Metal Casting Zone Info Blog

Posts Tagged ‘metal casters’

Hello,

Now that you have learned the basics of Metal Casting, you can begin to
get a broader perspective of the entire Casting Process as a whole.

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 metal 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.

Both of these types of websites are incredibly helpful to metal
casters who can benefit from the educational purposes of some of
the sites tempered with the real life applications and experiences
of the message boards.

There will be more industrial foundry and metal casting information
than sites directed at the small home foundries. Industrial metal
casting sites can be wonderful sources of information so do not
skip by these. Use both small metal casting sites and industrial
sites to your advantage.

One of the most popular message board type sites for information
is the Casting Hobby Group found through Yahoo Groups. This casting
group was developed and maintained by experienced metal casters and
enjoys a high amount of activity. This is a great place to go to
for quick information and ideas not to mention photos and even
furnace building plans.

The Casting Hobby Group can be found at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/castinghobby/

The Association of Backyard Metal Casters is located at
http://www.abymc.com/.  This online metal casting association
has an extensive membership complete with informative articles,
forums, and even live chat. Of course, pictures are posted on the
site to give visitors ideas about what other furnaces and foundries
look like. Don’t worry if you’re foundry isn’t pretty, there
actually doesn’t seem to be very many of them that are.

Now, The American Foundry Society is mainly for the industrial
metal casters and companies but they also promote information and
education to consumers. The information provided on the site is
great for anyone wishing to follow advancements in metal casting
technology. There is even an online store.

http://www.afsinc.org/ is the online home for the American Foundry Society.

For the most part metal casting associations and groups exist on
the local level more than a unifying force on the web. What does
exist on the web is a great source of information, ideas,
and insight. It is a great idea to join any of the groups you can
in order to share and find knowledge.

Here is a link to a Web Page that provides more information about this
Metal Casting topic:
http://www.metalcastingzone.com/casting-associations/

P.S.
There is more…If you sign up as a member of Metal Casting Zone, you
will get special access to 2 Free eBooks on the site. Both of the eBooks
are about Metal Casting Basics.  Here is the best part, becoming a member is Free!
Wait…Both of the Metal Casting Basics eBooks are free!

Sign Up Now to get all these Free Benefits!
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Hello,

Today we learn about the different types of casting furnaces.

In Metal Casting, the type of furnace you have at your foundry, or
workshop determines a lot of the work you can or can not do.
Many metal casters enjoy making their own furnaces and have done
so quite successfully. The plans for home made furnaces are eagerly
shared among the enthusiasts so finding blueprints and instructions
should not be difficult. But before you rush off to find the
blueprints you may want to take time to learn about the types of
casting furnaces available to help determine which one will suit
your needs. This is not saying that you should only have one
furnace at any given time, but this way you will know what project
will work best for which furnace.

Cupola
Cupola furnaces are among the most popular with backyard foundries.
Many casters construct their own cupola which proves to be cost
effective and highly efficient if done properly. Since cupola
furnaces can achieve high melting temperatures they are primarily
used for the melting of iron and bronze, though aluminum can also
be melted when attention is paid to keeping the temperature low.
The primary fuel source for cupola furnaces are coke using limestone
for flux.

By not using a crucible, the Cupola furnace is able to melt the
metal at a faster rate. While individual designs of these furnaces
differ due to varying resources and design ideas, the basic
component of a cupola furnace is the same. The cupola furnace must
be elevated above the ground and installed with a drop bottom
usually hinged, which will allow the excess metal, fuel source, and
other waste to drop from the furnace. The tap hole and shaft which
will allow the molten metal to flow from the furnace and into the
ladle and air shafts are also required.  A slag tap hole can be
placed on the furnace usually in the back, higher then the tap hole,
which will allow the slag to flow out easily.

With most small home foundries, the cupola furnaces are preferred
over that of other furnaces for its high melting rates and for how
easily the construction of such a furnace can be.

Reverberatory
The Reverberatory Furnaces are commonly found in industrial plants
but there have been quite a number of home grown foundries that
have used this furnace type with much success. The basic idea of a
Reverbeatory Furnace is to use the heat reflecting off a surface,
usually brick, to heat the metal, which is aluminum in most cases.
This way, the metal does not come into contact with the fuel or the
flame. This process is also used in Puddling Furnaces. The name
Reverberatory and Puddling are often used interchangeably. By placing
the metal in a shallow depression and then directing an intense flame
over that depression and to the wall, the heat rebounds to melt
the metal. Many casters will adjust the length of the flame since
a longer path will mean that the heat will be more intense.

There are many designs for the reverberatory furnace, all of which
will include exhaust ports and the rear of the furnace must be
able to withstand the intense heat and be able to bounce it back
into the chamber.

