Thread: Anyone for casting and Foundry work?

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Ray,
Looks good.
Shaper as in a "real" shaper? or some sort of wood working thing? lol
Have you ever thought about adding some sort of intake air preheating? Its not like you dont have plenty of waste heat.
Stuart

Hi Stuart,

Never crossed my mind to pre-heat the intake air.. That whole set up is being changed as we speak to an air-forced system, I think it was in another thread that I heard the term non-ferocious casting, with the turbo boost on the air we can do some ferocious casting

The Premo shaper is a monster, 15 hp main cutter, 2x 5hp side cuttters, 15 hp bottom cutter, 10 hp feed motor, you push in square stock at one end and timber moldings shaped on all sides comes out the other. It's a 1950's engineering masterpiece.

Hi Ropetangler,

Bacon and eggs it is, so long as you like your bacon crisp and the eggs black. For casting aluminium we use C19 nitril tablets for degassing, but no flux? I wonder what he uses, and what the benefits are. For bronze and brass casting, no degassing or flux, just skim the slag.

Thanks for the comments on the fashion accessories, if you want to see something interesting in the latest OH&S fashions do a search on youtube for "bangalore iron pour"

I hope to test the new burner soon, so I'll post anything of interest in this thread.

Regards
Ray

For casting aluminium we use C19 nitril tablets for degassing, but no flux? I wonder what he uses, and what the benefits are.

He uses Lo Salt (Potassium Chloride) for flux Which I think makes the metal more fluid, and also brings the dross to the top for skimming off, and washing soda (sodium carbonate) for the de-gasser, which may also aid the dross removal, not sure about this.

For bronze and brass casting, no degassing or flux, just skim the slag.

Is that because it is not needed, or you unsure what to use?

Thanks for the comments on the fashion accessories, if you want to see something interesting in the latest OH&S fashions do a search on youtube for "bangalore iron pour"

I reckon that I've seen it or something similar, at least they have the excuse of being dirt poor, and not having any other of providing for their families.

I hope to test the new burner soon, so I'll post anything of interest in this thread.

That sounds great, I hope that it goes really well
Regards
Rob

For bronze and brass casting, no degassing or flux, just skim the slag.
Is that because it is not needed, or you unsure what to use?

A bit of both really, when you have either zinc or aluminium in the alloy to react with the oxygen you probably don't need to degass, a lot of our bronze casting has been with aluminium bronze. But to answer your question, I don't know what would work best, doing a bit on searching on-line, I see that some flux using borax, and some use crushed charcoal, and still others say use nothing.

I did stumble across a good free on-line book BackyardMetalcasting.com - Lionel's Laboratory :: View topic - Foundry Tutorial Book worth reading.

When you consider how little equipment is needed and how little it costs, it's a wonder more people don't get into casting aluminium and bronze.

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by RayG

A bit of both really, when you have either zinc or aluminium in the alloy to react with the oxygen you probably don't need to degass, a lot of our bronze casting has been with aluminium bronze. But to answer your question, I don't know what would work best, doing a bit on searching on-line, I see that some flux using borax, and some use crushed charcoal, and still others say use nothing.

I did stumble across a good free on-line book BackyardMetalcasting.com - Lionel's Laboratory :: View topic - Foundry Tutorial Book worth reading.

When you consider how little equipment is needed and how little it costs, it's a wonder more people don't get into casting aluminium and bronze.

Regards
Ray

My 'excuse' is that I haven't got around to getting refractory yet (or the heat blankets you use).... Got plenty of scrap ally castings building up though, I've been stockpiling them...

Hi All,

Here's the forum post on the old wood working machines forum.

Old Woodworking Machines • View topic - A bit of foundry work on the side....

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by RayG

Yep... It's been getting a work out doing some plane bodies, don't know how I ever lived without it..

Here's a few pictures from the casting on sunday, some pictures by Peter McBride, and some by Matty.

Peter carved a pattern for a lever cap, (beautiful job in no time flat I should add), and we cast a couple of lever caps as well.


Regards
Ray

Ray,
here is the finished lever cap....
Must thank you and Josh again, and looking forward to another casting session.
I hadn't used this lathe for thread cutting before, so had to rejig it, and grind a few cutters.
I can see this one in a little smoother of a small miter plane.
Thinking about a Lancashire pattern plane next ..????
Regards,
Peter
Attachment 171447

Attachment 171448

Attachment 171449

Hi Peter,

I suspect it might be a problem with iinet, but I can't see pictures from Peter McBride Goldsmith Jeweller I can see the website, but only if I bounce off a proxy outside the iinet network. I've sent off a note to iinet tech support, so hopefully they will be able to track it down, I suspect a peering or a routing problem

Could you edit your post to attach the picture as a thumbnail as well as the in-line image.

Thanks
Ray

Originally Posted by RayG

Hi Peter,

I suspect it might be a problem with iinet, but I can't see pictures from Peter McBride Goldsmith Jeweller I can see the website, but only if I bounce off a proxy outside the iinet network. I've sent off a note to iinet tech support, so hopefully they will be able to track it down, I suspect a peering or a routing problem

Could you edit your post to attach the picture as a thumbnail as well as the in-line image.

Thanks
Ray

Ray,
done.
Peter

Hi Peter,

Beautiful work, the square thread profile looks great. Much nicer than a 60 degree profile.

How did you do the knurling on the screw?



That bronze looks stunning all polished.

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by RayG

Hi Peter,

Beautiful work, the square thread profile looks great. Much nicer than a 60 degree profile.

How did you do the knurling on the screw?



That bronze looks stunning all polished.

Regards
Ray

Ray,
I made a couple of knurling wheels in silver steel, by hand using a bur in the handpiece of the flexdrive, like I did with your RG name punch, just to see if I could.
Here it is in a temp brass holder...which seems to work ok still.
Attachment 171633
Regards,
Peter

Hi Peter,

Thanks for posting that, I have some 01 tool steel that I think would work for making knurls, only I don't have your skills with the engraving tools, I think I can come up with a way of doing it on the mill with a rotary table.

One thing I notice, and that is the way you have done the knurl it would track nicely and self register on the ridge. Clever...

Any further thoughts on what you are going to put into the shield area of the lever cap.

Lancashire Pattern Plane.. I had to look it up, weird looking things, looks like a shooting plane for corners...

Regards
Ray