Welding Tips and Tricks

The drying temp and the inside. This stuff dries very unusually and the dark spots will all lighten out to the same color. The spalling is normal and most of the smooth finish will flake off when I cure it to 1880 degrees.

That was quick, you didn't f#$k around !!!!

Very nice job indeed

Thanks Rupes! It didn't require too much weld/fab but most of us are do-it-yourselfers here so I thought it might be interesting.

I think its fantastic. Its one of those things that open up new ways of making things you never thought of before. Who needs a 3d printer that makes useless nicknacks when you can melt down some scrap and pour your own castings.

Rupes wrote:I think its fantastic. Its one of those things that open up new ways of making things you never thought of before. Who needs a 3d printer that makes useless nicknacks when you can melt down some scrap and pour your own castings.

Thank you!

Rupes wrote:I think its fantastic. Its one of those things that open up new ways of making things you never thought of before. Who needs a 3d printer that makes useless nicknacks when you can melt down some scrap and pour your own castings.

everyone who has a hobby foundry needs a 3D printer.
They are awesome for making patterns

Thats one of the few legitimate uses for a hobby 3D printer. I see people gathered around them in shops sometimes and think yeah thats cool.... but what the hell are gonna do with it after you've made all those useless knickknacks lol

I've seen some people advocating lost PLA casting lately.

Print the part just heavily enough to hold up to being set in sand, add in the risers, and pour.

Quick development casting, or rough casting for one off stuff that you don't mind putting some effort into cleaning up a little.

Got her cured and made a makeshift crucible and cast this little ingot this morning. She gets plenty hot.

exnailpounder wrote:

20170206_112809.jpg

20170206_110547.jpg

Got her cured and made a makeshift crucible and cast this little ingot this morning. She gets plenty hot.

Cool. Well, maybe HOT! What did you make the crucible out of? And what is the heat source fuel for this? Just curious as it does seem like it could come in handy for rough castings of aluminum. How much do you have in this build?
Thanks

electrode wrote:

exnailpounder wrote:

20170206_112809.jpg

20170206_110547.jpg

Got her cured and made a makeshift crucible and cast this little ingot this morning. She gets plenty hot.

Cool. Well, maybe HOT! What did you make the crucible out of? And what is the heat source fuel for this? Just curious as it does seem like it could come in handy for rough castings of aluminum. How much do you have in this build?
Thanks

Fuel is propane with air assist. The crucible is just a 4 inch stainless casing cap....just temporary... just wanted to see it melt something..lol. The refractory cost me about $80, the keg, $25, the burner maybe $25. I pick up used regs at flea markets and garage sales and I am a hoarder of everything so I had almost everything laying around to build this. My friend retired from well drilling last year so he brought me a truck load of SS well casing to make shrouds out of. Being a pack rat pays off sometimes. This was a fun project.

exnailpounder wrote:

electrode wrote:

exnailpounder wrote:

20170206_112809.jpg

20170206_110547.jpg

Got her cured and made a makeshift crucible and cast this little ingot this morning. She gets plenty hot.

Cool. Well, maybe HOT! What did you make the crucible out of? And what is the heat source fuel for this? Just curious as it does seem like it could come in handy for rough castings of aluminum. How much do you have in this build?
Thanks

Fuel is propane with air assist. The crucible is just a 4 inch stainless casing cap....just temporary... just wanted to see it melt something..lol. The refractory cost me about $80, the keg, $25, the burner maybe $25. I pick up used regs at flea markets and garage sales and I am a hoarder of everything so I had almost everything laying around to build this. My friend retired from well drilling last year so he brought me a truck load of SS well casing to make shrouds out of. Being a pack rat pays off sometimes. This was a fun project.

I too am a hoarder somewhat. Works for me. Looks like a great deal for melting aluminum etc as far as money spent. I will probably add this to my project list but my list has a lot of projects in front of it atm. Thanks for the info.

exnailpounder wrote:.......... shrouds out of. Being a pack rat pays off sometimes. This was a fun project.

Truer words were never spoken !

We need to start a thread. Cheap/ free stuff that we have hoarded. If you want some come pick it up. With pics.

Poland308 wrote:We need to start a thread. Cheap/ free stuff that we have hoarded. If you want some come pick it up. With pics.

I agonize over getting rid of something or throwing it out to clean up my shop but it never fails that when I get rid of something, a project will show up that requires exactly what I just threw out. How the Hell does that happen?

Every time

Poland308 wrote:Every time

+1
I threw out a piece of 1/8" plexiglass some months ago as it was a leftover scrap (at least I think I did cause I sure couldn't find it) and a few days ago I needed a piece to fix an oiler for one of my machines. The sight glass (plastic) was found to be cracked when I was rebuilding the pump. The piece was 3/8" x about 1.5" inches long. I had to by a $5 piece to cut that little bit out of. Arrgghh!

I just bought 130$ in gasket material. 3 ft x3ft to cut out 3 - 3 inch round gaskets. Someone threw out the last 2 ft of a 48 inch roll we had.

Edit. Not to mention the three days of down time.

electrode wrote:

Poland308 wrote:Every time

+1
I threw out a piece of 1/8" plexiglass some months ago as it was a leftover scrap (at least I think I did cause I sure couldn't find it) and a few days ago I needed a piece to fix an oiler for one of my machines. The sight glass (plastic) was found to be cracked when I was rebuilding the pump. The piece was 3/8" x about 1.5" inches long. I had to by a $5 piece to cut that little bit out of. Arrgghh!

Hoarding can be bad if it's like 30 house cats and 3 litter boxes with 6 months of shit in em and pizza boxes with hair growing on em and a path from room to room, but shop stuff is ok right?

Yup

electrode wrote:[ Just curious as it does seem like it could come in handy for rough castings of aluminum.
Thanks

Castings are only as rough as the sloppiness of the operator.
This one was done in 125 grit sand


3D printed patterns need to have the surface smoothed out. Most are using hi-build auto body primer/surfacers
then a quick coat of something smooth and shiny.
Otherwise, it wont come out of the sand mold well.

That's beautiful! Someone has been doing their homework. I hope to rise to that level one day.

Jim FLinchbaugh wrote:

electrode wrote:[ Just curious as it does seem like it could come in handy for rough castings of aluminum.
Thanks

Castings are only as rough as the sloppiness of the operator.
This one was done in 125 grit sand


3D printed patterns need to have the surface smoothed out. Most are using hi-build auto body primer/surfacers
then a quick coat of something smooth and shiny.
Otherwise, it wont come out of the sand mold well.

Excellent work there. I watched the whole process years ago on how to make the molds etc and it looks like a lot of fun. I also play around with some 3D stuff and have the software (or some that will make the files to print), and some skill, just never bought a 3D printer. I know the #D printers are really slow so that is one reason I have avoided them. What brand/model printer do you have and do you have any recommendations on the purchase of one??
Thanks

Nice looking casting well done! Did you build the 3d model with a draft on the edges? I have also heard of smoothing the printed object with acetone vapour I've never tryed it though. The main thing with 3d printing is how big of a build area you have to work with alot of the times wood is easyer.

I do not have a 3D printer.
I make all my patterns old school- ie wood

and yes, there has to be draft or you will break the mold extracting the pattern