Alec, I work in a medical casting lab, we mix our investment in a vacuum, but we cure it under pressure. it's basically a pressure cooker with a safety blow off, schrader valve, and pressure gauge. we use 30PSI. also- cold/refrigerated water will give you more more working time before it sets.
You're absolutely correct, dental technician do the same. One thing to remember is that water boils at much lower temperatures under vacuum which can throw your water to investment ratios out the window and cause lots of problems too.
Plz tell me your gonna make a mold for that guard? I'd hate to see the first attempt fail and you have to completely rework it. With a mold you can cast it over and over until you get it just right
@@notstonks20 Yeah it is a much safer method though I will say that it has a slightly worse finish doing it that way as it is a copy of a copy and errors are always made when you make silicone molds and then try to remove the wax model from it
I have two sugestions: 1. The King of Random channel has a series on making a vacuum chamber, made of a large glass jar with an acrylic top. The visibility might be helpful in getting a better view of the piece to control the bubbles as they rise. I know you spent a lot of time and work on that steel vacuum chamber, but I just don't know if it's doing the job for you. 2. Rather than a vacuum chamber, have you tried reversing the process and turning the vacuum camber into a pressure pot. Don't try to suck the bubbles out, put them under so much pressure they collapse on themselves. It works for acrylic casting to remove bubbles from the final piece and might work here. Peter Brown's UA-cam channel has an interesting video on the process for acrylic. All you would need to do is hook your compressed air to the nozzle you currently use for the vacuum pump.
Wouldn't pressure just dissolve the gas into the casting media? would that be safe to do when after you pour molten metal into it causing the gas to expand and crack? He might need to add a relief valve to his vacuum chamber so he can normalize and let the bubbles collapse and do several vacuum passes to extract all the air.
Your supposed to vacuum the investment let it sit for a few minutes wile tapping the sides of the rubber, then pour it into the casting, then vacuum it with the casting placed again.
Have you considered taking some mold of the wax guard before burning it out? Maybe a silicone mold, or some other form so you could reproduce the guard via re-casting, instead of having to re-carve the whole thing.
Could be! I’m certainly no expert! I’ve just seen a few casting videos where people have made a permanent cast of something that took them a long time. Maybe there’s some other material they could use besides silicone? They certainly don’t have to do it, just thought it might be kinda cool to preserve.
You shouldn't need all those clamps to hold the lid on the vacuum chamber. The vacuum itself will hold the lid on unless your gasket leaks or the lid is really warped or something.
He needs to buy another surface grinder, because then he could really make sure that the two surfaces mate with minimal gaps to assist the gasket seal.
I said the same when he made it. It’s ridiculously overbuilt and complicated and those clamps are a waste of time and just add mass you need to vibrate. The excess weight also makes it harder to vibrate effectively. I’ve seen several made from large glass jars with Perspex lids and silicone seals that would have taken a couple of hours to produce. Considering how clumsy he is I’d recommend using a stainless steel cooking pot with a glass lid or a Perspex replacement ( if he’s nervous) and a homemade seal.
@@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 A simple glass bell jar would suffice. Way cheaper too if you consider the time invested. (more expensive if you account for the income the video generates).
@@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 What now Stuart? Are you implying that Will and Alec sometimes act a bit juvenile? That they somehow cannot be trusted with object that go boom, crack or do stabby things? (I do however don't agree to, nor disapprove of said statements :P )
Alec, I’m assuming you know this already, but Will is a great and talented addition to your team. Does a great job, enjoy watching him work. Keep up the good work guys, you’ll always be my favorite channel!
Please use that wax gaurd to make a silicone mold first. If you accidentally mess up the casting of it and dont have a master cast to make a second wax figure, that will be a very unpleasent experience making another one.
Grab that new camera-person by the nose with your bolts tongs, and tell them to stop with the high speed time lapse crap, so we can actually see what the hell you are doing. This will make the videos a longer acceptable length. Also tell them to shove the music up their aperture.
A little off post on this comment, but i need to say how many times through this series i ended up the video going right to listen “I ain’t marching anymore” just to hear the “Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun”
On a previous video someone (I can't recall who) recommended using a paintbrush and painting a layer of the investment onto the wax carving (and I presume letting it set) before doing the full submersion. I imagine it'll help you get the finer details of the carving, as well as not having to worry too much about vacuuming the air bubbles out of the rest of the investment.
That fast motion is way too fast. Its just a blur. It's nice to see things progress quickly, but first we need to actually be able to see things. Sorry to be critical, but I'm saying it because I love your videos.
The fanboys will get on your case about not making 100% completely positive comments. But that's exactly what I was thinking. I did not like this episode, I felt like it was stuck on FF
This channel is addictive. Are going through all your videos and just a pleasure to learn so much in such a short time.Thanks for sharing and greetings from WW2HistoryHunter.
