Print-Wave Metal Casting: Aluminium Mug
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- In this video, I did a test cast of a mug using the "Print Wave Metal Casting" method.
Originally, I wanted to cast it in copper, but since I didn't have an investment in stock that can withstand the heat of copper, I cast it in aluminum instead.
The G code to shake the bubbles out is brilliant. Shake the future!
Cheers!
That PLA removal is hella satisfying!
I agree. I must say I do enjoy it.
I think you might be a genius! Also those handle pulls really were magical!!
That!😊
Thanks! It's indeed "magical" in a way. It can be very satisfying which is always a nice thing to have in any hobby.
When you slide that handle mould into place poetry!
Oh yes, it's pretty satisfying!
In this case, the smaller mold was probably not even needed. I could have just glued it to the 3D-printed mug and then pulled it out, following the handle, as one end of the handle was accessible. In that case, I would use a glue stick instead of superglue.
The upside of doing it that way is that there are no lines from the molds joining, so less sanding is needed. The downside is that if, for some reason, you fail to pull out the handle, the mold will be ruined...or you'll need to burn it out. With a two-part mold, you can always reprint the handle and try again.
There will be no more videos until the middle of August, as I am going on my yearly holiday to my home country (I should be on the ✈ when this video goes live) When I am back, I’ll get the investment, and hopefully, we’ll end up with a copper mug. I am thinking of adding a pattern or text to the mug. But how will you pull it out from the mold, one might ask? There is a way 😊
Please feel free to comment. I read the comments, take your advice, and listen to what you want to see me do on this channel. Some people said they wanted to see me casting iron. Well, that’s what I’ve been doing. That’s what’s coming soon, along with a new crucible-making video.
Cheers!
Denny
Love your videos, try chasing some sponsorships. Wouldn't mind a 30 sec segment for these videos. Should fix your adsense issue 😂
This is really innovative - thanks for sharing and caring!
I wonder if resin printing - with its much finer detail, and a resin that is relative soft, is your next thing to try out?
- it shouldn't matter if the build plate is up-side-down, it can always be turned up-side-right and put in a holder to shake out the bubbles on an 'ordinary' 3D printer later on :ø)
@@gothikaboy Thanks! Yes, I'll need to do more sponsors indeed 😊
@@EgonSorensen It's on my list to try out. I think with some mold release and simple casts like coins it might work.
Cool. I wanted to pass along a refractory mold formation that I use for kiln casting glass. It is a 50/50 mix of plaster of Paris and 200 mesh silica flour. It is usually a one shot mold but delivers a nice finish
Oh, that's nice to know. Thanks for sharing!
Best thing I’ve seen on UA-cam in a while! Well done!
Cheers!
This whole process was great to watch, thanks for sharing your findings!
Easily got my thumbs up! No stupid music and very interesting to continue following the processes for making the mug. Thanks. Keep up the cool videos!
Thank You very much!
Very good idea. Also, I like the fact that you are doing casting on your balcony 😂
Thanks! I would do it in my backyard, but I don't have one 😊
incredible! Thank you for sharing your "crazy" ideas and experiments! beautiful!
Thank You very much!
There is so much potential with this technique !
Thanks!
Do you know if it's possible to dry the filament in the microwave? It would be much faster than any other method, non ?
@@chatroux399I have never tried it. I would think that if the filament contains a lot of water, the microwaves could deform it. Maybe on low power and in a controlled environment, it's possible. One would need to try it out. Cheers!
Totally love your videos! One thing to consider maybe: for scrap, try to find aluminium that has been cast (like cylinder heads) and not drawn to stock and then machined. The latter type is optimized for machining and can be formed in a semi-soft state, while the other alloys will flow much better (oviously). Another cheap source of castable AL are some old crappy alloy wheels, some of which were cast... those can be easily broken up with a sledge hammer...
Thanks, that's some great info.
You deserve a medal! I hope adsense catches up!!
Thank You very much!
