EASY build Vacuum Casting machine system for Lost Wax / PLA Casting - DIY chamber & Pump - by VOGMAN
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- čas přidán 23. 08. 2018
- Vacuum casting machines are expensive. But can you make one? YES… here’s a easy, simple construction, low cost vacuum arrangement to assist with you lost wax or lost PLA casting. Many of the parts you may already have lying around and the rest are cheap as chips. Building a vacuum system has literally saved me thousands and just as importantly it’s dramatically improved the quality of my metal castings… beautiful, clear and precise details matching exactly the original wax pattern, with no pockets, no porosity and no sand. This really is a cheap and simple solution to better lost wax casting!
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#LostWaxCasting - Jak na to + styl
Nice work on the home made vac unit and the results.
I cast Sterling Silver jewellery with a Kerr vac unit and if you dont mind here are a few tips.
Reduce the large wax base (button) in your tree and you will have much less wax to burn out. Look at a commercial rubber flask base to see what I mean, the button is usually part of the rubber flask base so you may wish to improvise something similar to reduce the excess wax.
Steam de-waxing works well, keeps the wax of your furnace and re-hydrates the flask prior to burn out (more steam for wax elimination). A simple rack over boiling water with flask opening downward for about an hour or 2 is sufficient. This will make for a cleaner burn out.
When the wax is fully burnt out of the flask, the flask mouth will be nice and white as all the wax residue has vaporized. try not to exceed the investment max temp as the gypsum binders in the investment will begin to break down. This might be what cased the flash on your coins.
Feel free to message me if you wan some more detailed info.
Thanks Wayne. That's a very generous really and offer. I appreciate that : D
Nice results indeed. For drawing a vacuum during the pour most effectively, without ever putting any expensive pumps in the line of danger, the simplest setup is to have a vacuum 'reservoir'. Just pull a tank empty with your pump, and connect it via a valve to your flask, then open that valve directly after the pour. That only gives you a short burst of vacuum that is quickly reduced; but thats all it takes. Once you draw the metal into the detail, there isnt anything forcing it back out again. Its more important that you get a strong effect going quickly, so it can do its thing before any of the detail solidifies, than the length of the pull. Your chamber would do as such a reservoir; its just that you are better off placing your flask over its vacuum release valve, than on top of it without a valve. Thats all theory though; never made any such detailed casts myself i should add!
Interesting suggestions. Thanks : )
I stole the compressor out of a refrigerator to use as a vacuum pump.
My castings are great, but my food... not so much.
I strongly admire your priorities ; )
@@vogman would i be able to use a small air compressor instead of the hand pump? maybe something like this? www.amazon.com/Campbell-Hausfeld-FP209499-Gallon-Compressor/dp/B002O15NRS/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=air+compressor&qid=1577601182&s=hi&sr=1-7
I bought a compressor which cost me 70 quid.
Mr Veg, when I was in high school my metal shop teacher taught us lost wast casting because he did jewelery on the side. He used a centrifuge to get the metal into the mold. I love the vacuum method ,you don't have to have a mold flying around along with the molten metal. That is great detail. I remember him showing us a bee he had cast and it had the fine hairs on the body of the bee. Great video! I truly appreciate the knowledge that gets passed around on the internet. I am impressed. Thanks!
Thanks Mike. I agree, one of the great things about CZcams is the information that's shared. I learn so much from people writing in to me and sharing their knowledge. In turn I pass it on here. It's invaluable : )
So started off watching one video, then one more and so on....good at explaining and goes into enough detail to make sense.
Sometimes wish i had a job and i could afford cool things
You can use your heat sensitive vacuum pump if you vacuum an air tank, then attach the tank to the mold install a shutoff valve for a quick vacuum pulling the metal in using only negative pressure from an air tank thus the vacuum pump will be safe and totally away from any and all heat while the hot liquid metal begins to be pulled in the mold much faster and more efficiently. Thanks for all your inspirational videos. Keep them coming!
Thanks Daniel : )
Thanks for the incredible knowledge. It's taken me ages to find out exactly how the vacuum casting process works,but now after explaining how the investment plaster is pourous, it all makes sense!!
