Metal Casting Zone Info Blog

Kent Kelin asked:


Metal Casting is more than just an excuse to play with molten metal it is actually a great way to create art and complicated pieces of machinery or other items that would otherwise be nearly impossible to make. Metal Casting is really a great way to save money…while playing with molten metal. The reason that Metal Casting has survived the test of time is a matter or efficiency. Some of the earliest casting examples have been found in China dating back thousands and thousands of years. In fact every major civilization from the Egyptians to the Romans practiced metal casting. This skill came back into vogue during the Renaissance and has continued to advance and evolve from there. While Sand Casting is the most popular casting process there are many, many more processes available to the backyard foundries. Not everyone is going to be casting heavy pieces like engine parts or cast their own motorcycles. So for those that just want to make decorative pieces you will not be using the same casting process as these heavy duty casters.  For artists creating small scale statues or embellishes and for hobbyists that need a decorative touch to their model plane or boat might want to consider using gravity casting for their needs. Gravity casting seems to be especially useful when dealing with aluminum and other light alloys. The basic idea behind this casting process is pretty much exactly what the name suggests. The metal is introduced into the mold by the force of gravity. Most other casting process either use natural pressure difference like the kind in certain sand casting procedures or they use forced pressure like in centrifugal casting to get the molten metal into the mold.  One of the most common uses for gravity casting is when permanent molds are going to be used. Also called a die, the permanent mold is really only economical for those planning on using the same mold numerous times and will need to keep the quality at a constant level. While some temporary molds can be repeatedly used the quality of the finished product will begin to suffer over time. With die molds the quality will remain the same. Die molds should be seen as an investment. Yes, they will be more costly then other molds; however they will outlast cheaper options for molds. With Permanent molds, they are created using cast iron, steel, and other metals. Gravity casting is used for the permanent mold process with pleasing results. Gravity casting is usually used when the finished product is more visually based then structurally based which is why this method is a favorite of artists and even some jewelers. The loss of strength is due to the lack of pressure used in this process. For those that need the strength but still want to use gravity casting, more of the molten metal will need to be used which will increase the weight. Relying on gravity will take patience, although it will be needed for larger products. If you have never tried gravity casting then you should, because you just may be surprised by what such a simple thing like gravity can create. For the sake of humor, make an apple and see what happens.

Home Metal Casting

I am the Badger Princess. asked:


A gold necklace with different shapes linked together with chains, what would be the production process of this? Would a metal cast have been made?

Metal Casting Basics

Kent Kelin asked:


A Cupola is a type of furnace that is very much alike to blast furnace. The Cupola furnace is refractory lined, stack of steel that is around 20 to 35 feet high. It rests on a base plate that is made of cast iron and has four legs. The casting that is obtained from the cupola furnace is known as a cupola casting.

Cupola Furnace: The Cupola furnace is one of the oldest forms of furnace that have been used by the iron and metal foundries. The Cupola furnace is the crudest and the simplest furnace that has been used by the industries. However, the cupola’s use is declining and the furnace is fast being extinct.

Merits of the Cupola Furnace: Though the electric or the blast furnace has started replacing the Cupola Furnace, it has some special benefits of its own. The Cupola furnace can always remain continuously in action. The furnace also offers a very high melting rate. The most important merit of the furnace is that it has relatively very low melting cost. The furnace has also permits a lot of ease of operation.

However, due to the invention and development of the electric furnace, the use of Cupola furnaces has substantially declined. The electric furnace melts a much larger amount of metal. The operation cost of the electric furnace is also very low. The electric furnace also emits a much smaller level of smoke heat and also pollutants.

Construction of the Cupola furnace: The Cupola furnace is constructed in a crude and simple manner. The Cupola furnace is a vertical structure like a steel shell. The steel is lined with refractory bricks from the inside. The furnace has an opening half way in the vertical shaft. The charge is introduced through the opening. The charge is divided into different layers. It contains the metal that is to be melted. The metal is mixed with coke, fuel, and lime stone flux. The fuel is burnt directly into the air and is introduced in to the furnace through the tuyeres which are positioned above the hearth. The hot gases that have been produced ascend and pre heat the charge.

The cupolas in majority of the cases have drop down doors. The bottoms can be dropped down to facilitate the cleaning and the repairs. At bottom in front of the furnace is a tap hole. The molten metal is removed from the tap hole. At the rear there is also another slag hole. The top of the stag is covered with a spark or fume arrester.

Usually the cupola has a diameter of 405 to 2000 mm. It is operated on varying fuels for different metal ratios. The molten metal that can be produced in the copula of this size at a speed of 1 to 30 tones per hour.