Hello
Just wanted to say your ideas and videos are absolute genius, thank you for showing great results. I wanted to ask if you could test an idea which is also very interesting and could be a game changer for ceramic molds using desktop 3d printers. If possible can you use water soluble filament, create any complex geometry and then dissolve the filament so that you are left with an intricate ceramic mold. I think this can work both with the ceramic mold poured surrounding the water soluble mold or if the ceramic slurry is poured inside the water soluble mold. Similar to your method, no burnout would be required. The mold would then need to be dried out to remove any moisture and be ready for casting, would be great to see if this is possible. I have attached a video for reference which will help clarify what I mean but I think can be used for casting very complex shapes. Would be great to see what you think of this.
Ceramic pour printing
ua-cam.com/video/KeQFBX5JFoI/v-deo.htmlsi=rHQaBYmi7Zv1Hgfn
Thanks for this video. I can't say for certain, but long term, you might want to get a dedicated plate vibrator or similar, rather than stress your 3d printer with those harsh motions to remove bubbles.
I do use reciprocating saw before shaking the plaster with the printer on some occasions. I suppose I could get dedicated equipment. Thanks!
Have you tried in place casting, heating the metal in the mold? It seems your process might be compatible for small silicone carbide molds I've seen in your other videos.
I think induction heating would also work with silicone carbide, but it would be more involved to fabricate the coil and electronics than buying a microwave oven.
I have tried it, but not enough of times to draw any conclusions. Cheers!
You could print a third piece of the mold to add a sprew. Really cool project.
Cheers!
4:00 is the molten aluminum money shot.
Weird question, but what do you do for a living? I just find it fascinating the things that you get up to in your free time, are there skills from your professional life that you bring into these projects, or have you just been reading things and figuring it all out from there?
2:50 - Mastetfully done 👍. I guess that was not the first iteration.
4:50 - testcast huh
more iterations after
Heh, no, it was a true test cast 😊. Like I said in the comments, this could have been done by only using the big mold, but I realized it later. I thought I wouldn’t have access to the handle and wouldn’t be able to pull it out easily, but I did have space to access it. If this had been a repeated attempt, I would not have made a two-part mold. Instead, I would glue the handle to the mug and pull it out after removing the mug.
When I do the final cast, that’s the plan... then again, I might add a pattern to the mug. In that case, I might need to do it differently. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture
The fit of the slide-in (and the nondestructive plastic pullout (which type of plastic?)) was perfect for an early try. Still to me it seems easier and mold-damage-safer to pull out plastic from such a separate part due to no need to go around corners with pliers.
Did the gas evolution in second attempt leave artifacts looking from closeup? Or did the boiling die of in time before solidification?
Anyway nice work and video.
Keep it up 👍
Shake - Is there any reason why you can't just place the metal to be melted and the casting pattern into the microwave at the same time? It would seem simpler to just have the metal melt and fill the mold without having to pour it externally from a crucible.
Couldn't you reuse the mold if you just cut the handle bit in half? Not have to break it every time?
Is it worth wearing the 3D printer to get out the air bubbles?
A vibratory table will do the job it is intended to do.
Whether or not it's worth to do it will depend on individual. You can get very cheap and functional 3D printer these days. For some creators it might be a very good option. Squeeze out more money/value from a 3D printer. It's not for everyone, that's for sure 😊
How does that gcode work would it work for any printer where did you get the gcode?
accelerometer gcode, for example
@@klausbrinck2137 Elaborate please?
I shared the g-code in the comments of the other video about the butter knife. Honestly, I don't know much about g-codes. I put it together with the help of ChatGPT. Yeah, I know... but it works 😂.
In my case, it was a simple g-code telling the printer to move the bed. The most time-consuming part was adding the thumbnail, which took some inspecting of a g-code generated by PrusaSlicer. Obviously, the thumbnail is not needed, but it's cool.
I am sure people in communities with the same printer you own will be able to help you with the g-code.
Do you keep the printer bed hot while shaking the mold or do you turn it off?