Wow - what tremendous results! The close-ups are evidence enough that it´s well worth using both dedicated products such as investment plaster and proper wax as well as a vacuum chamber. Now that you´ve effectively removed the "cost" obstacle from the latter I suspect that many of us will be improving our game after seeing this compelling video.
That's exactly what I'm about. When your budget is low but your ideas are lofty, life can sometimes get you down. But if you can find a way that gets you pretty darn close without breaking the bank, well, that's what floats my boat. Then sharing that idea so others can benefit launches said boat. Gosh I'm feeling nautical here : )
But yes, good wax and good investment plaster are two things that can't really be bettered (well, not so far).
Nothing wrong with rewatching CZcams uploads... if you need that stuff that can spark your inspiration. Thank you.🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀🍀🍀🇦🇺
I appreciate that! Re-watch away 😁😁😁😁
Your videos are awesome man! I'm so glad I found your channel, your work has inspired me to finally start metalworking, something I've wanted to do for the last 20 years but never been confident enough to invest in. I finally have my furnace and kiln set up, and I just need to set up a vacuum system and I'll be ready for my first trial run. Don't have to work for another 10 days, so I might get on down to the Home Depot this weekend...
Incredible video, just starting my journey
Perhaps use some plastic plumbing pipe as a vacuum accumulator? Or an old welding gas tank that's aged out of pressure service? You could use your nice vacuum pump to pull the accumulators down, then isolate it and use the vacuum you built up for casting.
Thanks for the suggestions : )
Robert Szasz That is a very smart tip. I’m going to use that.
Robert I worked in a prototype shop and we did vacuum forming on pvc plastic. Our vacuum frame had a big tank that we pumped down and then was released. We only had a couple of seconds for the soften plastic to form to the mold before it would reharden. But that was a great suggestion!
This, I would go with the welding tank, and black gas line and a ball valve. as a bonus the larger the tank the longer it can apply vacuum, IE you could in theory open the valve, and then pour, and have the vacuum be applied through the entire pour till it froze.
I know you posted this a while ago, and I'm unsure if you still use it, but if you do, one thing that I think would benefit you, is add a tank in between your pump and your chamber.
While your metal is heating, you can draw a vacuum on the tank, pour your cast, and flip a ball valve to pull a vacuum on your chamber from the tank and then keep pumping to maintain. Youd get an instant draw that youd then maintain. Minimal heat loss from the pour.
This. This is the proper way to pull a vacuum on anything that could introduce process materials into the pump. This is the proper way to pull a big volume into vacuum rapidly such as when doing sheet vacuum forming.
Your videos are amazing! Easily one of the best DIY/casting channels out there
You're very kind, thanks : )
Inspirational stuff Geoff. Good quality video and a calm and informative narration, mixed with a bit of humor makes your content very much worth the time. Thank you.
Thanks Andrew. You're very kind : )
great vid.......love your dry humour & simple instructions
Thanks : )
Holy hell Geoff there friggen perfect. That investment plaster is awesome . It’s a shame your not in Australia as I can get those wax chips from my work for nuthin but we only have yellow and red no blue . I definitely know not to challenge you in a coin reproduction 😳😲. Great stuff matey 🤙🏻👍🏻😁.
It's incredible. I was scared people wouldn't get the idea and would just see the ugly lines... but to me it didn't matter what I was casting, I just wanted some obvious detail and a means to replicate it easily. I think I've found it.
You have access to wax products? Mate, you've got to try lost wax. In terms of accuracy I believe it's arguably the best form of casting. It's possible to create things that couldn't be done in sand and only a machine could produce in foam.
You'll love it!
Bloody brilliant! So hey I’m in Australia, and would love to get some wax chips in my hands for my electric lost wax attempts
I already knew I'd see you here😎
This was exactly the video I've been looking for to do some metal casting without spending a ton of money. You legend!
That's the plan my friend 😁
Awesome! This answered so many questions I had and some I didn't know about
Who cares if the camera work leaves to be desired, the channel is brilliant!
No... no champion camerawork here : D
Wow, great results, this method rocks!!
Using a vacuum isn't my method really... I just did what the experts do, but this cheap version makes it accessible to guys on a lower budget. Doing that always gives me a buzz.
Well done you sound quite excited about it can't wait for the challenge to start.