Yup. He should watch those videos. They have cast so many things and used a vacuum chamber to rid it of air bubbles. I still think he needs to do a vacuum chamber similar to theirs as it would take way less time to seal and is easier to view.
Please keep using the metric system. Just because you’re in ,merica, doesn’t mean you need to give up your roots. I serve in the US Army. We use the the metric system. Meters are awesome. 😎
detail wont be the problem, their lack of experience when it comes to casting in general might be the real problem. Really hope they try multiple larger casting as testruns and learn how to imbed the wax model correctly.
Would a pressure pio be better. You don’t remove the bubbles but make them so small they cannot be seen. Plus, it shouldn’t overflow the material since you are going smaller with the bubbles not larger.
A pressure pot will not remove bubbles. In order for the vacuum chamber to work more efficiently, there should be a second, separate valve to allow the chamber to re-pressurize. As the chamber is going under vacuum, the air trapped in the mixture will expand causing that overflow issue. To fix that, slowly crack open the second valve to allow the vacuum to normalize the lack of pressure. Doing so will help pop the bubbles and make it much more uniform and it helps the substance from overflowing. This can take 2-3 times. It's quick. All under 90 seconds normally. Look here for a chanel called "action lab" he has done a lot of vacuum chamber experiments.
I agree, that’s why I stated that a pressure pot does not remove bubbles but makes them very small. No matter what you do a vacuum will increase the bubbles and make it overflow. If you remember, the media is time sensitive so he doesn’t have a lot of time to cycle thru enough to vacuum out bubbles.
I was gonna recommend pressurizing the pot or a pressure pot as well, it's easier faster and yields the same/ better results the problem he's facing now is the bubbles are sticking to the surface area of peace while expanding as the bubbles are attempting to rise Fix is compress the bubbles till there no longer visible
@@brazwewn , I am not sure of the working time with this media. Maybe it is too short to run a good vacuum cycle on it. But that's the proper technique for doing it. Also, his chamber isn't optimal. I personally don't like it. He's burning up a lot of pot life just by clamping the lid on. There's better solutions out there. Just has to ask or do research. Love what he does though. Great ambition and tenacity to try something he's never done before. Definitely give him props to that.
The results are pretty good but casting the guard gone be pretty hard. I also did some casting and it can be really difficult. You think now you have it and then you can throw away the work of the last days.
Have you factored in for shrinkage as the metal cools would hate see Will put all that time into the guard to have it come out to small for final project
Why try to get detail on the wax? Just carve the cast piece afterwards. Your carving it twice right now. Once for the wax and once after casting. If you oversize the wax, the porosity is more likely to be in the outer material you’ll remove anyway. Good luck and as ever I’ll be watching. Sounds creepy but I have been a fan for years. Thank you for the videos.
After you finish sculpting the guard out of wax it might be a good idea to try and make a silicon or plaster mold so you could easily make another one just in case there is an accident. I'm no expert but I know I have a tendency to mess up on projects. Love the videos, keep up the good work!
Cant wait to see you cast this bad boy. Maybe think about making a silicone cast of the wax model though so you can re-cast the wax in case it goes wrong. Not that i don’t have faith in you
I am becoming increasingly convinced that Alec and Will don't read these comments at all. Video after video we watch Alec flogging the same dead horse in the hope that this time it will get up and go, but he doesn't seem to be learning anything from his own experience or the wisdom of others. So in the next video, we'll see the wax original for the guard get destroyed in the mold without a backup cast, and we'll see the investment foam over again because they'll continue to use vacuum instead of pressure. Wait and watch.
They make a solution to remove the bubbles from the casting "Debubblizer" {A debubblizer is a surface tension reducing agent that is used to reduce the prevalence of bubbles in industrial processes such as wax casting}
@@Briguy1027yeah... for the 3 people in America that can still make a living making crowns with a steel coping it isn't a lost art. But the majority of people still using debubilising wash are Jewelers. Darn zirconia crowns ruined the dental technician lifestyle
@@APOC1385 LOL -- I was actually talking about gold crowns, but it's the same technique anyway. Yeah, my lab guy doesn't make PFMs any more, only Zirconia and maybe Emax.
You really need to find someone who knows how to cast and get them to teach you. Without that I doubt you two will be able to get the hang of it within the next few months. Good luck.
I would love to see Alec collaborate on a build with Illiya from Man at Arms: Reforged. Whatever you guys decided to build would EPIC! Also I bet the lady that works at that shop in Man at Arms would be cool to see a collab with on a casting piece or some high level jewelry project. Great job so far I can't wait to see the next vid!
what if you 3d print a mould to pour wax so all that work isn't riding on that one, hand carved wax guard? Don't get me wrong it's amazing and I applaud the effort!
there are a ton of very good videos out there. just look through some videos of Walter sorrels. he's a great bladesmith and explains a lot of theory, even Alec and Will don't know of. in some terms these two are still green behind their ears. both good craftsman, but they lack a bit of knowledge here and there. this is no way any kind of hate comment. it's just a result of my observation and means no harm.
