Today I melted aluminum for the first time. Homemade foundry, scrap aluminum from a generator engine casing and propane. Aluminum loafs! I just got to figure out what do I do with them?
Casted this 21g silver Darth Vader Lego today.
36g Silver Eagles helmet I just casted.
I had a course in school for molding and casting, so I know the basics, like the difference between investment and sand casting. Now I have some old cast iron train parts I want to reproduce. All less than a pound, maybe up to 4” in the largest dimension.
I’m thinking that I’m going to scan them with my phone and import that into my CAD system, create some models that I can 3d print, then cast them. This is where I get lost…. I suppose I could investment cast them at this point by using a burnout grade PLA and apply the proper shrinkage factors. Or I could grow some nice solid parts to use as patterns and cores for sand casting. I suppose I could make my own casting box (cope and drag).
For the experts here, how would you approach this? I have a little knowledge, a good budget, and a willingness and ability to learn.
I’m seeing these 3 in 1 vacuum casting machines that degass the investment, melt the metal, and vacuum draw the molten metal down into the flask mold, all on the same device.
Which is EXACTLY what I want, given my studio space is super duper tiny. so less equipment to take up less space and staying within a modest budget is ideal.
With all that said, I’ve stumbled upon a bunch of different ones. most of which being Chinese off brands going for around 400-600$ usd and that’s way better then the 899-1500$ range for some of, what looks to be, strikingly similar American counterparts.
So basically my question is this:
Has anybody had any luck with the cheaper brands?
Any advice here would be most appreciated.
Thanks so much yall