Total noob,making noob mistakes and asking noob questions..

Discussion in 'New member introductions' started by AGELE55, Sep 14, 2020.

  1. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    Thanks for the add folks. Just started casting within the last year or so. I have learned enough to know that I don't know a anything...
    Casting aluminium now. I've attempted sand casting and lost wax, each with mixed results. Hopefully I can pick up some one on one / personal experience info here. I have read until my eyes bleed and watched YouTube until my brain fried.
    Thanks again for tolerating.
     
  2. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Welcome to the forum.
    In the end, what is it you would like to cast?
     
  3. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Phase one complete.

    There is no spoon, wax on wax off young grasshopper.

    Welcome to the nut house. What are you looking to cast?
     
    AGELE55 likes this.
  4. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    Thanks y’all.
    For now I have been casting simple things. I made a small wooden airplane, a cross, and various simple shapes as positives and cast them into aluminum using sand. So far the airplane is the only item that turned out half decent, but only after extensive sanding and and buffing. The surface finish was WAY rough. I think my sand mix has been too wet. I’m pretty close to another try with a dryer mix, hopefully today, but I’m leaving tomorrow for a week so may have to wait.
    I have been struggling also with lost wax. My huge issue is slurry. I made my slurry using pottery clay. I’m having a challenge getting it to stick to the wax uniformly. I used a skull shaped ice cube mold to make wax skulls as a test. Out of a dozen tries, I got one half decent sand mold, but when fired, it never changed into a ceramic. It was just burnt looking but would crumble if I squeezed it (I didn’t squeeze). I buried it in sand and poured a tiny skull with excellent small detail around the teeth, but deformities on the smooth areas.
    So, as you can see, I’m struggling but learning as I go. Any advice on how to make a decent slurry would be my first question.
    Ultimately, I’d like to cast small statuettes , more detailed airplanes, etc. I really would like to be able to reproduce a few hood ornaments for vintage cars cast in zinc.
    What could possibly go wrong....lol
    I’ll see how this forum thing goes and if I’m getting some good feedback, I’ll zone in on more specifics.
     
  5. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Welcome to Thehomefoundry!

    My first castings were of wax skull ice cube shapes too! Bet yours turned out better...



    Definitely not a how-to! I cringe at the safety hazards going on whenever I re-watch this.

    Post some pictures of the stuff you've made, we love seeing people's pictures...

    Jeff
     
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  6. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    I've tried making my own slurry, didn't work out well at all. Went and purchased the suspendaslurry and had excellent results with a minor learning curve, but still find that investment block casting can produce better finishes with vacuum assist. Although it can limit the size of the casting due to expense.
    Pick your poison ;):cool:
     
  7. rocco

    rocco Silver

    As far as home brewed investments go, it's pretty much exclusively plaster based block molds, in several years of following casting forums, I don't think I've seen anyone pull off a homemade ceramic shell.
     
  8. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    I'll definitely look into suspendaslurry. WhT is investment block casting? I'll investigate this also. Thanks...learning new stuff already.
     
  9. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    Here are some pics on my sand casting trial and errors...
    1) I bought a wooden cross and stick on do-dads to decorate it at the dollar store. The surface finish turned out like crap so I never attempted to save it.
    2) I made a little airplane which was also rough, but after too much work, it looks pretty good.
     

    Attached Files:

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  10. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    This is investment block casting..
     
    AGELE55 likes this.
  11. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    -
     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2020
  12. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    Here are some pics on my sand casting trial and errors...
    1) I bought a wooden cross and stick on do-dads to decorate it at the dollar store. The surface finish turned out like crap so I never attempted to save it.
    2) I made a little airplane which was also rough, but after too much work, it looks pretty good.
     
  13. Jason

    Jason Gold

    You're in Florida... Check out riograde.com and buy some ultravest if you wanna run lost wax. Home made slurries and investments never work. Spend the money and save yourself the aggravation.
     
  14. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    Thanks!
     
  15. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    Some finished results. Airplane is sand cast and skull is lost wax. E394A9C8-490E-4CA4-9560-C01B4CF20CC9.jpeg A59A6400-7DBA-4D52-99D6-6AA7300DBD80.jpeg
     
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  16. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Great work!! Looks like you wanna do artsy farts stuff like me. You might consider ceramic shell. I demo it on my YT channel. It requires a bit more support equipment like an old cheap pottery kiln, but if you like working wax, it's really the only way to fly. Sand casting doesn't work well for the kind of stuff you show here.

    Ultravest is the best when it comes to resolution, It's cheap, but not cheap for larger pieces. That's why jewelers use it. You would be blown away how good shell can be. I regularly find my fingerprints in bronze! So that means, your wax work needs to be on par or be able to run a dremel like a pro. If you wanna try shell, the company you will need is Ransom & Randolph. The product is suspendaslurry and you need 2 different sizes of silicas. Figure about 300bucks for a 5gal bucket and 2 bags of silica shipped to you. The slurry lasts 2years and you go through the silica really slow if you don't spill it everywhere. In the beginning, I attempted sand and learned real quick that it wasn't for me. My local sand is shit and P-bond requires shipping so if ya gotta pay for shipping, you might as well roll with the stuff the bronze art foundries use. That's what I did and never looked back.
     
    AGELE55 likes this.
  17. HT1

    HT1 Gold Banner Member

    If you wanna see how Sand cast is Done, let me Know, I'm In Jacksonville, about 5 Minutes from Orange Park. Seeing and Touching will be a big help



    V/r HT1
     
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  18. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    Awesome. As you can see, I could use advice from someone more experienced. I leave tomorrow for a week in upper Michigan ...dry and cool...aaaaaah.
    I’ll hit you up when I get back.
    Rick S.
     
  19. AGELE55

    AGELE55 Copper

    As for an “old cheap pottery kiln”... Right now I’m using a home built gas foundry. Works ok melting aluminum, but I have zero idea of the internal temp. I’m looking to add a thermocouple to indicate temp. I can then regulate the gas flow to gain some control.
    I’m on the road for the next week, but will spend that time googling your suggestions. Do you have a link for your Youtube video?
     
  20. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    There's a thread for that:
    http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/members-video-channels.188/
    :D

    Jason's channel is up top (also linked in his sig if you turn your phone sideways). Lots of other good channels to check out there as well. Not ALL the good/reputable foundry channels are in that thread, but the loonies trying to send you to the burn unit aren't.

    Jeff
     
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