He needs to look at the King of random's vacuum chamber. I think that one would suit him very well, at least for the mold makeing aspect. He can revert the one he has now for use in the actual casting of metal.
You guys might want to look into a 3D printer that uses wax filament. You could draw/sculpt your casting pieces in CAD and then print multiple copies. It seems like it would be pretty decent insurance so that you don't have so much wasted time in the event something goes wrong.
Guys, make a mold of your wax piece before risking it in the investment/casting! You can use alginate for a quick but temporary mold (it degrades in a couple of days) or silicone for a more permanent mold!
I feel like they should be doing a practice cast of something around the same size as the guard before actually soing the guard. Some things don't scale up very cleanly, you never know what kind of issues might arise.
get a hold of an HVAC guy and he can get you set up with some gauges and a micron reader, anything under 500 micros I would guess is good enough (its good enough for compressors)
Hey Alec , I was wondering if we could get a process hoodie. I would love to have that design on a hoodie. Thanks. Keep up the awesome work. Great work Will and Alec!
When mixing the casting powder, try pouring the water in first, then slowly pour the powder into the water as you mix it at a lower speed. Then vacuum the mixture first without the wax. Then insert the wax and vacuum again.
For the last couple of weeks now I have really enjoyed following Will and his progress. The videos and the live streams have been absolutely brilliant. Every day a new vid comes out I'm so damn excited sitting with my sausage and egg McMuffin, hashbrown and coffee. LOVE these bigger projects!!!
The thing that I love most, perhaps, about this video is that no-vocals version of Curio-Ten Feet (Daxten Remix), which is my #1 favorite song right now, was used for the montage starting at 10:08. !
Hey Alec, hey Will, you two should really read the comment section. there are a lot of hints, why a vacuum chamber isn't the best choice for investment curing. and you also really don't need all those clamps... and also watch some of Cody's Lab Videos on vacuum chambers. the water vapor from the boiling investment will eventually kill your vacuum pump...
Vacuum chamber for the investment, pressure pot for the casting, & PLEASE make a silicone mold before you do the investment. I would hate to see all of Will's amazing hard work disappear in a bad casting!
Why do you have no 3D printer to create your design possibilities 1.000000. And is the steel casting fails you can just get a new printing and ready. You put so much work in that wax mold. That they're doing that you will muslukt days to create a new 3D printer. And you print 3 of those things is there on zen at least 1 successful
I'd suggest a pressure chamber rather than a vacuum chamber, which will press down on the liquid, forcing the gasses up and out, instead of pulling the gas up through the liquid. ... it's a trick from silicone and resin casting, to help eliminate bubbles in the material,... works wonders without making a mess through volume expansion in a vacuum chamber.
Are wax files actually a thing? I'v never heard of a file made specifically to cut wax. Something like that could even be made of plastic. That's an interesting idea. I don't really have the facility to make stuff out of plastic, but I could make a wax file out of a soft metal like copper with just a cold chisel.
You need to put the investment in the vacuum chamber before you pour it into the mold and then put the casting back into the vacuum chamber after you pour it. That's why you need a vacuum changer that you can open and close way faster.
All the vested work in that carving. When I did my silver I cast a back up model of my wax out of resin using some molding putty. So I had a backup. Just in case. A mold of a mold of a mold is better than no mold should something happen to the original wax carving.
Its good to see plenty of comments of those who work frequently with vacuum casting. Its great advice, I however think having the mistakes along the way better document their foray and research. More fun as they learn it as opposed to being told it. Saying that I think it'd be cool if they did a collab or something with Matt and Iliya of Baltimore Knife and Sword. It'd be really cool to see Alec using their huge grinding wheels and their charcoal forge. Getting to dabble in pattern control for Matt as as of the last video he was stoked at trying his hand at it.
Your vacuum chamber is awesome and all but perhaps its just taking you too long to clamp it up. You said yourself the investment only has about an 8 minute work time. You might want to check out the vacuum chamber build by "the king of random" here on youtube. Sure it doesn't have the blacksmith flair but it would cut your time down considerably.
Please, whatever you do - make a silicone mold of this wax guard first - so if your first attempt fails you still can reproduce a wax guard from the silicone mold and the entire work isn't in vain. (Besides we all hope it works, but you know...)
Wow, clamptastic........ Might work well enough with a few welded studs and wing nuts. Probably more efficient and just as effective in terms of sealing...