Messing about with dangerously hot metals with a couple of mates... what could be better : )
Aaaaaaaaaamazing technique, with a domestic and craftmanship materials and technique.
I have been racking my brain 🧠 for ever re this process, thanks for doing this. My plaster molds and castings are going to improve drastically.
Glad to help
Another way of getting good wax parts is to preheat the mold to above the wax's melting point, pour the wax, then degas in a vacuum chamber.
Saving this to try later. Brilliant video
Preheat the silicone mold at the same temperature of the monlten wax for better result.
Well done. See what sticking to it does. You've come a long way in a very short time.
Oh and CONGRATULATIONS on 10K!!!
Thank you good sir. You're a gent!
One of my many annoying qualities is that I don't like things beating me. If I know something is possible, it eats at me until I manage it. At which point it then generally loses interest for me (yet another annoying quality).
I'm the same way. Weird. Don't know to many like me ! It's kinda a lonely path.
Very nice job! Fun seeing the improvement from your earlier coins!
It's hard to get much worse ; )
Absolutely beautiful castings.
Thanks Magnus : )
Great video full of useful and helpful info!
Good work. I’ve been watching you since the start. Your getting good! Well done :)
Thanks David. Persistence pays off in the end : )
I've been watching Alec Steele for a while and this popped up in the similar videos lists. I'm glad it did, very entertaining and great explanation of the whole process. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm looking forward to watching more.
Thanks very much : )
I'm afraid Alec and I are in a different league. Whilst he has every tool available and an extremely large budget to play with, I have basic tools (that most DIYers have) and barely any budget. So I strive to be innovative, finding cheaper but equally good ways.
If you look at my more recent casting videos, you'll see this budget casting vac really does work. If you look at yesterday's video, I saved a few hundred pounds by building a vibration tumbler for £20.
If you can cope with that, then you may enjoy some of my content. Feel free to let me know : D
@@vogman Thanks for the reply. You may not have Alec's budget but your results are great. Its very encouraging as I'm also on a low budget and want to do so many things in my little workshop, a tumbler is a project I'm also collecting parts for. I'll be watching more of your videos in the future, thanks for sharing
Excellent results.
Thanks Kelley : )
sei un grande! many, many thanks
I once had a problem with my car door. I was able to cast a new part myself and fix the problem.. Awesome!!!
Nice work! That's exactly the sort of thing I like to hear. It's amazing the stuff you can do at home with casting 👍
Thank you! It's brilliant!
Thanks Rodrigo
i am very impressed, i was wondering how to make a cheap vaccum casting setup, thanks alot, i learned alot
Pleased to help 😁
you truly a gem of casting.
That's very kind : )
Thank you SOOO much!!! I have seen people from Men at Arms Reforged and a couple other videos where they have soo much to say and do, that they mention what they're doing in such an off hand way that it literally explains nothing!!! "'We pour the liquid metal into the mold while sitting on the vacuum chamber then it'll go into quench..."' it raised soo many questions that I've been looking for answers to for almost a year now!!! And poof in one video you hit them all!!! Thank you!!!
Thanks very much. You're very kind.
I'm just an ordinary guy with varied interests. As I explore and learn, I like to share my experiences.
I hope you have the chance to look over some of my other videos : )
@@vogman I've watched several of your videos!!! My 3 favorite are the Mehrunes Razor, the Viking Axe challenge (personallyI think yours turned out better than the other 2 guys) and the vacuum chamber... I had actually already seen the video for pvc hand pump you used to designe your pump. I plan on making a vacuum chamber based on your design!!! Thanks
Many thanks. You're clearly interested in Wax... have you tried lost PLA? You'll see that's the subject of my last few videos. It's totally amazed me.
@@vogman i have not gotten to the lost pla video yet... im currently studying your electric furnace videos... my first furnace is a perlite and sodium silicate ram up in a metal can with a Satanite refractory coating and a propane burner.
THE POWER OF VACUME ,! you got a sub mate..brilliant,something I've been thinking of trying..and you've convinced me too..TY👍👏🤓
Mark, you'll be amazed at the difference. Great to have you here : )
Love it! I'm hoping to a little casting myself soon. Thanks for sharing. Always love your videos VegOilGuy.
