9 Things I Didn't Know Before Building a foundry: Casting 101
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- čas přidán 8. 06. 2024
- Casting fundaments, these are some things I had no knowledge about when I started. There are some things I wish I knew before I started melting metal.
00:00 Its a furnace not a foundry
00:18 Aluminum cans are trash
02:17 Green sand Vs Petrobond
04:58 Sand casting Vs Lost wax casting
07:28 Metal Shrinkage
8:59 Quenching Ingots
09:19 Concrete and Molten Metal
10:58 Brass vs Bronze
12:39 Hydrostatic Pressure
14:21 Don't follow the king of random, No salad Tongs! - Věda a technologie
great vid that said Zinc funes most certainly WILL kill you.
we lost Paw Paw Wilson the blacksmith due to zinc fever. go ahead and google him and his death.. it WILL kill you and it will also make u wish it had killed you.
be VERY careful with zinc fumes folks.
I’ll pin this so people can see this comment and I’ll make a link to that story.
@@lundgrenbronzestudios thank you
Also some bronzes and brass include lead to improve machineability and wear
It's also worth noting that *while people may be used to things like acetone fumes, zinc fumes have a much much lower tolerance point* before you poison yourself.
You won't notice it as it's happening, you will notice it hours later - when you begin to have the worst flu-feelings you've ever had, but it might take several weeks to go away, even with medical support.
Sidenote: if you are welding something galvanized, use vinegar to de-galvanize it (minimal effort but expect at least 1 day soak or more)
@@andrewstambaugh8030 hydrochloric acid works much better than vinegar and it's quick
As a person that worked as a mold operator in an aluminum foundry for four years, everything in this was spot on and concise!
Except for a foundry is the building, what he has built is called a furnace. It's like people saying smelting instead of melting when they are casting stuff 😂
Just out of curiosity, where did you work? Haha I worked at an aluminum foundry for about a year as a Homogenizer Operator.
Except that by the time I got to 1:36 he'd already sprouted so much BS that I quit watching. If you really worked in the industry you'd know that sheet is rolled, not extruded...extruded is higher grade than cast and cast is marginally lower grade than sheet. Cans are drawn from sheet as are pots and screw tops.
@@garybaris139
Really pissing on some some DIYer using the terms wrong?
Let me ask you this, define “extruding.”
Safety equipment and practices include:
- leather apron (leather is sufficient for this temperature range)
- welding gloves
- leather sleeves / arm guards
- full length pants, long sleeves and clothes of natural fiber (melted plastic, e.g. nylon or polyester, sticks to skin)
- face shield
Assume that molten metal will spill or splash at some point:
- leather boots with thick soles
- leather spats for shoes so molten blobs don't drop in
- clear away any clutter
- concrete can spall (even if it doesn't look moist) because molten metal can flash moisture into steam; best to use a box or tray of dry sand
- never put your head over the furnace; a gasping reflex can pull superheated air into your lungs and cause blistering (doesn't work well for breathing)
- bucket of cool water you can stick a hand or foot in to stop burns from getting worse
- someone around to call 911 if needed; show them how to turn off the furnace
- nobody talks to and distracts you when handling molten metal. If they think that getting you to screw up would be funny, they can come back later.
You'll probably be fine, however spills and splashes happen, crucibles can crack, break or be dropped; metal can leak out of molds (high hydraulic pressure for dense molten metal); you can trip on things. Put a little effort into taking some basic safety precautions.
Yep that’s good advice. I always wear a face shield, leather jacket, long pants, don’t pour over concrete, I spread sand out if I use a lot of metal but usually only melt small amounts and I adjust accordingly.
That’s a good list. I’ll pin it so others can read it.
Your detailed safety standards will save me much pain and agony.
Honestly, I would just use a proximity suit at that point. Especially a Fyrepel or Newtex garment.
Does a welding jacket work in place of a leather apron
I would consider this an essential post. Thanks for your excellent advice!
This video should be "required reading" for anyone melting metal. This channel should be subscibed to by all foundry wannabes.
Always love the way you openly share your ever expanding wealth of knowledge.