Continuity of process: After the process of melting has ended, the charging is halted. However, the blast of hot air is always maintained till all the metal has been melted and has been taken out from the tap hole. When the air cools down, the doors at the bottom are opened and the residue that has been left behind is removed

DIY Metal Casting

Joseph Buffalo asked:


Living in the Southwest we don’t get to many opportunities to search for Civil War relics.

While visiting relatives in the East, I took my metal detector with us.

This article will again highlight how important research is in treasure hunting.

I knew the home my relatives were living in was quite old. It was located in Eastern Pennsylvania . The main structure was built around 1840’s. The main house was three stories and it had 15 Bedrooms. Each bedroom had a Fireplace. I didn’t measure the house but I would estimate it at 8,000 square feet. The current structure and land included a tennis court, large pool, and very large 3-story barn. All of this was setting on approximately 20 acres. The original land and structures included 25 coke ovens, and a lead casting foundry.

One of my relatives said he thought the whole operation made cannon balls and musket bullets for the North during the Civil War. After that comment I started looking for ways to research the area.

Fortunately the house had some very old pictures mounted on the walls, which depicted how the structures looked many years ago. It helped pinpoint where original buildings were located.

I continued to research the location. I was able to acquired additional information on the history of the old house at the local grocery store. Working at the check out counter was a gentleman in his mid 70’s. Vern had lived in the area all his life. His Father, Mother and Grand parents lived in the area all their lives. Vern validated the property I was researching was a Canon Ball and Bullet foundry during the Civil War.

It was time to break out my metal detector.

Prior to searching around the house, barn and foundry, I wanted to test my detector on soil conditions. I was passing the detector over the gravel drive when it sounded off. The target appeared large. I dug down about 6 inches. It turned out to be a melted piece of lead. The item weight about 2 lbs.

I proceeded to search the area for two days. I found many pieces of Lead, including a couple of pieces that could have been Cannon Balls. We found a few older coins, but nothing in 1800’s. By the barn we uncovered some old tools, parts of older Automobiles. Also found were horseshoes, and nails. The old foundry was gated and locked up so we could not search it.

This outing was a fun time. Knowing what era the buildings were and confirmation on the Civil War factory made the research fun.

Remember your treasure hunting outings will be more fun and profitable if you do the research.

Please visit our site for more stories and tips. AZMuletreasure

Metal Casting DIY

Ann Knapp asked:


Intake and Exhaust Manifolds are critical components of automobile engines responsible for supplying the fuel/air mixture to the engine (intake) and collecting the gases for expulsion (exhaust). They need to be clean and functioning in order for a car to operate at peak efficiency. Problems with the manifolds can result in costly repair and poor performance. Therefore, cleaning these parts before they are added to the engine is a high priority for auto manufacturers and suppliers.

Intake Manifolds
The intake manifold has a high specification of cleanliness. Since the manifold supplies the engine, it must be clean. Debris and contamination in the manifold can be hazardous to the engine, clogging the engine and damaging the car. Metal chips left over from the production process need to be eliminated in order for the manifold to pass inspection by the manufacturer.

Intake manifolds are often made of soft metals, such as aluminum or magnesium. As such, they require specific cleaning chemistry. When selecting a chemistry to use for cleaning the intake manifold, it is important that the chemistry can effectively clean the manifold without damaging the soft metal construction. Further, the chemistry must not create hydrogen during the cleaning process, because that can result in an explosion.

A common specification for contamination in intake manifolds is in the 1.5mg range. A filter weight test is used to measure the level of contamination. Depending on the design of the manifold, both immersion and spray systems can be effective in reaching this specification. These methods can both produce manifolds with contamination weights less than 1.5mg, usually clearing the standard quite comfortably.

Exhaust Manifolds
The exhaust manifold also needs to be cleaned, but often the specifications are not as stringent as for intake manifolds. This is because the exhaust manifold is located downstream from the engine, meaning it does not provide any material for the engine. Rather, it collects gas from the engine and expels it. There are exceptions to this general rule. If a turbocharger is present, it will be located downstream from the exhaust manifold. In this case, the exhaust manifold must reach cleanliness levels comparable to the intake manifold, or the turbocharger will be contaminated.