If I can give a small tip? Once the investment looks like its going to boil over, let off the vacuum and let air into the chamber, this will let those bubbled collapse and pop and pull vacuum again. Every time you pull vacuum, it will come less close to boiling over. This is how you pull out all the air. I don't know your exact set up, but if you have an air inlet on the side opposite of your vacuum line, it will make your life easier. Hope this helps.
When your done with the wax guard you should cast it in silicone so if you accidentally stuff it up you can just re pour a new one
I was just going to say this same thing. With all the hard work going into the wax cast having a brass cast fail would be a huge setback.
I was just about to make that exact same suggestion.
I would be making casts/molds of it along the way, that way if something goes wrong you only lose a few hours rather than a few days.
I was thinking the same. You could also scan and 3D print it. 👍🏻
This is a great idea. Silicon is very easy to learn how to use also
Alec, I work in a medical casting lab, we mix our investment in a vacuum, but we cure it under pressure. it's basically a pressure cooker with a safety blow off, schrader valve, and pressure gauge. we use 30PSI. also- cold/refrigerated water will give you more more working time before it sets.
You are on the money mate! pressure pot is the only way to get good results vacuums just make a mess.
I hope they read this!
Pressure chambers are great for these applications indeed.
You're absolutely correct, dental technician do the same. One thing to remember is that water boils at much lower temperatures under vacuum which can throw your water to investment ratios out the window and cause lots of problems too.
justen sr/ Harmon Heat .... Even if they read it they won’t listen....
Plz tell me your gonna make a mold for that guard? I'd hate to see the first attempt fail and you have to completely rework it. With a mold you can cast it over and over until you get it just right
Especially for such an intricate piece 😣
Like man at arms usually do? Something like wax positive > negative silicone master > more wax > investment > casting > finishing
@@notstonks20 yeh. I reckon Alec n will would really enjoy doing this, it's another process that's super fun to learn and apply.
@@notstonks20 Yeah it is a much safer method though I will say that it has a slightly worse finish doing it that way as it is a copy of a copy and errors are always made when you make silicone molds and then try to remove the wax model from it
@@wilkins67890 even so, better safe than sorry
I have two sugestions:
1. The King of Random channel has a series on making a vacuum chamber, made of a large glass jar with an acrylic top. The visibility might be helpful in getting a better view of the piece to control the bubbles as they rise. I know you spent a lot of time and work on that steel vacuum chamber, but I just don't know if it's doing the job for you.
2. Rather than a vacuum chamber, have you tried reversing the process and turning the vacuum camber into a pressure pot. Don't try to suck the bubbles out, put them under so much pressure they collapse on themselves. It works for acrylic casting to remove bubbles from the final piece and might work here. Peter Brown's UA-cam channel has an interesting video on the process for acrylic. All you would need to do is hook your compressed air to the nozzle you currently use for the vacuum pump.
Wouldn't pressure just dissolve the gas into the casting media? would that be safe to do when after you pour molten metal into it causing the gas to expand and crack? He might need to add a relief valve to his vacuum chamber so he can normalize and let the bubbles collapse and do several vacuum passes to extract all the air.
Murasaur I’ll be fine because if it doesn’t work, he can just light it on fire
“You just light it on fire, and it’s all better.”
Wisdom to live by, right there. 😂
Deep flesh wounds too, Will's a genius
Doesn't really work on cats too well. I don't think tinkles will be the same.😔
Yeah... i'm sure God is thinking the same way...
Your wife leaves you... your baby is crying...
Your supposed to vacuum the investment let it sit for a few minutes wile tapping the sides of the rubber, then pour it into the casting, then vacuum it with the casting placed again.
And you should normalise the pressure again before the investment is cured, so the remaining bubbles collaps and don't ruin your piece.
Thank you, i really hope they read this comment.
Aren't you also supposed to draw vacuum until the bulbling stops ie the investment starts to drop back ... not when its just got going?
@@mrzon9344 I know that's what is done when making silicone molds, I wonder if it works the same way with materials of different viscosity?
Also the way they mix the investment adds air, so maybe hand mixing may help reduce how much air in the mixture. Silicone and resin act that way.
Have you considered taking some mold of the wax guard before burning it out? Maybe a silicone mold, or some other form so you could reproduce the guard via re-casting, instead of having to re-carve the whole thing.
I think that much silicone would me very expensive and carving the wax guard probably didn't take as long as you think.
Could be! I’m certainly no expert! I’ve just seen a few casting videos where people have made a permanent cast of something that took them a long time. Maybe there’s some other material they could use besides silicone? They certainly don’t have to do it, just thought it might be kinda cool to preserve.
You shouldn't need all those clamps to hold the lid on the vacuum chamber. The vacuum itself will hold the lid on unless your gasket leaks or the lid is really warped or something.
