The Bucket Foundry

**Yow Ling** · 9th December 2013, 19:10

The foundry or metal casting stuff thats been going on the the ESE thread really inspired me to get on with having a go at this stuff.
If you can cast metal theres really not much you cant do. I dont think its going to be easy, most of it has been a bit of 2 steps forward 1 step back so far.

Im actually an old hand at this I cast a sinker weight or a sandwich toaster when I was in 4th form metalwork, I suspect not much has changed in the last 35 years since then.

First I found myself a furnace, looks nice but with the burner it had was struggling to melt cheese, I now have a new burner with a gentle breeze from a small blower.

One of the first things I wanted to do was copy some parts to make moulds from, Husaberg put me onto a product called Vinamold its a rubbery hotmelt that feels a bit like silicone when at room temp but is a runny liquid at 160°C here my first stab at copying the transfers from a RG250 barrell

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000689.JPG
Views: 1165
Size: 157.8 KB
ID: 290811

How it arrives, I bought 1.5kg its reusable so if you screw up just throw it back into the pot and try again

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000690.JPG
Views: 951
Size: 159.0 KB
ID: 290812

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000691.JPG
Views: 1020
Size: 156.0 KB
ID: 290813

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000692.JPG
Views: 883
Size: 154.9 KB
ID: 290814

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000693.JPG
Views: 993
Size: 158.3 KB
ID: 290815

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000699.JPG
Views: 944
Size: 170.1 KB
ID: 290810

left over vinamold ready for next time

**Yow Ling** · 9th December 2013, 19:20

Heres the finished mould of the transfers

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000698.JPG
Views: 1009
Size: 159.8 KB
ID: 290820

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000694.JPG
Views: 908
Size: 147.9 KB
ID: 290816

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000695.JPG
Views: 898
Size: 147.1 KB
ID: 290817

the furnace with the new burner and blower

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000696.JPG
Views: 908
Size: 155.9 KB
ID: 290818

Scrap pile with a ingot from the first sucessful melt

Click image for larger version.

Name: P1000697.JPG
Views: 892
Size: 157.7 KB
ID: 290819

Crucible made from a bit of pipe about 5" diameter

**Yow Ling** · 9th December 2013, 19:26

This is only the start of the journey, there is so much to learn it kept me awake at night trying to figure some of it out. I can see some almighty cockups in the near future. apart from the LPG its all recycleable.

**TZ350** · 9th December 2013, 20:01

This is great .... looking forward to seeing how it goes.

**husaberg** · 9th December 2013, 20:13

Oh i have some molds............
Did you watch the series of Vids i posted Mike?
It has some clever dodges like the degassing etc.

**Yow Ling** · 9th December 2013, 20:27

Originally Posted by husaberg

Oh i have some molds............
Did you watch the series of Vids i posted Mike?
It has some clever dodges like the degassing etc.

**husaberg** · 9th December 2013, 21:05

There is a few i couldn't find where he showed the molding table set up and the muller and the pedestal furnace he has.

**F5 Dave** · 10th December 2013, 15:50

Originally Posted by Yow Ling

The foundry or metal casting stuff thats been going on the the ESE thread really inspired me to get on with having a go at this stuff.
If you can cast metal theres really not much you cant do. I dont think its going to be easy, most of it has been a bit of 2 steps forward 1 step back so far.

Im actually an old hand at this I cast a sinker weight or a sandwich toaster when I was in 4th form metalwork, I suspect not much has changed in the last 35 years since then.

First I found myself a furnace, looks nice but with the burner it had was struggling to melt cheese, I now have a new burner with a gentle breeze from a small blower.

One of the first things I wanted to do was copy some parts to make moulds from, Husaberg put me onto a product called Vinamold its a rubbery hotmelt that feels a bit like silicone when at room temp but is a runny liquid at 160°C here my first stab at copying the transfers from a RG250 barrell
. . .

Mmm. Melted cheese. Used to eat plates of it as a teenager

**husaberg** · 10th December 2013, 16:36

His furnace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVebl...54AC97&index=4
the Muling and table set up which is bloody neat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZGq1...F982076354AC97
K-bond sand (2 Stroke LOL)
http://castinghobbyfaq.bareboogerhost.com/kbond.shtml

**Yow Ling** · 11th December 2013, 19:55

Heres an interesting foundry video, if it wasnt for the needless slaughter of tens of thousands, I would have said it was great

**Flettner** · 13th December 2013, 20:24

Yow Ling, have you lined your crucible with somthing? Ceramic coating? There is a paint on able one. Hot steel straight aginst molten aluminium is not good for the alloy. It does not take much iron to dissolve into the alloy to wreak it. The casting will then not respond to heat treatment. Ok if you are making trinkets but no good if you want sound, high strength engine parts. Also you will need to control your melt temps well, if the alloy is over heated it will burn off some of the alloying components and once again the casting will be left unservicable. Just a few things to consider.

**Yow Ling** · 13th December 2013, 21:15

Thanks Flettner, Im still taking baby steps, Ill get a proper crucible when one turns up.
How do you measure the temp of the molten metal ? How do foundries do it, would an exhaust thermocouple do? Can it be done by colour?
At the moment Im melting my old FXR motor, maybe turn it into FXR footpeg brackets.
Your 360 cylinder looks great , I suppose you will start it on sunday.
In my head I envisioned you somehow using a cope and drag to make the mould, but your process was way more complex, do you have any more pictures of that. I understand how the cores and core prints work, I dont get how the parts of the mold were made yet, do you bake them , gas them , ram em?

That should do for tonight

Cheers

**husaberg** · 13th December 2013, 21:46

I linked these earlier should save Neil finding the pics

**Flettner** · 14th December 2013, 09:02

The bag of sand ( in the picture ) is the shell moulding sand I talk about. It is suppiled with a resin coating, this bonds to itself at approx 180 degrees C. You will need a metal die for this ( and the wifes oven ). Some of my dies are made using the CNC but some are made by copying the wood / bondifill moulds into aluminium at the foundry, then turning them into dies. This works well although they do need a little cleaning up so the sand core will slide out easily. I have a few pictures, I'll round them up if you like.
The other stuff in the pictures is the casting resin, for pattern making. It is good because it doesn't shrink or expand as it sets. It uses two equal parts. It is expensive at $380 for what you see here, adding micro ballons makes it go a little further. I have tried other products but at the end of the day this stuff is worth the money!
Good on you for having a go, I posted these pictures of making a cylinder ( pattern making ) so others might have a go instead of trying to hack out old cylinders to make them what they never were ment to be. Having the ability to cast intricate parts ( cylinders ) changes the way you will approch projects.
You will need a temp probe, I made one useing a cheap meter I bought using I think type K wire. Put it inside a stainless steel tube with the bare wire sticking out the end. There is quite a bit to melting alloy properly as you will need degassing pills and a flux of some sort.
After we had the " incident " with our home foundry I decided it was better to be friends with a local foundry and let him melt the alloy for me, I just make the moulds and put them on the floor next to his moulds.
The white sand you see is CO2 hardening sand ( cold process ), just pack it in then apply CO2 gas and will harden up instantly. This sand is not as strong as the shell hot sand process but it's good for less inticate parts. I'm not sure what is mixed with the sand, Husaburg will know.

**GerbilGronk** · 14th December 2013, 09:51

I have a fair bit of video of Flettner in the foundry which I am slowly editing. It is pretty interesting stuff. There would have been some of the sleeve valve cylinder getting cast but you forgot to push record on the Go pro Neil

. Oh well. We will have to get some of that when you do another casting. Give me a day or so and the first video will be ready.