TECH- How to SAND CAST Aluminum Car Club plaques at Home!!!

Outstanding! I am really impressed with the adjustable wrench you made!

 

Just a little friendly advice: make sure there is no moisture present on or around any area you are working with molten aluminum. If you manage to somehow encapsulate the moisture with the metal it will superheat into steam and, for lack of a better word, explode. If in doubt, preheat any metal surfaces, and be sure to check underneath them.

I had a dross tub pull the moisture THROUGH a 1" thick steel tub once and blow in my face...if I hadn't had my chaps, metalproof jacket, and hardhat with faceshield and curtain on it would have been really, really ugly. Also, if that doesn't scare you, I have a ballcap here I can take a pic of that has aluminum blasted all over the bottom of the brim (that day REALLY sucked!)

Bottom line, be careful and prep, prep, prep some more...and I'll be trying this process pretty soon!

Thanks for the tech dude, you've got my vote so far

 

Very cool, thanks for posting. I hope you win.

 

I bought a casting sand mix but I think I added too much water. I left the container open hoping it would dry out enough but not too much. Have been away from it for a while. This inspires me to give it another try.

 

Awesome Post, thanks for sharing!

 

really great tech article with good pics and write up. very well done.

 

Kids don't know how great we had it in Jr. High and high school, schools need to bring back shop class.

 

very cool...nothin' like Tech week to get me daydreaming on a myriad of projects, techniques and tools that I need...nice design on the plaque too!

 

amen!

 

Ain't gonna happen. Too expensive. Too much liability.

 

Wow....that's a winner..

 

And to many damn lawyers!

Nice job on it chris, you should post this on the cabe also.

 

I built one of these. Works great and was super cheap.
http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/char/index.html

 

Yea i know, in my neighborhood i can tell all the guys that never took a shop class, they pay to have x-mas lights hung on there house and are scared to get on a ladder, i just think it's funny.

 

Nice one Chris!

 

Much easier to teach "Drama".
But I digress.

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I taught my Nieces how to make rubber molds, and cast Pewter, last year.
A few weeks ago, I picked up a starter kit from Smooth On, for each of them, so they can make their own molds and resin parts at home.

Hopefully this year we can do Lost Wax casting, in Bronze and Sterling Silver. Next year ..... ?

 

Oh yeah, I'm tryin' that !

 

I'm a retired wood and metal pattern maker for a large iron and aluminum automotive foundry. All I can say is "GREAT JOB" Very nice work and for everyone who tries this, PLEASE BE SAFE!!!!! Molten metal causes severe burns!!!

 

very nice tech post, you got my vote so far..

Now about the name of your club....... Hmmm...

-J.
Coffins Hotrod Gang, seattle

 

That plaque you made would make a sweet gas pedal. Really nice job. Thank you

 

Yep, I worked at Ford's Windsor Casting Plant for 20 years (pouring iron for 17 years of that !) and moister/wetness/water is NOT GOOD to mix with molten ANYTHING ! Trapped steam EXPLODES !

 

Are you inferring that the hydrogen and oxygen separate and then ignite and explode?

Is so, Wrong! Water expands 10,000 times it's original volume when it turns to steam, it's that very rapid expansion that causes the molten metal to "explode"...

 

LOL...some people. Not everyone has an understanding of physics, but exploding water...that's priceless.

 

cool or hot actualy
i made headlight stands ,moon pedals,brass nuckles,ash trays and a brass plaque that got sent to the world trade center memorial, in high school i had a cool shop teacher . it was all cool until some one put a magnessum briggs/straton flywheel in a 2 gal crucible of molten aluiminuim. everyone got to go home for the day though.
even tryed smelting cast iron . at monache high and porterville high i was a bad kid
got to go 2 high schools 2x schools = 2 shop classes actualy 4X classes auto and metal

kidds are problably learning how to refinance there parents houses knowadays

 

dont be so dramatic guys.

we still do it at our jr.high and high schools.

 

What year did you guys start your club

 

Great tech. Can the powers that be put this in the tech library for ever please.

 

Hey Pins,

Thank you for the excellent tips on casting. I can definitely see myself doing this. I have a question on the buck. Is there a reason plastic or plastruct can not be used? On a hobby shop level, I've used plastic tubing on numerous items. Any reason why this couldn't be substituted.

 

Call it what you want, but all I know is that it hurts!

 

Super thread. Reminds me of the old foundry at Brooklyn Tech.

Parting powder was called 'fairy dust'.

Pattern fillets were formed with a quarter-round wax coping.

Instead of varnish, we used shellac.

I still have my stepped-V block - use it all the time!