He needs to buy another surface grinder, because then he could really make sure that the two surfaces mate with minimal gaps to assist the gasket seal.
I said the same when he made it. It’s ridiculously overbuilt and complicated and those clamps are a waste of time and just add mass you need to vibrate. The excess weight also makes it harder to vibrate effectively. I’ve seen several made from large glass jars with Perspex lids and silicone seals that would have taken a couple of hours to produce. Considering how clumsy he is I’d recommend using a stainless steel cooking pot with a glass lid or a Perspex replacement ( if he’s nervous) and a homemade seal.
@@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 A simple glass bell jar would suffice. Way cheaper too if you consider the time invested. (more expensive if you account for the income the video generates).
Patrick D the less glass the better with this pair.
@@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 What now Stuart? Are you implying that Will and Alec sometimes act a bit juvenile? That they somehow cannot be trusted with object that go boom, crack or do stabby things?
(I do however don't agree to, nor disapprove of said statements :P )
Alec, I’m assuming you know this already, but Will is a great and talented addition to your team. Does a great job, enjoy watching him work. Keep up the good work guys, you’ll always be my favorite channel!
Andrew Kistner yeah were is the respect for Will this man is a god
Please use that wax gaurd to make a silicone mold first. If you accidentally mess up the casting of it and dont have a master cast to make a second wax figure, that will be a very unpleasent experience making another one.
did you ever consider making armor?
I'd love to see an armor build! Second that!
With ZNA of course
agree a breastplate would be a solid challenge!
@@mavric1177 imagine the surface area for engraving and jewel inset lol. Part 546...
@@Phahel7 [5 years later]
Grab that new camera-person by the nose with your bolts tongs, and tell them to stop with the high speed time lapse crap, so we can actually see what the hell you are doing. This will make the videos a longer acceptable length. Also tell them to shove the music up their aperture.
I 've been saying this since they have started forging. Too much talk and ff. I like to learn about forging not talking about forging.
Part 36 reenacting the civil war
Nah, part 36 will be 25 episodes into engraving and wax pouring. Part 42 will be finished.
Cryptic Sol part 52, using my Calvary saber in the civil war 2
A little off post on this comment, but i need to say how many times through this series i ended up the video going right to listen “I ain’t marching anymore” just to hear the “Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun”
Cryptic Sol that would be cultural appropriation on Alec part... reenact the war of 1812, or US Revolution lol
David Hiatt some British elites added the confederates in the civil war
On a previous video someone (I can't recall who) recommended using a paintbrush and painting a layer of the investment onto the wax carving (and I presume letting it set) before doing the full submersion. I imagine it'll help you get the finer details of the carving, as well as not having to worry too much about vacuuming the air bubbles out of the rest of the investment.
"You just light it on fire and it's all better" If only everything in life was that easy.
Name something it DOESN'T work with! :P
New T-shirt idea!
Yes to both the above comments!
Well it dose get annoying people away from you
Its to true 🤣
Will’s immersion into meme culture is wayyyy deeper than he seems to want to admit, hahahahaha. “A honkin beefy boi”?
Alec and will fanfiction??? When???
That fast motion is way too fast. Its just a blur. It's nice to see things progress quickly, but first we need to actually be able to see things. Sorry to be critical, but I'm saying it because I love your videos.
The fanboys will get on your case about not making 100% completely positive comments. But that's exactly what I was thinking. I did not like this episode, I felt like it was stuck on FF
I agree. I like to watch the process not ff.
I really hope you make copies of the wax guard so you don't have to make it again if the cast fails
This channel is addictive. Are going through all your videos and just a pleasure to learn so much in such a short time.Thanks for sharing and greetings from WW2HistoryHunter.
i really don see the point in that ultra fast editing where all the stuff take place we all came for, you really nee to go back to basic Alec
A pressure pot would work better for cast as it would not overflow nor rise
I agree. Also the additional pressure should help to force the investment into the finer details of the wax part.
Yes, this.
I have been SCREAMING this at the TV since they started talking about a Vac. Chamber!!! And commenting, telling them this!!! PLEASE LISTEN!!!!
Charles Hitchings I always thought it would be better too.
Vacuum chambers make everything expand. Go watch a few The King Of Randoms videos where he tests liquids in vacuum chambers.
Yup. He should watch those videos. They have cast so many things and used a vacuum chamber to rid it of air bubbles. I still think he needs to do a vacuum chamber similar to theirs as it would take way less time to seal and is easier to view.
Rest in peace king of random
Please keep using the metric system. Just because you’re in ,merica, doesn’t mean you need to give up your roots. I serve in the US Army. We use the the metric system. Meters are awesome. 😎
Freedomheit.
i feel you, but most of Alec's viewers are Americans (like you) and they really love their imperial system somehow...
It just me or that episode where all over the place ? i liked the episodes concentrated on only one thing.
