Thread: Home made cast iron parts?

Ken, melting cast iron is not very easy, remember a full on oxy acet is working hard to heat small areas of it to red hot.

Once you decide exactly what you need cast, you need to make your pattern suitable oversized, and with 'runners' (molten metal reservoirs) incorporated to ensure an adequate ongoing flow of of metal to keep the casting solid as the surface cools and contracts. If the casting is to have any hollows, you also need core patterns for the hollow ares.

Then you go to the sandbox and make up all the mould for the casting, ancluding any core moulds. This involves the moulding boxes, green sand, and grapite powder as a release agent.

Then you estimate the mass of metal required to pour the casting, add maybe 40% for loss, dross and spillage, and source the metal and the crucible to heat it in, and the hardware to handle the crucible, hold it place in the furnace, and pour from it into the mould.

Finally you locate a suitable furnace, and all of the attendant safety gear, and attempt to melt and pour the metal. More than likely, either there is not quite enough, or the crucible heated unevenly in the furnace and the bum fell out of it when you went to lift it to pour.

Reasisticly, you can design the part in consultation with a patternmaker who will ensure that he can pattern it so that it can be case during the design phase. Then you could make the patterns yourself, again in consultation with the patternmaker, or you pay them to take the design and give you back an expensive raw casting that they have had cast for you.

Best reference I can suggest is Foundry Work For The Amateur by Terry Aspin. I used to have a copy but it was loaned a number of years ago and never found its way back home.

Hi Ken,

I recently made inquiries in to casting, and decided that for iron, it was out of my league.
I want to get a new cross slide cast up, similar to the myford, so I can mount a rear toolpost. I have found a guy in Sydney that will pour the iron for me, for a carton of beer, however I am to make up the pattern for the job, and the timing has to suit his timing of other jobs, which is all ok by me. If you really want to go that route, I could slot your job in at the same time, though Hercus, being a south bend clone, should mean you could get the dial fairly easily from the states. I saw one go on ebay.au last week for twenty dollars or so.

Everything malb said. Although you may find aluminium works just as well, and melts at a lower temperature. Lindsay Books ( http://www.lindsaybks.com/ ) carries the late Dave Gingery's Home Metal Shop series, and I'm halfway certain they're available from book sellers in Oz. Probably in libraries too.

Joe

Ken

Like the others say, casting iron is a non trivial matter. Sure the method is the same as casting ally brass bronze etc., but the temperature involved is much higher. This means better furnace, better crucibles and far more expertise.

I'm getting on top of ally and brass casting, and although my furnace can melt iron it'll be a long time before I try to make anything sensible. Oh, and even when cast the part will need to be expertly machined from the rough cast.

Go with Fossil or just buy it. A single graphite crucible will cost much more than the part on EPay.

Hi Fossil,

Have sent you an email.

The South Bend thread dial gauges are slightly different in shape to the Hercus ones, and have the fixing screw underneath instead of in front. The casual passer by would not know the difference, but I would.

It definately seems by everyone's comments, that to attempt home casting would be foolish. Best left up to the experts, eh?

Ken

Metal casting is something I would love to try one day.
Most of the websites I've looked at cover aluminium or other non ferrous metal casting but there are a few that do cast iron as well.
The effort involved may be too much for just a few parts but as an ongoing hobby ...

Here's one home foundry site from Cameron McKeown, and here's another from Terry Brown.

Hi Neksmerj & Snowyskies,

Metal casting is not only useful & rewarding, it's damn good fun!

I built my furnace a few years ago, and it is still giving great service. Aluminium is no worries at all. I am in the process however of converting from gas fired to Waste Oil as the price of LP is just getting rediculous.

With Waste Oil, will be able to melt cast iron no probs (though the much higher heat destroys the refractory much faster). Also, I will have to get a new crucible as I don't want to cross-contaminate aluminium / iron.

It really is satisfying to have a need for a part, make a pattern for it and have it cast the same day (usually anyway). It's also quicker than trying to chase some obscure part that no one is interested in helping you find.

If you don't believe how easy it is, have a look at youtube - there are people on there from the subcontinent casting in dirt, wearing thongs! It's that easy. Though wear boots!!!!!

Beerbotboffin

I have a ladyfriend in Sidinee who is a sculptor. Quite sucessful apparently. Anyway she gets lots of stuff cast at a local foundry. She does a lot of bronze and shrinkage is less of a problem with that, so you can use a sample as a pattern and it'll probably be near enough.

From a purely economic perspective it's not really worth it, but from an adventure perspective you might find it really rewarding. Just because I don't find casting attractive, nor would I do a 100 point restoration on a lathe, doesn't mean you shouldn't

Have fun.

If you are serious about metal casting go to this link and have a good look around.
http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/
The blokes name is Lionel and if you need to ask him a question or two he is most helpful.Matt

Fossil, I recently finished machining my cross slide for an American Atlas 12x36, I got it sent from the USA for AUD$109.00 including shipping, if you're interested Ican look up the address for you,
Cheers,

Hi Dano,

That cross slide looks fantastic! Nice work.
That is exactly the cross slide that I want on my lathe.

Thanks for the offer. I have been "going to" AKA GUNNA do the new cross slide for ages now. The casting of the item isn't an issue, as I already have a deal in place. The machining however is what is preventing me from getting in to it. I don't have a shaper or mill.

My Brother has all the gear, but he is too busy making millions of dollars to pay me back any favours.
I think I'll let it go until I get a mill. Hopefully before I die.

Thanks Fossil, it took a while to get it there, I machined it in my micro mill, it wasn't easy I had to do it in stages, if you change your mind , here is the address check it out it has other things including castings for a back tool post!,
Cheers,
http://www.statecollegecentral.com/m...the/index.html

I think these guys would be willing to do a one off casting job.

A.W.Bell foundry
Work: 9799 9555
Work Address:
145 Abbots Rd.
Dandenong
www.awbell.com.au

Cheers,
Buncha

Hi Ken, I have a mate in Geelong who set up a foundry, just to cast parts for a steam traction engine. The main castings were (cast iron) for the differential , he also machined and cut the gears him self.
With assistance from an Alcoa employee they cast aluminiun , bronze etc,in small quantities ,a weekend money maker.
He is not on the internet ,so if you wish to speak to him ,send me a PM.
regards nine fingers.