Also good to see so many foundry tubers commenting here and sharing their great knowledge as well.
Agree. Wannabes .Take care.
As a new foundry wannabe your caution comment is literally a life saver. Now I’ll be engineering ventilation and safety into my hobby foundry. Thank you much!
You are wannabes. It’s a hobby, no one is trying to get rich. Quit being an ass about watching a video. Both of your asses.
Pro tip for welding brass, ditch the tig. It welds beautifully with oxy-aceteylene and a slightly oxidizing flame. The excess oxygen eliminates the zinc fumes entirely, plus it doesn't pop spit or do any thing else weird. This is the process that I use to repair antique radiator tanks.
I need to get a torch. Brazing is something I want to learn.
@@lundgrenbronzestudiostorch setup is cheaper than a TIG welder but there’s a decent number of safety items to be aware of.
@@lundgrenbronzestudios you should, Brazing and welding with oxy acetylene is awesome and you can make some really good looking stuff. As long as you don't use too high of heat you won't cook the brass. Brazing alloys have a lower melting point than the metal you are Brazing and with prep and good flux you can do epic brazes. Welding with oxy acetylene can make really good looking welds on steel too, almost as good looking as tig and you can weld thin stuff and is more portable than other processes
@@lundgrenbronzestudiosat harbor freight you can get a Victor knock off that works with Victor tips and comes with everything except bottles. I went to school for it but you sound capable and practice makes perfect
I learned oxyacetlyene welding in high schol and it's still my favorite method of welding - it's incredibly flexibe; I've even done it underwater on salvage jobs. A torch should be an indispensible piece of equipment for any metalworker.
Great information! Its so nice to see a non clickbait video that doesn't waste peoples time :D
Fantastic. Thank you. I've been circling the idea of casting for a long time. These are the videos the world needs more of. Why is a tictok star getting millions of views for eating a tide pod, but this video, providing actual skill and information, is not. Just ridiculous.
Please never stop! And thank you.
I did a little sand casting years ago as part of some machining study. I wanted to be able to make some parts for antique restoration, so I was looking around for info.
I really like this video, simple , concise information. I watched a couple of others and they’ve help a lot.
Good vid !
Thank you! Good luck!
This is one of the most informative videos I have come across detailing troubles, dangers and nuances of smelting and casting. Thank you for spending your time and sharing your experience!
A whole video packed with usefull information and tips without all the rambling nonsense filler. You have achieved something very rare on youtube and I appreciate that. I hope your channel gets the attention it deserves and Thank you
Great comment for great YT producer!
Do you cast four people save me a lot of time
This video needs way more attention from people who do metal casting!
I myself knew just about everything you talked about already. Now if I only had more time to put this knowledge to use, so many projects I have waiting to be finished or even started. 😅
Thanks for all this great info! 👍👊
The best video for us who had to learn some facts on our own, break things in the process and spend a bunch of money in repeating attempts. This simply explains it all.
Thank you!
Just started researching this craft and I must say , after watching at minimum 10 others this 1 video had so much more information then all those combined. Thanks for sharing and best wishes in your work.
Excellent content. Show us more of this, the tricks of the trade, the casting issues, vent holes etc. I have not begun yet, but I have my furnace and basic gear, just need more education before I fire it up!
So how’s the casting going?
You need a copy of "Metal Casting: A Sand casting Manual for the Small Foundry. Vol. 1"
@@FuhrChris Thanks for the advice. I have a huge catalogue of scientific papers from Academia on that very topic...mostly from industrial research on metallurgy and means and methods of sand casting of machine and engine parts that are odd shaped. I am studying the topic as much as possible before firing up the furnace...I will get a copy of that manual, thanks again!
If you live nearby.I could get you safely started. I am semi professional.Now retired. Live in Singapore. Ran a compressor assembly plant. Won a tender bid. Had to cast Auto condensate traps for 300 air compressors. Champion dealer sold me a sample at USD 100.whereas my budget was USD10. Together with my men built gas fired furnace and cut Cast Iron to pour.. Orders kept pouring. Pouring Aluminium is no fun.Very hot.
