Metal Casting Zone Info Blog

Kent Kelin asked:


 
The most noticeable item in any backyard foundry is the furnace. This is no surprise really, because without the furnace the entire metal casting operation would be nonexistent. The furnace can take really any size and form depending upon the need and budget of the metal caster. What really makes home metal casting furnaces really unique is how many of them come into creation. Sure there are plenty of companies that will gladly sell furnaces for the hobby metal caster and while this can be a viable solution to your furnace needs many metal casters prefer another method. Making your own furnace is not as far fetched as it may seem and if you already a Do It Yourselfer, chances are you will have the needed skills and tools in your workshop or garage already. There are a variety of reasons why people make their own furnaces. The most common reason is fulfilling a need. Many hobbyist and metal workers find out, to their dismay, that the local commercial foundries can not make the needed part or if they do, they feel the need to charge an outrageous sum. Not to mention the fact that the traditional methods of metal casting is quickly becoming forgotten as the industry turns to electric furnaces. So many hobbyists find that constructing their own furnace is an absolute necessity and a great way to preserve a piece of craftsman history. The artisans who use metal casting to create sculptures and other pieces find that making their own furnace grants them a greater amount of control over the entire process. This is actually how many people get into metal casting to begin with. Most likely, your first furnace is going to be a small and rather simple one. There is really no need to run before you can walk when it comes to something that will be using intense heat and melting iron which can be rather dangerous. Home made furnaces have been constructed from coffee cans to trash cans or sheet metal welded together. While there are a few components that really should be bought like the retractor to line the furnace walls which should be resistant to high temperature for a prolonged period of time along with special connectors and regulators, most of the furnace can be created in your own home. You should be able to find most of the components that you can not make at hardware stores or plumbing supply stores for relatively cheap. Along with the furnace parts you will also need to buy a crucible which will hold the metal as it melts along with the appropriate tools that you will use to handle the crucible. While you are at it you might as well buy all the safety equipment like gloves, protective eye wear, and leather shoes. There is other safety equipment that you will need depending on the type of work and the type of furnace you are going to make. Most likely, your first furnace is going to be a simple cupola variation. The cupola furnace which is going to resemble a smoke stack is a simple design and is relatively easy to make for anyone with mild craft skill. This type of furnace will not require a crucible since you will be able to pour the molten metal from the furnace itself into a ladle that can then be poured into the mold. DIY casting furnaces are a great way to connect yourself with your metal casting work giving you more control. While building the furnace can be complicated at first, once you delve into it you will find the experience enjoyable and fascinating.

Backyard Metal Casting

Kent Klein asked:


The most noticeable item in any backyard foundry is the furnace. This is no surprise really, because without the furnace the entire metal casting operation would be nonexistent. The furnace can take really any size and form depending upon the need and budget of the metal caster. What really makes home metal casting furnaces really unique is how many of them come into creation.

Sure there are plenty of companies that will gladly sell furnaces for the hobby metal caster and while this can be a viable solution to your furnace needs many metal casters prefer another method.

Making your own furnace is not as far fetched as it may seem and if you already a Do It Yourselfer, chances are you will have the needed skills and tools in your workshop or garage already. There are a variety of reasons why people make their own furnaces. The most common reason is fulfilling a need.

Many hobbyist and metal workers find out, to their dismay, that the local commercial foundries can not make the needed part or if they do, they feel the need to charge an outrageous sum. Not to mention the fact that the traditional methods of metal casting is quickly becoming forgotten as the industry turns to electric furnaces. So many hobbyists find that constructing their own furnace is an absolute necessity and a great way to preserve a piece of craftsman history. The artisans who use metal casting to create sculptures and other pieces find that making their own furnace grants them a greater amount of control over the entire process. This is actually how many people get into metal casting to begin with.

Most likely, your first furnace is going to be a small and rather simple one. There is really no need to run before you can walk when it comes to something that will be using intense heat and melting iron which can be rather dangerous.

Home made furnaces have been constructed from coffee cans to trash cans or sheet metal welded together. While there are a few components that really should be bought like the retractor to line the furnace walls which should be resistant to high temperature for a prolonged period of time along with special connectors and regulators, most of the furnace can be created in your own home. You should be able to find most of the components that you can not make at hardware stores or plumbing supply stores for relatively cheap.

Along with the furnace parts you will also need to buy a crucible which will hold the metal as it melts along with the appropriate tools that you will use to handle the crucible. While you are at it you might as well buy all the safety equipment like gloves, protective eye wear, and leather shoes. There is other safety equipment that you will need depending on the type of work and the type of furnace you are going to make.

Most likely, your first furnace is going to be a simple cupola variation. The cupola furnace which is going to resemble a smoke stack is a simple design and is relatively easy to make for anyone with mild craft skill. This type of furnace will not require a crucible since you will be able to pour the molten metal from the furnace itself into a ladle that can then be poured into the mold.

DIY casting furnaces are a great way to connect yourself with your metal casting work giving you more control. While building the furnace can be complicated at first, once you delve into it you will find the experience enjoyable and fascinating.

Bronze Metal Casting

Kent Kelin asked:


Art 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. Bronze is an alloy of tin and copper that has been used to make weapons and sculptures since its discovery by man. 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. When used in commercial manufacturing or jewelry making, the Lost Wax Casting process is called 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. Art casting on your own is often times economical and just smart. The Lost Wax Casting process is rather simple when compared to other casting methods but it can be time consuming and attention to detail is important. The artists will start with an original piece sculpted from wax. The original can be made of other substances like clay or even metal but wax seems to be the easiest to work with. The original will be used to make the mold. If the piece to be cast is large, multiple molds will be needed. This is common in art casting and completely possible with the use of shims and keys that will allow placing the pieces together after the casting process easier. Most molds will be made out of latex or other materials to help transfer the fine detail into the mold cavity. The original is often destroyed during the mold making process upon removal. Molten wax is poured into the mold until the desired thickness is achieved.  When dry, this wax copy is removed and chased which rids the piece of imperfections and is used to combine the pieces.  You will place paths for the molten metal on the wax copy.  You will also place a cup or funnel at the top of the copy. This process is called spruing and is done in wax. A ceramic shell is placed around the copy. The shell isn’t really ceramic but a sand and liquid silica combination.  You will repeat this step until the shell is thick enough for the piece. You will then heat the item which will melt the wax inside. The wax runs out of the shell through the paths placed during spruing.  Then comes the part for the molten bronze. The bronze is poured into the top of the hollow shell. When cool you are going to remove the shell carefully to reveal the finished product. The bronze sculpture is chased, painted, and finished up however the artists choose. Art casting can be done with any metal or alloy. If you are going to use the Lost Wax Casting process then you do not have to stick with bronze. Try other metals until you receive the perfect look for your piece.

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