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Metal Casting

DIY Metal Casting is an ancient technique that has a variety of applications and purposes. Civilizations from the dawn of time to present day have used metal working as a way of creating artistic, religious, and practical items. The process of metal casting involves melting metals at high temperatures and using molds to then shape the metal into new items. The furnaces used in metal casting helped pave the way for the Industrial Revolution, without which the course of history would be dramatically different. Metal casting is just one form of metal working that has seen a recent surge in popularity as resources are becoming more affordable and communities are springing up to share information, ideas, and projects.

A lot of creativity, a little bit of knowledge, and a few pieces of special equipment and you are ready to cast metal. While metal casting is used on an Industrial level as the process cuts cost and proves to be highly efficient, many individuals participate in metal casting as a hobby and in artistic endeavors. Many people are drawn to metal casting for one reason or another, although there seems to be two main motivations that stand out. The first motivation that brings hobbyists to practice metal casting is need; people may need to create items or parts for other ventures. Metal casting is a great way to build hard to find pieces for models, restoration projects, and even just small replacement parts needed for common household items. Creative designs or sculptures are reasons why metal casting is used.

Whatever the reason, small scale Metal Casting is attractive because that it can be done right at home, either in the backyard or workshop. Individuals working in metal casting are able to create home made tools and equipment like furnaces and molds. Metal casting is only limited by the individual’s desire, so for those with the time and the need, virtually anything is possible.

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Casting Resin

Metal Casting is known and loved for the high temperatures, glowing molten metal, and the possibility to make nearly anything. Metal and their alloys are not the only things that can be used in casting. Casting in plastic, most notably resin casting, is becoming popular with artists and jewelers looking for something odd and unique.

Resin casting does not involve the use of furnaces, crucibles, or casting sand. In fact all one really needs for resin casting is a mold, some resin (of course), and time.

There are actually two forms of resin casting. The first kind is the one that more closely resembles metal casting, uses a mold and even gates and runners if it’s complex enough. The second type of DIY Metal Casting is simply incasing an object in the resin. An example of this is using an ice cube tray and placing an object like a small pendant in one of the tray’s cavities and then filling it with the resin solution. After the resin dries you can pop it out of the tray. The pendant is now encased in hard plastic. Sometimes you will see moms and other crafty individuals using this form because its fun for every age and experience. At the very least it’s a great way to get rid of some of the clutter around your house and disguise it as art. You can cast leaves, coins, and other objects in the resin to make anything from charms to magnets.

Resin casting using mold is generally used by those who work with models and miniatures. Resin casting is a great way to make several pieces at once so you can avoid shelling out money you may not have and waiting several weeks for delivery of your items. Who has that kind of time anymore?

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Gas Torch

Metal Casting provides the hobbyist with a great way to create personalized parts and pieces that may otherwise be unattainable or far too expensive. Casting is an ancient art that is still is use to this day by major industries to artists to those with backyard foundries. This skill is a valuable one that promises to provide the hobbyist with a rewarding past time. Most hobbyists begin their casting careers with a modest sized furnace to fit their most basic needs. Within a few months, the hobbyist might find that the furnace has grown and that they are casting at every chance that comes along. Don’t worry, this is completely natural.

To say that Home Metal Casting is addictive is an understatement. Your ideas can now become reality with molten metal and metal casting. This is perhaps one of the greatest parts of the entire metal casting process like seeing what was once just sketches solidify from liquid iron, or whatever metal is used. All the metal caster needs is an idea and red hot liquid metal.

The furnace is the pride and joy for the metal caster. Most will construct their own furnace tweaking the design here and there to better suit their needs. Many home Metal Casting foundries are based on home made furnaces and if constructed correctly can prove to be highly effective.  The crucial part of the furnace is the furnace torch. The torch brings the heat, incredibly high heat, and without it that chunk of metal would just sit in the crucible and never see life as something new and exciting. Except as a paper weight; a very ugly paper weight.

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Metal Casting

Metal Casting takes a certain amount of skill and knowledge not to mention the appropriate tools of the trade. Luckily, anyone can learn metal casting and the tools are widely available and some can even be crafted right at the home workshop.

Most of the DIY Casting tools are pretty standard and can be used for the different casting processes. If you already familiar with metal work then the chances are pretty good that you already have some of the tools in your garage or workshop. In fact, it is possible to make many of the tools that are commonly found in small foundries.  If you are unable to make your own tools then there are many online resources where you can buy tools and even home improvement stores will have the tools.