You have a fantastic journey going on, thank you so much for sharing, I'm retired Skill Trades, and multi media artist, and I thoroughly enjoy watching things that I never got around to doing. AWESOME 😎
Thanks for your practical advice and information. The English grammar and the outline that you used was perfect in my opinion, and also enjoyably to listen to. Thanks for a great video.
Thanks for appreciating it!
I just started dipping my toes into casting and your video is the first I have seen that was USEFUL! Your presentation comes across as friendly and helpful and not condescending. Great work. I will be following you for more info.
WOOOW hold up, you mentioned engine parts for aluminium alloy, which is true HOWEVER caution is advised, those block can be made out of magnesium as well, which will burn your whole shop down. So be careful guys, just saying.
no it wont. ever tried to set a lump of magnesium on fire?
unless you are heating it to boiling point, its fine. ribbon burns as its easy to get it melting, vaporising... then igniting.
anyway, for those that are still wary... vinegar. it reacts with vinegar. aluminium does not.
@@paradiselost9946 It is harder to ignite a lump of it instead of shavings and powder for sure.
HOWEVER it is absolutely possible.
People died in professional environments due to magnesium fires. I wouldn´t do it at home.
You can even produce black powder at home and other dangerous stuff I just wouldn´t do it. It is a real risk.
I’ve done a lot of work at an aluminum recycle plant. In particular i worked around the aluminum mag bin doing a lot of cutting and welding. Had a few sparklers come up but never a fire or explosion. The plant said to be carful and keep an eye out. But said we was ok to perform the work. Not 100% sure who’s right or wrong but I didn’t have a problem with it. I don’t think there’s enough magnesium content in the said aluminum to be that hazardous
@@erikcourtney1834 Certain motor blocks are not made out of aluminium but magnesium instead. It´s not an alloy containing a little bit of magnesium, it is a lot. Magnesium burns at about 600°C when you melt down a chunk of it, which means it burns like hell you can not extinguish the fire. That´s why it is used in thermite and other military applications. Just typie in Magnesium on wikipedia, it´s not like I just came up with some crazy idea about magnesium.
Example of alloy G-MgAl8Zn1 (AZ81) / G-MgAg3SE2Zr1 (MSR) / G-MgTh3Zn2Zr1 (ZRE1) etc. They all contain about 90% Magnesium rest is Al Zn Mn Si Zr
@@sierraecho884 I never said anything about engine blocks or pure magnesium. There is many things we use daily in life thats made of mostly aluminum and but contains .5% -13% magnesium. Pretty sure no one is casting pure magnesium at home in there garage.
Great advice!
Excellent video! Thanks for the tips. I'm moving toward building my own furnace, and this was all great advice.
Also - you speak very well! That's nice to see with CZcamsrs. Keep it up.
As a wannabe and a willbe, great video and reason to pay attention to detail when I start setting up shop, Thank you!
Thanks for making this; lot of important information regarding health/safety - better safe than sorry :) Looking forward to see more content from you!
Very informative! I cast 35 years ago. I have forgotten most of it. If you don't use it you lose it. Thanks again.
Have learned more watching this video than a lot of others. As a sculptor who knows a lot of this, having practical first hand knowledge that was earned by trial and error is priceless. Great video. Would love to chat more when I get my own foundry going
These are all fantastic tips. I've done lost-wax casting, but large-scale foundry work is clearly a different animal. THANK YOU!
Thanks for this most informative lesson. I bought a little furnace with the intention to cast in lost wax. Your videos are my lessons on how to achieve my goal. I'm at the stage of preparing the furnace, crucible and making the dross scoop, crucible ring, etc.. Your videos have made me aware of the dangers and precautions to take.
So much excellent information. I’ve been working on my own “what I didn’t know” video for beginners, can melters, and ingot stackers, and you hit the great points on the head.
Finally! Someone who talks in a language of crafters! You don't HAVE TO have a high quality setup, but if you want high quality end result, it's going to take an investment of either money or time. Thank you sir. This is the exact kind of informational video i like.