These manifolds are usually constructed from cast iron, and sometimes cast stainless steel. Exhaust manifolds must pass a smoke test before the manufacturer accepts them. A smoke free performance in the test is required by ISO 14001 standards that auto manufacturers adhere to. Rust inhibitors are also necessary to prevent excessive rust. Rust inhibition applies to the cast iron models; a stainless steel manifold, obviously, does not have the same rust concerns. Many manifolds are imported from foreign manufacturers, and therefore American based auto manufacturers require them to be thoroughly inspected and tested to ensure that the foreign production has met the domestic standards in place.

Washer Solutions
For intake manifolds, there is often a specific area of chips and coolant that needs to be removed. These contaminated areas can be cleaned easily and quickly with a custom washer. By using a custom-rotating fixture, along with spray headers targeted specifically for the part, the manifold can meet cleanliness specifications. The fixture will rotate to the locations of the contamination to target individual orifices and enhance cleaning. By rotating in a full circle, optimal drainage and drying can be achieved.

Exhaust manifolds do not require the same level of specificity. For these manifolds, a washer needs to be able to remove chips form the manifold along with applying a rust inhibitor and drying the parts to virtually “bone dry”. One way of achieving this goal is a fixtured indexing washer. The system removes contaminant first. After that, a rust inhibitor is applied to protect the manifold. Then a blow dry process leaves the parts dry enough for specifications.

By including multiple filtration features, the part can be cleaned effective. This process includes a special chip basket filter in the fluid that removes the chips via a flush and then returns the part to the process.

These solutions will not work for every situation. However, by working with a qualified and experienced washer manufacturer, a company in need of manifold cleaning will certainly be able to custom design a machine that works to the specifications they require. Producing clean, quality manifolds is important and necessary. Finding a custom washer to assist in the process will go a long way in maintaining the high level of quality required to produce for American auto manufacturers.

Metal Casting Forum

caLamaRi asked:


In layman’s term please. Short and brief.

Perhaps tell me about how it could have been done centuries ago?

Backyard Metal Casting

jdsprince asked:

Here’s my furnace at running temperature.

Hobby Metal Casting

parrotpotterstudio asked:

My home art studio, still under construction to be used for painting, making sculptures, metal casting, pottery and such….

Metal Casting Information

Kent Kelin asked:


Many believe that iron casting is just simply out of reach for small furnaces but this is not the case. While alloys like aluminum are more prevalent in home foundries. Artists and hobbyists have also used brass, bronze, and even iron to fulfill their casting needs. Industrial foundries commonly use iron for a variety of items like cookware, like cast iron pans, and even bridges. Casting iron provides an easy and effective method of making such large structural pieces and even smaller pieces for around the home. The most common furnace type used by home foundries is the cupola furnace. The cupola is a basic furnace type that does not need a crucible as it allows the caster to pour the molten metal directly from the furnace into a ladle which is then poured into the mold. Cupola furnaces resemble smoke stacks and can be home made for those with enough confidence and some mechanical know-how to attempt it. The fuels used to heat the metal in a cupola furnace depend on the caster’s resources and preference. Many will use propane and some will use coal. There are a select few that will use waste material such as old scraps of metal and the powder at the bottom of bags of barbecue coal to fuel the cupola. For iron many would recommend the use of propane, but there have been some casters that have succeeded with waste material. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different fuel types to find the perfect fit for your furnace and need. Finding a source of iron can be difficult and a trip to the scrap yard might be in order. This is just one of the exciting ventures that metal casting can provide you. After you locate your iron you will need to prepare your mold. This is assuming you have a pattern in mind that you want to cast. If not, then go ahead and figure something out even if it’s a small piece in order to test your iron casting ability. Since sand casting is the most popular casting method you might want to use it for the iron casting especially if you are familiar with the method and not with iron.  After making the sand mold and placing the runner for the molten iron you will melt the metal. The melting point of iron is 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit or about 1538 degree Celsius. Since all metals melt at different temperatures don’t be impatient if iron takes longer to melt and don’t be surprised if it’s quicker. When the molten iron is ready you are going to pour some into a ladle and the pour that into the sand mold. The sand mold is held in place by the cope and drag, which is the top and bottom part of the mold. The runners are in place in the mold to allow the molten iron a place to enter. When the iron is cool, remove the cast from the sand carefully and there you have a cast of iron. As with all metal casts, you will need to follow the appropriate safety steps to avoid any accidents. Accidents with molten metal will always be very painful so make sure you wear gloves, jeans, boots, and a long sleeve shirt. You may also want a heavy duty leather apron and a pair of goggles. Iron casting is a great way to create restoration items or pieces for around the home and even for artistic purposes.

Iron Metal Casting

parrotpotterstudio asked:

Some of the pottery tools I’ve made or collected…

Metal Casting