The absolute must have metal casting tools will be used for safety. Safety in the home foundry is a must since any accidents that can occur will more then likely result in devastating injuries, remember safety first.

Gloves will be necessary when pouring the molten metal or picking up the crucible with the aid of heavy strength tongs. Wearing clothing that covers your entire body including long sleeve shirts is important because there will be extreme heat coming from the melted metals. Jeans and work boots will help prevent any injuries in case of spills. Its very dangerous when molten metal falls onto surfaces that are wet or have recently been wet as it splatters everywhere. Even concrete can cause molten metal to splatter that is why metal casters always keep a muffin tin on hand where any excess molten metal can be safely stored. Always wear goggles when working with intense flames to avoid eye damage. Without the appropriate safety gear injuries are pretty much guaranteed. 

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Metal Casting

Metal Casting is a useful skill that has its roots in antiquity. Weapons and sculptures were traditionally created using this method but as the DIY movement gained momentum many modern day casters have found a use for Metal Casting to make plumbing fixtures, door knobs, and many other items. Today, small foundries can be found in many backyards, garages, and workshops.

In order to make a casting of metal, you will need a furnace capable of melting metal alloys at high temperatures. Usually, individual metal casters will construct their own furnace. There are companies that will sell small scale furnaces but they are often costly. The most common type of casting is called Sand Casting which uses sand or green sand to make the molds where the molten metal will be poured into to form the finished product. The mold is a handmade item placed in a flask which has two parts, a cope and drag. The mold is usually made of sand, but can also be created using other ingredients like latex or even metal. Most likely, you will set the pattern to form the mold cavity that can be seen in the mold.

The mold cavity will be an impression of the pattern including the fine details which will then be filled with the molten alloy. Pattern casting is an art form in itself, really, but anyone can create a pattern even if you have no artistic skill what so ever. The pattern is an original which will be cast into metal. Common pattern castings include complex engine parts for models, replicas of Civil War era weapons, sculptures, and even jewelry.

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Casting

Metal Casting has endured through the ages since the time of Ancient Egypt, possibly longer. Since then small foundries have developed to meet the needs of the individual caster. There are several reasons that people choose to create their own home grown foundries. A top reason is the need to create parts and pieces that are no longer available on the market or that are just too expensive to purchase. Those who get into Casting for this reason are usually interested in restoration projects, home improvement projects, or hobby building like model planes and trains. Artists are the other group that see metal casting as a cheap and easy way to create sculptures from small to large. Jewelers even use metal casting to create complex pieces that would just otherwise be impossible to create.

Given the wide scope of metal casting there are several methods and techniques that have developed. For those new to metal casting or for those wanting to try some of these other methods may find it difficult to find information on your own. Luckily, there are several metal casting associations and groups that are more then willing to share information and exchange ideas, projects, and pictures of the goings on in the their home foundries.

On the internet, Metal Casting associations and groups are either message boards full of casters where they can ask questions, post ideas, and pictures or are websites that are maintained by a set group of people offering general information and educational resources.

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Casting

Brass is a great metal to cast with as it can provide some really great looking results.  Many believe that brass, an alloy of zinc and copper, has been around since our prehistoric ancestors. Penny’s are made of brass, but they aren’t the only things that brass makes up today as the majority of the musical instruments you see are made of brass.

The low melting point makes brass a really great material for metal casting since even the smaller home grown furnaces can be used. By adding and subtracting alloys from bronze one can successfully make hard or soft bronzes. Aluminum and tin are sometimes added to bronze to create a layer that is not corrosive and very durable. Of course, for the home foundry users, playing alchemist isn’t really an option or necessary and scrap brass is perfectly acceptable in many cases. Locating scrap pieces of brass should be sufficient enough for whatever project you have in mind. Due to brass’ gleam and yellow shine, many artists will use the alloy for sculptures, jewelry, and other decorative items. Other metal casters may choose to use brass for general hardware needs or vintage car restoration, and of course, whatever else they may choose.

Generally there are three casting methods that prove to be suitable for Brass Casting . The nice thing about metal casting is that there are so many methods to experiment with and that casters don’t have to be locked into one method or technique.

Metal Casting casting is usually associated with bronze casting but can also be used for brass and for really any other metal. By using a wax model and covering it with a ceramic shell, artisans are able to inject the molten alloy which replaces the wax. The brass piece will be shown once you start to chip away at the shell. Lost wax casting is used when a high attention to detail is needed. Artists or metal casters looking to create decorative brass pieces or sculptures will find that the lost wax casting technique will meet their needs far better than other techniques and methods.