This has been one of the most helpful videos I’ve watched. Thank you
I would like to point out that the aluminum alloy used in beverage cans is a very high-quality alloy. It is 3104 aluminum which has primarily a bit of Manganese in it as the principal alloying element. The alloy is used because of the ability to cold work it in a deep drawing process to produce the can body from a disc of aluminum. It does not need to be very strong but does need to be very ductile. All of the aluminum alloys are formulated to meet the requirements for a specific purpose. 3104 does not make a good casting alloy because it lacks fluidity when molten. This is why most aluminum alloys meant for casting have a high silicon content. Yes, you could add your own silicon to a melt of beverage cans. First refine the aluminum from the cans to get a nice clean ingot with no adulterants, weigh your ingot and add anywhere from 3% to 6% in weight as silicon. And there you go, you have just made a good casting alloy. The little bit of manganese will probably not affect the casting fluidity. hth
Well said, nicely explained. Love it 👌 have a good one 👍
That was the best casting video I’ve seen to date.
Well done my man!
🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀🍀🍀
Wow, what an excellent video on foundry basics! As a beginner, this was an incredible learning experience for me. I love your explanation and how it's practical and easy to understand - it's clear you know where newbies should start. I'm happy I found this before going down the rabbit hole of other content. Your video has given me the confidence to explore more about the trade and see how others do it on CZcams. Thanks for enlightening us, and keep up the great work!
This is some mighty informative video. As I am about to get into casting myself (just tiny personal curiosity projects) I really appreciate a lot of those tips as they just saved me a lot of screwed up tries. Thank you very much for making this.
Hi I’m just about to start my casting journey. I have made my furnace almost ready for burning. I will go with brass.
Anyway.
You just gave me a lot to consider before I head diving in to the unknown. Thank a lot. Was a really straight forward education video. I have learned quite few important things
Well done 👍
Have fun and don’t breath the white smoke! Try not to over heat the brass.
I've been doing bronze casting awhile, and some of my mistakes were explained well here(hydrostatic pressure and shrinkage). very useful and entertaining, AS ALWAYS.Thanks
Absolutely fantastically done and safty was placed right out front. Very professional, well done!❤
Excellent stuff! 👍👍
I will add that a respirator shouldn't be optional or only for melting brass. Melting and casting puts out all sorts of bad stuff in the air that isn't good for breathing.
Thanks for making this video!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching
Absolutely informative. This was one of the best videos that I have seen really help me. Avoid a lot of mistakes. Thank you for the time and patience to make this video. You are awesome
WOW, A WHOLE WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH
You've really expressed your learnings well in this video. It would pay for people to take note. Well done!
What a great video! I have been home casting for many years and I know all the points you have raised but I think for a newcomer this is a go to video and you explain it perfectly. Well done!
I really appreciate the fact that you waited until the end to ask for a subscription or like you gave us something of value and had every reason to ask. I subscribed and liked
Thank you!
Thanks again for taking us on your casting journey, you are fun and informative, a great combination 👍😊
Brilliant education on casting. I now realize there is much more to casting than merely a small gas furnace. Thank you so much. You have saved me a ton of money !! I will look for a foundry who can do the casting work for me
Best video of intro things for casting that I've ever seen. You put a lot of content in those 15 minutes. Thanks!!
I have pored over so many online resources, but none have been as helpful and straightforward as this one - thanks!
Man, I appreciate the calm and approachable delivery of info here! Thank you!
Thank you. I think you have saved a lot of lives and heartache, myself included.
I was going to venture out into this bullion making but will now do so cautiously.
God bless you, Sir!
I can attest to the danger of Zinc fumes as we used to call it 'zinc flu,' when burning through steel with oxy-acetylene if you burned through galvanised steel parts and ingested the fumes you were usually laid up the following day.
Nice explanative video;-)
Amazingly high quality video! So much great information, so nicely packed. I actually watched the whole thing...and without skipping ahead...which I never do. Bravo!
So nice to see the many safety tips and lots of information!
