damaging it. Doesn't solve the primary issue with lack of draft but could yield a cheap reproduction to work with. I think I'd just try dipping the repop in paint or resin thinned to the right viscosity to build some natural draft and fillet with minimal loss of detail. Best, Kelly