Thanks George : )
I just ran across your video and it's great. Thankyou for sharing your skills with us. Have you seen the you tube videos on making a vacuum pump from a fridge compressor? I just finished building one for bead making, with glass. I used a coil of copper pipe just as it came from the store with an old computer fan blowing air through it. It works great and mostly free. I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of your videos. Keep well and God bless.
Great stuff. Well explained and in laymans terms that even a spanner twirler like me can understand. I'm about to venture into the new world (for me) of silicon mold casting and I have no doubt that something like your vacuum chamber will improve the outcome(s) of the models I aim to produce. Cheers....You have a new subscriber from the land of convicts, cold beer and hot pies!
It's great to have you here Mark. I agree that a vacuum chamber is a very useful tool for silicone moulding. If you check out the video I made last week (Miniature Skulls) you'll see I made a simple silicone mould for that using my vacuum chamber. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line mate : )
Very informative! I was wondering how the vacuum affected the metal until you mentioned the porous investment
Dude this is so awesome! Looks like a ton of fun
It is fun : D
ooo i'm amazed that looks flawless
It works very well : )
Cool laid back video, thanks
Many thanks : )
Well done Geoff another great video through the whole video I was asking myself how is the vacuume transfered to the plaster and you waited to the near end to tell me. Great result..
Thanks Luke. One of the problems with doing anything like this is I know why I'm doing it and what I expect to happen. I always try to take the stand that the viewer doesn't and offer explanation. I often worry in case this is a little over-the-top, but messages like yours make me thankful that I did what I did. So thanks for the reassurance : )
All in all ,well done ,you got my brain engaged
That's great to hear : )
I liked it, it's very informative
Glad you liked it!
Nice, thanks for the vids. I will be trying something like this soon for some small parts. I have perfected a foam and green sand method I use for my larger parts which I use.
Thanks again.
Always good to hear from a fellow enthusiast.
this is a brilliant idea!
many thanks : )
Very well done.
Many thanks : )
Lol saw this and got super excited like I’d love this video. Clicked on it and I’ve liked it already so I’ve had this same thought before and forgot lmaooo
this video is amazing!
Thanks : D
Congrats ! that is smart !
Thanks Sonny. The good news is, it works : )
Love your stuff man!
Thanks Neels : )
Good job 👍🏻 my only problem with is the writing is so small and quick I can’t read it before it goes away. Casting came out great though! Have you tried regular plaster of Paris mixed with some play sand? Makes it stronger to burn out the wax or pla
I haven't experimented with PoP and a vacuum yet, no. I believe it's not porous. But with the correct additives who knows what could be cheaply achieved : )
very nice ... thanks from Italy
Many thanks : D
Nice clean castings for sure!
Many thanks : )
You probably already know about the use of a casting well that uses centripetal force to achieve the same effect of drawing the molten metal into your mold. It has the advantage of being able to keep your mold at high temp while casting. I think the extra flash or fins may be from defects in the investment plaster due to shrinkage of the plaster. Anyhow, I found your ingenuity to be great and it produced a nice result. Thanks for the video!
This is amazing stuff. I totally subbed! :D I can't wait to try this! Should pair nicely with my new Anycubic Photon resin printer! :D
Great to have you here. And nice move on the printer : D
🙏👍👍👍👍Bendicion maestro chapo
WOW!
I love the method!
Very unique approach! I haven't seen itdone quite this way before!
All homemade from the flask to the aluminium molecules!
And on a budget! :D
Thanx very much Geoff!
And congrats on a well won victory!
Ground your opponents into casting powder! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!
Many thanks : D
It's the budget side of things I'm pleased with. I hope that I've found a way that accessible to all. That's what I try to do.
As for the challenge, yes it will be a good one. I'm pleased with my results. As usual I've gone again convention a little, but the results speak for themselves - I hope : )
Very nice VOG, very nice!
Many thanks. I'm pleased with the set up.
Nice work mate.
13:40 I sat up and got closer to the screen. You got me!!!
Shout out to bigstackD.
It's a surprisingly easy thing to do - hence the pump video this week.
And you shout out to BigD as much as you like. You'll regularly see the two of us exchanging banter : D
Well done!