You provided a very informative video. I have been interested in metal casting for a long time. The basic instructions you have provided will help make my future work much more rewarding, and I can plan for a safer foundry and a safer working environment. Thank you very much. Your video is greatly appreciated.
Love it, I'm founder since 2007. This is great video for people starting up. Keep up the good work
Fantastic! Neatly summed up the majority of the topics that should be prevalent on a beginners mind when considering this hobby. I was gonna start just welding up some old tanks to make an oven so to speak, but thank you for saving me hours of trial, error, and frustration!
This is the pinnacle of what the Internet was made for.
Stellar information and presentation style. Instant sub. Looking forward to learning more from you and your amazing work 😁👍🏻
Of ALL the CZcams videos I’ve seen, over many different topics/hobbies/crafts/skills, this has got to be one of THE best I’ve EVER seen!!! It’s both clear and concise, making it informative and understandable. There is an inherent humility with the delivery, that I appreciate VERY much. Too many CZcamsrs let ego and personality get in the way, or spend the entire video yelling at you. I’m very grateful that you shared your opinions, while leaving me with the informed choice to decide for myself. This is my first video of yours, so I’m excited to see more. Keep up the great work!!
😀👍
Thank you for the kind words!
That was the most helpful video I have ever seen. You answered all the problems I've been having. Thank you so much.
This was a very helpful video. I have worked with metal most of my life, on aircraft or in a weld shop, but not casting it. This was really informative and well done. Especially important was safety, wear a respirator and protective gear. Thank you for taking the time to make this.
Wow, if I could send myself a video two years back it would be this one.. So many crucial lessons in here and great explanations about casting. Thank you very much, you've earned my subscription!
Spot on ! valuable info for anybody starting out. Greensand once conditioned you keep it in an airtight tub and it will always be ready. Bronzes are normally copper/tin plus numerous other metal depending on use.
Most bronze castings now days are silicon bronze. Tin bronze is a common bronze but not used as much in most foundry’s today.
Wow, quite a bit of useful information there, ThanX! I can't tell you how many times I've seen video titles like "Making your own Forge or Foundry" only to see them build a Furnace instead! I tip my hat to you sir ;) To all the rest of you naysayers out there, it's called a dictionary and I suggest you refer to it often. As Indigo Montoya would quip "You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
😆
I Think Your A Caring Decent Human Being For Teaching People What You Know About This Subject
Lots of stuff the usual players don't mention.. and as I'm about to start smelting my own stuff, this would have been good to know ahead of time. Thanks, and I hope your channel blows up nicely!
That’s another term that gets mixed up sometimes. “smelting”. Smelting is a chemical reaction. For example smelting iron doesn’t actually involve melting it. I hope to do a smelting video this summer.
Been working in casting for years and everything in this video is 100% spot on. Anyone thinking of doing any casting should pay close attention to all of this, casting is dangerous and everything discussed will work together to make it a lot safer. One thing I would say is to make sure you have all the safety clothing before you even start, accidents happen, especially when you are starting out and even with small setups, having the right safety gear can prevent horrific injury.
By far the most informative video I've come across on this topic! Thanks for sharing!
Great info, I started with thinking yeah "I've heard all this", but then it got into much more specific information that is great to know getting into it even if you aren't going to utilize it yet
been melting metals for a couple years now. your video is good info for anyone.
Congratulations! I’ve been watching CZcams videos for years and I rarely if ever thumb up a video but if I could, I’d give yours 100 👍🏻’s. Very down to earth and informative.
Wow first video I watched on casting Have not done casting in over thirty years. Great advice. Great shared lessons learned
Dude you just saved anyone looking to get started in this hours of headaches. Thankyou very much. Very good presentation and very well put together.
I’d love to see some more videos on the lost wax casting and learning to cast hollow
Because google doesn’t exist right? Tho is just jumping into this without googling how it’s done?
I didn't know the term hydrostatic pressure. I've watched so many videos about melting metal. I have a ton of knowledge and zero experience. That is what you have taught me. Thank you! 😊
Thanks for the shout-out regarding the ceramic shell. Happy to help!
