Posts Tagged ‘processing’
How should I cool a cast metal component if surface finish is my only priority?
kevinthenerd asked:
Assume a perfectly smooth mold.
Post processing is not a viable option, and surface finish is the ONLY requirement. Air cooling has already been shown to be insufficient.
I can cool it as quickly or as slowly as necessary. I can use anything as fast as boiling heat transfer or as slow as a gradual heater stepdown. Is slower always better? Is there a point of diminishing returns? I’m currently thinking of using 60/40 solder but may switch to plumber’s solder.
Not sure if I was clear… post processing is not an option, which means I can’t sand, sandblast, buff, polish, abrade, wax, paint, anodize, or anything else you might have in mind. None of them are practical for this application.
Everyone assumed this is injection molding. It isn’t. It’s for a process I’m inventing/improving to some extent. I believe much of the reason why spattered solder looks shiny is that it cools completely undisturbed. The process is homemade but more sophisticated than you might think. I’m choosing solder because it’s a eutectic alloy which has certain grain structure properties when cooling.
Metal Casting DIY
Assume a perfectly smooth mold.
Post processing is not a viable option, and surface finish is the ONLY requirement. Air cooling has already been shown to be insufficient.
I can cool it as quickly or as slowly as necessary. I can use anything as fast as boiling heat transfer or as slow as a gradual heater stepdown. Is slower always better? Is there a point of diminishing returns? I’m currently thinking of using 60/40 solder but may switch to plumber’s solder.
Not sure if I was clear… post processing is not an option, which means I can’t sand, sandblast, buff, polish, abrade, wax, paint, anodize, or anything else you might have in mind. None of them are practical for this application.
Everyone assumed this is injection molding. It isn’t. It’s for a process I’m inventing/improving to some extent. I believe much of the reason why spattered solder looks shiny is that it cools completely undisturbed. The process is homemade but more sophisticated than you might think. I’m choosing solder because it’s a eutectic alloy which has certain grain structure properties when cooling.
Metal Casting DIY
Posted in Engineering | 
Tags: injection molding, point of diminishing returns, Post, processing, solder, wax paint | 
6 Comments »
