9 Things I Didn't Know Before Building a foundry: Casting 101
2023 ж. 14 Қаң.
698 874 Рет қаралды
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!
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.
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!
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
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.
Great information! Its so nice to see a non clickbait video that doesn't waste peoples time :D
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.
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.
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.
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
Great advice!
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!
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!
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! 👍👊
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 😎
As an experienced Bronze Caster, I found your video spot on. You covered pretty much everything! Great job.
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.
Very informative! I cast 35 years ago. I have forgotten most of it. If you don't use it you lose it. Thanks again.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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 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;-)
Thanks for making this; lot of important information regarding health/safety - better safe than sorry :) Looking forward to see more content from you!
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 KZhead. Thanks for enlightening us, and keep up the great work!
As a wannabe and a willbe, great video and reason to pay attention to detail when I start setting up shop, Thank you!
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 KZheadrs. Keep it up.
Well said, nicely explained. Love it 👌 have a good one 👍
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.
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
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
Thanks again for taking us on your casting journey, you are fun and informative, a great combination 👍😊
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.
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.
You've really expressed your learnings well in this video. It would pay for people to take note. Well done!
I have pored over so many online resources, but none have been as helpful and straightforward as this one - thanks!
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
Man, I appreciate the calm and approachable delivery of info here! Thank you!
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.
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!
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
Absolutely fantastically done and safty was placed right out front. Very professional, well done!❤
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
Thanks for the shout-out regarding the ceramic shell. Happy to help!
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!
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!
Thanks for sharing your experience. A lot of important information for security measurements.
Wow first video I watched on casting Have not done casting in over thirty years. Great advice. Great shared lessons learned
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Thank you for all the free knowledge from experience!
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!
Thank you for an excellent well thought out video for the beginner. About to purchase my 1st forge to form large round stock aluminium bar to turn parts in my lathe & wasn’t sure where to start. I will start with a quality set up with safety in mind. Thank you again.
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.
Best video of intro things for casting that I've ever seen. You put a lot of content in those 15 minutes. Thanks!!
Wow! So much quality info delivered so concisely! ❤
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
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! 😊
By far the most informative video I've come across on this topic! Thanks for sharing!
Just about to get into casting, and all te tips are very helpful. Thank you.
been melting metals for a couple years now. your video is good info for anyone.
That was the most helpful video I have ever seen. You answered all the problems I've been having. Thank you so much.
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!
My first learning video. Fantastic information, Thank you!👍
This is a very informative video with lots of great tips. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us.
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!!!
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?
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
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
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.
That was great! You brought up several issues I would not have considered. Great job!
Hey man thank you very much for your video. I am about to start a foundry at my workplace and I was about to breath in tons of zinc and to have moisture explosions. I saved your video just in case and now I realize I made a good decision. Thank you 😁
There's tons of priceless info in this video for a beginner. Thanks for posting!
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.
Thank you. Very useful for someone who was thinking about melting cans to cast household objects.
Wow. So much great info! Perfect length and good things to know.
Love it, I'm founder since 2007. This is great video for people starting up. Keep up the good work
Very informative, thanks for all the great advise
Wow this was incredibly helpful, there are so many bad practices out there, thanks for addressing some major concerns for beginners like me
So nice to see the many safety tips and lots of information!
Thank you for the info my dude, i love your format and ability to get right to the point
I've always kinda wanted to try something like this. Spelling out all the 'rookie' stage mistakes is a huge help!
Congratulations! I’ve been watching KZhead 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.
I learned several things today, Thank You! Im going to change the way I do a few things because of your video.
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!
I found this information very useful. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences very helpful I've been trying to start doing this as a hobby much appreciated it 👍
Very useful. Often the "Be Safe, do it like this!" on KZhead videos don't include the "Why Not?" part, which is particularly important for DIY Makers, because personally and from people I know, I'll figure out the easiest, quickest & handiest way, unless I know "Why Not" to do it that way. As in: "I have a ceramic crucible full of molten bronze that needs to be poured! WhyNot use the vice-grips on the bench next to me? So quick! So handy!...Aaaaarrrrrgggggghhhh!!!1!!" To be clear, the Why Not is the information that the ceramic crucible is at its weakest when at its hottest, which was new to me. Once I know this, a crushing grip from a Vicegrip pliers is the last thing I would think of using. Thanks for taking the time to record this.
I knew a lot of that, but I really surprised by the things I didn't know and hadn't thought about. Great video, excellent explanations, thank you!
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.
This vid was so informative! Thank you. I learned a lot.
Great, to the point and perfectly delivered. Thanks.
Thanks from Down Under. Well presented informative with some serious insight, I've subscribed. I would like to do this sort of work and I think you have saved me a few blunders already!
Great tips. Thanks, they are all worth knowing. 😊
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.
That was the best casting video I’ve seen to date. Well done my man! 🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀🍀🍀
Great information and well presented. You touched on some great points that other videos often gloss over.