Have been standing at the door to this world for quite some time. Really appreciate the simple, straigtforward, and concise video. Subbed. Thank you. Aloha
Nice, several aspects I was aware of, though some I hadn't considered and I appreciate the knowledge of technique and safety passed along. Thank you.
I've never seen such educated tutelage. I've saved your video and subscribed. Never knew any of this. Glad i found you before setting up my work area. Thanks for the great video.
Wow! So much quality info delivered so concisely! ❤
I've been in the home furnace hobby for some 6 years now. this video is easily one of the best gap fillers in information that's out there. i find with a lot of topics in the diy sphere, there's a lot of assumed knowledge in a lot of hobbies. I'm thumbing this.
I have yet to even start working with metal and I just want to thank you in advance for the simple yet important truths that you have provided me. Job well done my good man ! JOB DONE QUITE WELL!!!
OUTSTANDING VIDEO!!! SO So much Excellent information! Thank you!
My first learning video. Fantastic information, Thank you!👍
There's tons of priceless info in this video for a beginner. Thanks for posting!
Thank you for this fabulous information, all the details which could be learned by trial and error, you save us a lot of error, thanks again.
I've been watching all of your videos. I made a Furness and have cast several things now with limited luck. This video has taught me more than all the rest combined! I'm just getting into this and having fun. Your stuff is amazing!
That’s wonderful! Keeps having fun and learning. That’s all I do.
Anyone looking to make and/or use a foundry to melt metals on a small scale would be wise to watch this descriptive video with many examples shown. This is a no nonsense video with more information about foundries than I have seen in any other single video, much of which I have never seen or heard. While not a step by step guide on how to make or use a foundry; there are many facets of foundry use including casting which are covered providing usable pro level tips with an emphasis on safety and on quality of results.
As an experienced Bronze Caster, I found your video spot on. You covered pretty much everything! Great job.
Thank you!
Great, to the point and perfectly delivered. Thanks.
Thank you. Very useful for someone who was thinking about melting cans to cast household objects.
Thank you for all the free knowledge from experience!
Lundgren, I enjoy your style of representation. Very educational. I watch this in a one go. Thank you very much for your times and effort putting this video together.
I didn't know about this channel. Now I know, it feels like common sense to subscribe! ;)
I'm looking to start casting myself. I found this video, and am finding it very informative. That said, I subbed when I seen the Trump bust. Beautiful. Yuge!
More than that, going through the comments, it looks like you've got a knowledgeable subscriber base. Not only is that a good sign, it's a great resource. I'll be back.
I took a class for investment casting, it was great, learned a lot. Still, thanx for gracefully laying down sone things I didn't know! You got a first class teaching style! Thanx to Red Dog for reiterating the zinc hazards too!
Thanks!
Fabulous! You've covered the most important parts for anybody to start casting. Of course there is more but this is just great! Thumbs up!
What would you suggest I cover if I did a second video?
Love this video. Now I know that my metal shop teacher back in high school taught us well. Funny cuz he wasn't even the schools metal shop teacher. He was just a math & English teacher who was filling in because the school didn't have an actual metal shop teacher. Luckily the school I went to was very high tech even though it was in a small town outside the the city & had tools that the city schools could only dream of like plasma cutters. But the coolest thing they had was a foundry with everything mentioned in this video. That was 25 years ago & I've been dying to setup a small foundry for myself & a friend of mine. He likes to hammer steel into stuff like knives & what not while I perfer to melt metal down & cast it into molds making custom parts for my rc semi truck. And out back were I live is a perfect spot to create an outdoor setup. But until I can afford it, to prevent accidentally setting fire to the property I'm gonna blow a hole in the ground using a small hydrogen bomb then bore an angled connecting tunnel to the base of base so that I can pump air using 1 of my high power fans. And use a simple steel covering plate with hole in it as a lid. Should work quite well from what I've seen
That was great! You brought up several issues I would not have considered. Great job!
Thank you! Casting is a hobby I would like to get into, so I been do research and I found your video to be VERY informative!
Nice job, I learned more in a few minutes then I know.