Many thanks : )
About 25 years ago, I used three old helium bottles as a vacuum reservoir. Pumped down the bottles ahead of time, and then opened a spigot to apply the vacuum as I poured 14K gold into the mold. Worked great for casting a wedding ring.
Excellent use of initiative for a perfect situation. Well done : )
Blinking good job mate!
Many thanks : )
You should try adding a valve between your vacuum box and where the casting is placed. Then you draw a vacuum in the box and then place the casting on top of the vacuum pad and them turn the valve allowing the air in the casting to flow into the vacuum box.
You could use your round vacuum box for this. I would create a little support stand to hold that silicone pad and run a brass fitting (hose fitting) into the silicone pad and do the same to the plexiglas/acrylic top of the vacuum chamber - then run a line from the silicone pad to the vacuum chamber (the valve would be placed on this line). You don't wan't to fill the chamber with stuff this time, you want it empty. Draw a vacuum as high as possible (you can use your good pump for this b/c it's drawing room temp air) and keep the vacuum running up until you pour.
Then at pour time, shut off the vacuum, pour the casting & place on the new holder and then open the valve and the vacuum chamber will pull all the air from the casting into the chamber and you don't need to worry about pumping fast.
You could also do the same with an old propane tank instead of a vacuum chamber. Maybe draw 50% vacuum (the larger the tank, the better) and then crack the valve to pull air from the casting.
Another way to do this would be to add a little water to a propane tank, heat it with the valve open until it steam exits. Remove from heat & close the valve. Allow to cool. You now have vacuum inside the tank. Connect hose/tube to casting holder & open valve once poured.
I love this idea. Thanks! :D
That artifact or flaw was caused by adding the vacuum after the metal was poured. The metal filled the mold.....mostly. The very surface or skin of the metal started to solidify. When you added the vacuum, it filled the mold all the way but it couldn't cover or "erase" that first edge.
Great video!
After watching you, bigstackd, swdweeb and Paul's garage I want to get my casting skills in gear. I have heard of lost wax casting and now I understand it much better. From what I have seen of lost foam casting I am not thrilled about it. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I dabble in EVERY casting technique I can and I think they all have a place. My favourites are foam and wax.
Don't rule out foam, particularly if you persevere with extruded foam. If you can carve it out of foam, you can cast it and whilst it's not perfect, it can produce some very usable results. Have you seen my RC lawn mower with Tank Tracks? I cast 8 inch sprockets to drive those tracks using Lost Foam. Great results.
But for pure detail, I agree you can't beat Lost Wax, though I'm still learning there. It's much less forgiving than other techniques but the results make it worthwhile : )
Your making great progress. Few tweaks like properly weighing plaster mixture, and completely drying and heating it much more slowly will help(chemicaly bound water breaking down can also produce enough expansion to crack mould if you don't go slow enough. Also look into ceramic shell casting materials. For your wax using a better silicon you can preheat the mold to be as hot as the wax.
Many thanks : )
Excellent !
Thanks Alain. I'm already planning my second vacuum system build : )
You had some cracks in the plaster. The sharp edges on the details are probably from the cracks
This happens because of the thin steel plaster container maybe?
You are amazing man
Can you tell my wife that please : )
@@vogman 😂
To locate your leak in your vaccum box try pressurising in it then using some soapy water. It might work. if air cant escape then it shouldn't get in. Great video by the way.
Wow I have quantum ideas Thanks🇦🇺👍
Excellent! That's what it's all about : )
I like this. I started with an old Vinyl Album Turntable set up with some rubber bands-you spun it up, did your Investment and casting then released it and it spun like a Centrifuge. My latest project is an electric motor from either a lawn mower or a kids street gokart but this pump you built looks a bit more reasonable to do. I can use one of those motor to build a homemade grinding wheel instead. :)
Mark, never let me discourage you from mechanical chaos. Have you not seen my lawnmower? czcams.com/video/-ezH92dfZqQ/video.html
You're a brave man. I initially toyed with the idea of building a centrifuge but chickened out. The idea of molten metal spinning violently at high speed filled me firstly with excitement and then more sensibly with panic.
This pump method is incredibly easy (I've demoed the pump in another video if that helps) and the results are astonishing. It's quite astounding how little vacuum is needed, and that's got to be safer than spinning metal... though not as exciting : )
Great video, which plaster u used?
Nice!