I feel like all the extra detail on the wax guard is going to make the pour less likely to succeed.
detail wont be the problem, their lack of experience when it comes to casting in general might be the real problem. Really hope they try multiple larger casting as testruns and learn how to imbed the wax model correctly.
Would a pressure pio be better. You don’t remove the bubbles but make them so small they cannot be seen. Plus, it shouldn’t overflow the material since you are going smaller with the bubbles not larger.
A pressure pot will not remove bubbles. In order for the vacuum chamber to work more efficiently, there should be a second, separate valve to allow the chamber to re-pressurize.
As the chamber is going under vacuum, the air trapped in the mixture will expand causing that overflow issue. To fix that, slowly crack open the second valve to allow the vacuum to normalize the lack of pressure. Doing so will help pop the bubbles and make it much more uniform and it helps the substance from overflowing. This can take 2-3 times. It's quick. All under 90 seconds normally.
Look here for a chanel called "action lab" he has done a lot of vacuum chamber experiments.
I agree, that’s why I stated that a pressure pot does not remove bubbles but makes them very small. No matter what you do a vacuum will increase the bubbles and make it overflow. If you remember, the media is time sensitive so he doesn’t have a lot of time to cycle thru enough to vacuum out bubbles.
I was gonna recommend pressurizing the pot or a pressure pot as well, it's easier faster and yields the same/ better results the problem he's facing now is the bubbles are sticking to the surface area of peace while expanding as the bubbles are attempting to rise
Fix is compress the bubbles till there no longer visible
@@brazwewn , I am not sure of the working time with this media. Maybe it is too short to run a good vacuum cycle on it. But that's the proper technique for doing it.
Also, his chamber isn't optimal. I personally don't like it. He's burning up a lot of pot life just by clamping the lid on. There's better solutions out there. Just has to ask or do research. Love what he does though. Great ambition and tenacity to try something he's never done before. Definitely give him props to that.
Just look at how Man at Arms do their casting, seems to work really well, and it looks super easy.
The results are pretty good but casting the guard gone be pretty hard.
I also did some casting and it can be really difficult. You think now you have it and then you can throw away the work of the last days.
Have you factored in for shrinkage as the metal cools would hate see Will put all that time into the guard to have it come out to small for final project
When I did casting back in the day, the exact measurements in the investment made up for the amount of shrinkage in the metal.
Vids are better with just Alec...
They should use ceramic shell casting instead of investment. It gives a superior finish.
Why try to get detail on the wax? Just carve the cast piece afterwards. Your carving it twice right now. Once for the wax and once after casting. If you oversize the wax, the porosity is more likely to be in the outer material you’ll remove anyway. Good luck and as ever I’ll be watching. Sounds creepy but I have been a fan for years. Thank you for the videos.
After you finish sculpting the guard out of wax it might be a good idea to try and make a silicon or plaster mold so you could easily make another one just in case there is an accident. I'm no expert but I know I have a tendency to mess up on projects. Love the videos, keep up the good work!
Good thing you got all those clamps. Wouldn't want the vacuum to blow the top off!
Cant wait to see you cast this bad boy. Maybe think about making a silicone cast of the wax model though so you can re-cast the wax in case it goes wrong. Not that i don’t have faith in you
Future project idea: John Snows white wolf sword from game of thrones
Long claw would be cool wonder what he would use for the pommel
WE NEED LONGER VIDEOS. 15-20 MIN MINIMUM...
Using a pressure pot instead of a vacuum chamber may get rid of the bubbles without it bubbling over.
I’m done until this thing is finished, you’re really dragging them out
its called daily content dude, it takes however long it takes.
You need a pressure chamber go check out a video by Peter Brown
Instead of a vacuum chamber, you should look into a pressure pot. I think it will work alot better in your situation. Keep up the cool work
I have been saying this since they started talking about the Vac chamber!!!! PLEASE LISTEN!!!!
That vacuum chamber could probably even double as both by hooking it up to the shop pneumatics with a regulator
I am becoming increasingly convinced that Alec and Will don't read these comments at all. Video after video we watch Alec flogging the same dead horse in the hope that this time it will get up and go, but he doesn't seem to be learning anything from his own experience or the wisdom of others. So in the next video, we'll see the wax original for the guard get destroyed in the mold without a backup cast, and we'll see the investment foam over again because they'll continue to use vacuum instead of pressure. Wait and watch.
David Stranz came to this conclusion a while ago. Lately I learn more from the comments than from Alec...
try making the vacuum chamber that THE KING OF RANDOM MADE
Nice to see you cleaned the camera lens :P
You should make a second wax piece without all the holes and carve the holes out of the bronze
LOVE IT!! Keep up the good work Alec and Will! Are you planning on building your own forge soon?