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Metal Casting

Metal Casting is basically the manufacturing process through which a liquid material is emptied into a mold that includes a hollow opening of the desired art or shape and is then allowed to harden. This hardened casting is then removed and broken out in order to complete the process. Apart from using sand as the main mold material there is a metal that is used as the mold. Normally, a cast meehanite or an iron is used as the material for mold and the objects are made from the sand or metal. The cavity surface is basically covered with a thin layer of material that is heat resistant which can be either sodium silicate or clay.

Casting Molds: A general rule of thumb is that the casting mold needs to be heated up to around 400 degrees Fahrenheit in order to allow the metal to be poured into the cavity. The design of cavity for these casting molds does not chase the same principle for shrinkage like in the sand casting molds. This is because of the fact that the metal casting molds heat up and enlarge during the pouring process and so the cavity does not need to be expanded like in the sand castings. Nevertheless, care should be taken in order to ensure a correct thermal balance as you can use external water source for cooling or you can also opt for suitable radiation techniques.

Permanent Metal Casting : Although these permanent casting molds are not as flexible as the sand castings which allow to be used in different metal patterns or designs but these lower the cost of producing the part. When there is a production run of more than 1000 parts the permanent casting molds would produce much lower piece of cost part. Apart from this, the break even point also depends on the density of the part. There are more complex parts that are favored when you use these permanent casting molds. The typical part size would be around 50g to 70 kg and the basic materials used are medium and small parts that are made from magnesium, aluminum and brass and also their alloys.

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Metal Casting

Metal Casting is an ancient method of creating statues and sculptures that has been in practice in Meso-America, China, and Ancient Egypt since 2000 BC. The Greeks practiced it, so did the Romans, and pretty much any civilization with a strong interest in art.

Tin and Copper are what make up bronze and since its discovery it has been used to make weapons and sculptures. Bronze is able to fill in the fine detail of molds making it very desirable to artists. When art casting, bronze is the alloy of choice since it is both beautiful and easy to work with. There are few examples of bronze statues left from antiquity since the alloy became scarce and many of the statues were melted down for weapons and other sculptures usually for new emperors or victors.

The Lost Wax Casting process is the preferred method used when art casting. This process was used in ancient times to create bronze items. Small foundries like the type found in backyards, personnel workshops, and garages are able to use the Lost Wax Casting process with a certain amount of professionalism. Commercial foundries and professional art companies use the Lost Wax Casting process as well to create custom items and monuments. The process remains, essentially, the same since the ancient craftsmen who first pioneered the method. Lost wax casting also gets another name when it is used in the commercial manufacturing business or when its just to make jewelry and that name is Investment Casting.

Art Casting is one of the more enjoyable reasons to fire up the furnace and get into metal casting. While most think metal casting to be strictly limited to hobbyist and historical re-enactors, casting is a popular skill and craft used by a wide range of people for varying reasons. Artists see the need to have metal casting skills as it allows the artists to have direct control over the process instead of out sourcing it to a commercial foundry. Commercial foundries that specialize in custom pieces will often charge outrageous prices for their services. Metal Casting on your own is often times economical and just smart.

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Metal Casting

Resin Casting is a system of technical installation that is used in the process of casting resin. The process of Resin Casting is a complex process that is used in a variety of fields. The resin casting giver a high quality and precision to the product that is casted.

Need for Resin Metal Casting : Resin casting is used to obtain a high level of quality and also precision in the dimensions of the product. Resin casting is basically used in the process of miniaturization i.e. the process of making things small. The process of Resin Casting is also used extensively the field of electronics. The electronics industries today resort to the resin castings to achieve the norms of total quality management.

The process of resin metal casting earned success and also gained popularity in the field of electronics because it facilitated the acute miniaturization process and also at the same time maintained a high level of quality. The electronics industry is a very demanding field in terms of quality and cost. Experts recommend that the process of resin casting is an ideal way to achieve the required quality and it also helps cut down the cost of production. The process is also highly productive and also reliable with respect to speed.          

Industrial Applications of Resin Casting: The process of resin casting is basically used in the electronics industry. Resin Casting is used in the production of transformers, Liquid Crystals Displays more commonly known as the LCD’s. It also used in the manufacture of heavy electronic systems.

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