Thank you! Cheers!
You could probably make a heat shield inside your vacuum chamber for existing hot air alil heatsink .those extra hanger s are from casting mold it cracked alil.
If you have a vacuum pump that can't take heat, perhaps a coil tubing and a fan or bucket of water could reduce the heat enough for your pump. Nice video, thanks for sharing.
I've seen several diy vacuum pumps using fridge pumps. I've also seen glass demijohns with a couple of valves in between the pump and the chamber to act as a store of vacuum (can you store a vacuum?) when the actual pump wasn't fast enough to drop the pressure straight away.
Awesome job...thanks for the tips. Been watching you and swdweeb for a while..going to start our channel soon.
That's great! If you're into casting, you'll find a good community here... lots of varying opinions, lots of different techniques, lots of different skill levels. And that's why it's great : D
print negative mold out of ABS, then acetone gas the print to get rid of those print lines. Or you can paint over the print lines a few layers
Amazing work :) always loved your reviews as well. I had one doubt though, can i use general silicon and use it for 22K gold?? as the investment temp need to be 700*c. Any advice will be appreciable. : cheers
for cheap vacuum pumps check with old mechanic shops, years ago AC work was done with a set of manifold gauges and a separate vac pump. But 20 years ago the epa began required the used of reclaiming machines first for R-12 then for 134A. so the old stand alone pumps have been setting on the shelf for decades primarily being in the way. Now that R-12 is phased out I see the re claimers for it fairly often for prices ranging from free to $100. Last I heard they are going to change refrigerants again, which will likely create a whole new glut of old machines.
Absolutely amazing channel!
I've been watching for hours and have already started ordering parts to make your simple burner design. Thanks veg oil guy... best tutorials on CZcams.
Can you recommend any particular brand/store for investment plaster?
Many many thanks
Thanks Ian. Glad you're enjoying the content.
Here's where I keep a list of what I use and where I get it... but do shop around as prices vary 😁😁😁
vegoilguy.co.uk/equipment.php
Great ideas. I'm formulating an idea involving my shop vac. Hmmm
There's more than one way to skin a cat - best of luck : )
I think the flashing might be related to the crack you can see in the pour hole. I wonder if Stainless steel WITH perforation holes might be more forgiving in terms of the thermal differences between investment material and the SS shell. But, you'd have to change you design a bit to expose the entire casting shell to the vacuum. As an aside, have you thought of using a vacuum reservoir that you prepump and essentially dump the casting chamber into? No risk at all to your pump! :) that being said, excellent job! Doug
Great video, love the outcome. Have you thought of having a pre-pressured vacuum tank (large PVC tube with caps and tapes at both ends) so once you stop pouring the metal you can just open the first valve to start the vacuum and if more is needed open the 2nd and start pumping plus you could pull the vacuum on the tank using your electric vacuum
That was actually my first idea when I planned a vacuum system, but the additional storage space made this a little impractical for me. As this stands, it's a nice compact and effective unit : )
Wont the hot air kill the electric vacuum pump?
you should do a large casting challenge
You can try finding the leak with a sponge and some soapy water, like when you try to find the leak in a tire. (Of course you should pump air ínto the chamber so the bubbles will form on the outside)
That's a good suggestion.
Rockin!
Thanks : )
Txxx
I know this vid is almost 3 years old but like to add, those artifacts are likely from fractures in the investment plaster during burnout.
You can try adding graphite to the plaster and/or talcum powder. Keep in mind that talcum powder will add more porosity to the plaster, so use it sparingly.
Thank you for this video, I needed this! It's got me going to thrift stores and scrap to get the things I need to move past delft clay casting, which is not capable of multiple detailed faces.
One question though, how does the vacuum work on that investment casting without a secondary hole on the side connected to the chamber?
Thank you!
It is confusing Scott. There's a small hole in the lid and the flask sits over this, with a silicone pad the help seal things. The plaster is porous so the vacuum pulls through the plaster onto the metal castings.
Would be interesting to see how big the deference between vacuumed and not vacuumed is, to the same example piece.
Nice work thumbs up.
Oh trust me, there's a big difference : )
But to start with, this video is a follow on from a casting video. Have a look if you want - czcams.com/video/CxqCeoKip4k/video.html