He has
Loren Lampinen the one he is currently using is Will’s old one, I do not believe that they have built their own forge since moving to the new shop.
They make a solution to remove the bubbles from the casting "Debubblizer" {A debubblizer is a surface tension reducing agent that is used to reduce the prevalence of bubbles in industrial processes such as wax casting}
Signal boost
Wow, I haven't heard the term debubblizer in a while. Used it back in the day when casting dental crowns.
@@Briguy1027yeah... for the 3 people in America that can still make a living making crowns with a steel coping it isn't a lost art. But the majority of people still using debubilising wash are Jewelers.
Darn zirconia crowns ruined the dental technician lifestyle
@@APOC1385 LOL -- I was actually talking about gold crowns, but it's the same technique anyway. Yeah, my lab guy doesn't make PFMs any more, only Zirconia and maybe Emax.
@@Briguy1027 most people get their crowns from milling centers over seas. I have seen advertising for $17 crowns. That is why I make rings not teeth
You really need to find someone who knows how to cast and get them to teach you. Without that I doubt you two will be able to get the hang of it within the next few months. Good luck.
Alec was taught how, look for a video about casting a bronze skull, Its a great video, Alec should probably watch it again too!
I would love to see Alec collaborate on a build with Illiya from Man at Arms: Reforged. Whatever you guys decided to build would EPIC! Also I bet the lady that works at that shop in Man at Arms would be cool to see a collab with on a casting piece or some high level jewelry project.
Great job so far I can't wait to see the next vid!
That is the best idea!
not to be that guy but why dont they make a mold for the wax so they can repeat it if the pour messes up?
Dont worry, you're not "that" guy....they all are!
theres plenty of "those" guys in the comments
You guys need a pressure pot. Pulling vacuum really only works if the investment is mixed under vacuum.
I love this show I would rather watch this not cable tv
Who still watches t.v.?
what if you 3d print a mould to pour wax so all that work isn't riding on that one, hand carved wax guard? Don't get me wrong it's amazing and I applaud the effort!
Will is a natural in front of the camera.
Q: How did the cannibal get caught?
A:The proof was in the pudding.
I’m the first person to watch the vid my life is know complete
You should remove the stairs that lead to the top of your grind room, and fabricate some spiral stairs.
You guys should make a video explaining what different types of steel are useful for in terms of forging weapons
Anything with a little less than 1% carbon and a little more than 0.55.
there are a ton of very good videos out there. just look through some videos of Walter sorrels. he's a great bladesmith and explains a lot of theory, even Alec and Will don't know of. in some terms these two are still green behind their ears. both good craftsman, but they lack a bit of knowledge here and there. this is no way any kind of hate comment. it's just a result of my observation and means no harm.
Is it just me or did the song during the montage of carving the wax make you want to play “Assassins Creed IV Black Flag”???
Stoked for the cavalry sabre!
This episode took so long to come out I'm already caught up from all of wills live streams
positive pressure aprx 40psi
How come your vacuum chamber has clamps if you get it seal right the vacuum will pull the lid shut no clamps latches or any thing required
Episode 28,449, simply fabricate a time machine. Time travel to the Civil War and use the Sabre. Become a hero of American history.
Need a tool, make a tool!
Go to the auto body supply aisle of Ace and grab a "cheese grater". Make your shaping the wax a little quicker.
Try using a pressure chamber to set the mold it will compress the bubbles down into nothing they have them at harbor freight.
Dont you want a quick pressure release valve on the vacuum chamber? That way when it roses you can quickly drop it back to atmospheric pressure?
He needs to look at the King of random's vacuum chamber. I think that one would suit him very well, at least for the mold makeing aspect. He can revert the one he has now for use in the actual casting of metal.
You guys might want to look into a 3D printer that uses wax filament. You could draw/sculpt your casting pieces in CAD and then print multiple copies. It seems like it would be pretty decent insurance so that you don't have so much wasted time in the event something goes wrong.
Please tell me I'm not the only one that thinks Mr. Steele is looking a little "blue" in the thumbnail pic.
Hey keep up the great work
What no slavic response to Matt and Iliya???
Could you make a naruto kunai that’d be sweet!!!
RIPPLESDABOS S He should make Minato’s Three pronged kunai!
Or asumas kunai
It's called "spearhead".
@@luish8056 As long as it is damascus I will be cool with that lol
it helps to have a sprue at the very bottom of the piece so any debris ends up getting pushed out of the piece and all the voids get filled.
Can u please let us know where u r so we can send u fan mail, because I also have another flag for u
Then proof is IN the pudding. The pudding contains the proof, it is not the subject of the proof.
Does anybody know to name of the music that's playing around 10:10 to 11 something
Measure the weight to make the wax to bronze ratio for creating the PERFECT counter weight
Have you considered sending it out to be cast because so far you guys are not doing too great.