Bronze, aluminum, tin, and many other ores can be melted in a
reverberatory furnace all depending on the construction of the
actual furnace and the heat of the flame. This type of furnace has
been around since at least the Middle Ages and was used primarily
for bronze work.

Electric Arc
Electric Arc furnaces are normally used in Industrial foundries.
Most hobby casters do not use these furnaces due to cost, space issues,
and a general inconvenience. There are two forms of the electric
arc furnace, the direct and indirect.

The direct arc has three electrodes which are used to heat metal by
way of the arc. This creates an incredible amount of heat and so
water jackets and other cooling devices will be needed for operation.

The indirect arc just uses one electrode and works in much the same
way as the direct arc furnace.

Electric Induction
Electric Induction furnaces are becoming all the more popular with
large industrial size foundries that enjoy the clean burning and
efficiency of an electrical furnace. Copper coils surround the
crucible with the metal inside which can reach extremely high
temperature suitable for melting most metals.

Rotary
The Rotary style furnaces are hailed for their ease of use being
fully or at the very least partially automatic. These furnaces tend
to be harder to construct though there are resources and companies
online that sell rotary furnace.

The different furnace types do affect the quality of the work being
produced, so it is important to keep that in mind as you cast.
With a little trial and error, you should find the perfect furnace
to fit your needs so you can start building one of your very own.

Here is a link to a Web Page that provides more information about this
Metal Casting topic:

http://www.metalcastingzone.com/casting-furnaces/

P.S.
There is more…If you sign up as a member of Metal Casting Zone, you
will get special access to 2 Free eBooks on the site. Both of the eBooks
are about Metal Casting Basics.  Here is the best part, becoming a member is Free!
Wait…Both of the Metal Casting Basics eBooks are free!

Sign Up Now to get all these Free Benefits!
http://www.metalcastingzone.com/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=registers

Hello,

We have an exciting topic today!  It is called Casting Sand.

Sand casting is the most ancient form of metal casting and has been
around since at least Ancient Egypt. Many metal casters prefer
using sand casting over many of the other forms of processes
because it’s cheap and the sand used is readily available.

Many experienced metal casters will continue to use sand casting
even though their abilities and resources allow them to use the
other metal casting methods like Lost Wax Casting or Investment
Casting. Sand casting involves less material and less effort than
the other casting methods. Sand casting is a great way for new
casters to get into the trade.

In sand casting, the metal caster will create a mold by placing an
original in the flask which is filled with sand. The original will
be a pattern of what you want to cast. By ramming or vibrating
the sand, the caster creates a mold of the original. The casting sand
used needs to be able to retain the shape of the mold. Finding the
right mixture of sand to water is crucial. Too much water can ruin
the mold and possibly destroy it while too little water will create
a poor casting. Green sand is a type of casting sand that many
prefer since its ability to retain the shape of the mold is far
better then normal sand. Green sand usually contains bentonite clay,
sand, and water.

After the sand is packed, the pattern or original is removed carefully.
Molten metal is poured into the mold and allowed to cool. The metal
caster will then break the mold and dig out the casting.

While sand casting has its benefits the use of green sand can
greatly increase the likelihood of a successful casting. Green sand
is not really green the color refers to the damp nature of the sand.
Green sand is created by adding water and bentonite to the sand.
One of the benefits of using bentonite in green sand is that it
makes the sand more permeable which allows more gas to escape.

Metal casters can get the bentonite from a variety of sources like
home improvement stores and even from household resources. Many
have milled the type of cat litter that clumps since one of the
ingredients is bentonite. Remember to work in a well ventilated
room or to wear proper face gear when working with bentonite since
it will irritate the lungs.

There are several recipes online for green sand but the most common
method is experimentation. What you are looking for when mixing the
sand, water, and bentonite is a texture that is not wet but damp
and will retain its shape when molded.

The type of sand you use to make green sand depends on you and the
availability of the sand. Many will use sand that they found out
in the wilds of nature and some will buy bags of sand like
playground sand. As you cast with green sand you will find out
which works best with what metals.

Green sand is growing in popularity as more casters are recognizing
the properties of this method. If you have traditionally used
regular sand casting, green sand casting will prove to be easier
to work with and will produce better casts.

The best part about green sand casting is that is does not cost
a lot of green.

Here is a link to a Web Page that covers this E-Course Email:
http://www.metalcastingzone.com/casting-sand/

P.S.
There is more…If you sign up as a member of Metal Casting Zone, you
will get special access to 2 Free eBooks on the site. Both of the eBooks
are about Metal Casting Basics.  Here is the best part, becoming a member is Free!
Wait…Both of the Metal Casting Basics eBooks are free!

Sign Up Now to get all these Free Benefits!
http://www.metalcastingzone.com/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=registers