Guys, make a mold of your wax piece before risking it in the investment/casting! You can use alginate for a quick but temporary mold (it degrades in a couple of days) or silicone for a more permanent mold!
I feel like they should be doing a practice cast of something around the same size as the guard before actually soing the guard.
Some things don't scale up very cleanly, you never know what kind of issues might arise.
get a hold of an HVAC guy and he can get you set up with some gauges and a micron reader, anything under 500 micros I would guess is good enough (its good enough for compressors)
Hey Alec , I was wondering if we could get a process hoodie. I would love to have that design on a hoodie. Thanks. Keep up the awesome work. Great work Will and Alec!
When mixing the casting powder, try pouring the water in first, then slowly pour the powder into the water as you mix it at a lower speed. Then vacuum the mixture first without the wax. Then insert the wax and vacuum again.
Please stop fast forwarding through all of the processes.
Anyone else just want to blow all the wax off the wood at 3:21. 😂
8:43 ????? wtf are you trying to accomplish here?
1:00
oooh brass
it sounded like "bras"
For the last couple of weeks now I have really enjoyed following Will and his progress. The videos and the live streams have been absolutely brilliant. Every day a new vid comes out I'm so damn excited sitting with my sausage and egg McMuffin, hashbrown and coffee. LOVE these bigger projects!!!
The thing that I love most, perhaps, about this video is that no-vocals version of Curio-Ten Feet (Daxten Remix), which is my #1 favorite song right now, was used for the montage starting at 10:08. !
do you have a way of making a copy of his wax carving in case the first poor fails? maybe you should poor a mold of some kind.
Hey Alec, hey Will, you two should really read the comment section. there are a lot of hints, why a vacuum chamber isn't the best choice for investment curing. and you also really don't need all those clamps...
and also watch some of Cody's Lab Videos on vacuum chambers. the water vapor from the boiling investment will eventually kill your vacuum pump...
Vacuum chamber for the investment, pressure pot for the casting, & PLEASE make a silicone mold before you do the investment. I would hate to see all of Will's amazing hard work disappear in a bad casting!
Why do you have no 3D printer to create your design possibilities 1.000000. And is the steel casting fails you can just get a new printing and ready. You put so much work in that wax mold. That they're doing that you will muslukt days to create a new 3D printer. And you print 3 of those things is there on zen at least 1 successful
I'd suggest a pressure chamber rather than a vacuum chamber, which will press down on the liquid, forcing the gasses up and out, instead of pulling the gas up through the liquid. ... it's a trick from silicone and resin casting, to help eliminate bubbles in the material,... works wonders without making a mess through volume expansion in a vacuum chamber.
Are wax files actually a thing? I'v never heard of a file made specifically to cut wax. Something like that could even be made of plastic. That's an interesting idea. I don't really have the facility to make stuff out of plastic, but I could make a wax file out of a soft metal like copper with just a cold chisel.
You need to put the investment in the vacuum chamber before you pour it into the mold and then put the casting back into the vacuum chamber after you pour it. That's why you need a vacuum changer that you can open and close way faster.
All the vested work in that carving. When I did my silver I cast a back up model of my wax out of resin using some molding putty. So I had a backup. Just in case. A mold of a mold of a mold is better than no mold should something happen to the original wax carving.
Its good to see plenty of comments of those who work frequently with vacuum casting. Its great advice, I however think having the mistakes along the way better document their foray and research. More fun as they learn it as opposed to being told it.
Saying that I think it'd be cool if they did a collab or something with Matt and Iliya of Baltimore Knife and Sword. It'd be really cool to see Alec using their huge grinding wheels and their charcoal forge. Getting to dabble in pattern control for Matt as as of the last video he was stoked at trying his hand at it.
Your vacuum chamber is awesome and all but perhaps its just taking you too long to clamp it up. You said yourself the investment only has about an 8 minute work time. You might want to check out the vacuum chamber build by "the king of random" here on youtube. Sure it doesn't have the blacksmith flair but it would cut your time down considerably.
Please, whatever you do - make a silicone mold of this wax guard first - so if your first attempt fails you still can reproduce a wax guard from the silicone mold and the entire work isn't in vain. (Besides we all hope it works, but you know...)
Wow, clamptastic........ Might work well enough with a few welded studs and wing nuts. Probably more efficient and just as effective in terms of sealing...
If I can give a small tip?
Once the investment looks like its going to boil over, let off the vacuum and let air into the chamber, this will let those bubbled collapse and pop and pull vacuum again. Every time you pull vacuum, it will come less close to boiling over. This is how you pull out all the air.
I don't know your exact set up, but if you have an air inlet on the side opposite of your vacuum line, it will make your life easier.
Hope this helps.