I turn it off, but I don't always wait until it's cold.
Thanks for another great video. Have you ever tried doing "Lost Wax" style casting using the FDM filament that burns out cleanly? I just got a roll of it, but I haven't used it yet. I'm hoping to find someone local who has a set up for casting. I don't think I'm up for buying a microwave and doing it myself.
I use translucent PLA whenever I do lost PLA casting. It burns out very well. As for special filaments made for that purpose, I have only tried wax filament. It was so difficult to print that I just don't use it. I get very good results with translucent PLA, so I don't see a point paying more for special filaments other than ability to carve them easily if it's wax based.
Cheers!
Woow but can the crucible be made of graphite or just silicon carbide? Can I ask for a comparative table between material quantity and melting time?
It's true that graphite also absorbs microwaves, but I have never tried to make a crucible out of it. I have tried to buy graphite crucibles, but they did not heat up in the microwave.
Microwaving times depend on the power of the microwave, the size of the crucible, and the quantity of metal. The state of the melting chamber also matters. New chambers are much more efficient than used ones. A chamber that has been used a lot will start to absorb microwaves more than a new chamber, making it less efficient. In other words, it will take longer to melt metal.
To melt small quantities of aluminum only takes minutes. Melting aluminum in this video probably took around 10 to 15 minutes for the first mug. The second melt took longer as the crucible was bigger and thicker, taking probably around 20 minutes.
Cheers!
1:59 - why not 3D print a handle onto the top of the pieces for easy removal by pulling that handle?
That's what I wrote in comments. In this case it would be possible to pull it out without using the second mold, but depending on design or hight of the handle, 2 part mold can be used. Cheers!
If you buy a lock and key 🗝️ could you cast a copy of a key?
I believe you can do it in aluminium, could you be doing it in steel or just iron?
You can make copies of keys for sure. It's possible to melt steel or iron in the microwave, but you will need to use a different kind of mold, like one made out of silicon carbide. It will be much easier to use softer metals like brass or copper. Pouring molten iron or steel into a plaster mold not only will not work, it's also super dangerous. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture for the steel I was worried that aluminium wouldn't be strong enough for turning the lock, but actually having it in different alloys could be nice
I wonder what causes the Enya sounds when you pour? :D
Must be something to do with the -Orinoco- flow of the metal. 😂
Tears of joy or tears of frustration?
Disappointment 😢
How does the microwave heat the aluminium?
Microwaves heat the silicon carbide crucible in result of microwave absorption. I have a detailed video about it.
ua-cam.com/video/P1VmIYheuU4/v-deo.html
Isn’it a more complicated way to perform invesment casting?….
This It has been done for decades with lost wax and now with 3d printed fuseable core:
Rather than printing the mold (negative part) it is more efficient to print directly the positive part with all the shape necessary to the casting process (chimney, funnel, vents). Then you deep it in a bucket of plaster. When dry put it in an oven and let the PLA flow out of the mold before pouring the liquid aluminum…
Well, it's different. Whether or not it is more complicated will depend on the individual. I personally like this method because I don't need to deal with molten plastic. I can also make a lot of molds in advance and dry them in the oven.
Cheers!
So. what's different here again? Looks like any normal casting method to me.
It's easier to understand it in the first video:
ua-cam.com/video/0kxfDN4cKTk/v-deo.htmlsi=2dDyDjTe__0CqFWp
Here are the main differences. Plaster is poured onto the 3D printer, Plaster mold is microwaved, PLA part is removed without melting the plastic.
Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture So, yeah, nothing really special. Just using the materials you have to hand.
I would make your gcode move around so it doesn’t wear the same part of the lead screw over and over
That's a great idea. Thanks!
The y axis is a belt. But it might be a good idea to check tension every now and then.
I guess when you start seeing y artifacts you know you need to check your belt and stepper motor.
its still kinda lost-pla casting, but you microwave to get rid of it before the casting. posh ftw.
Yes and no. There is no melting. In lost wax/PLA casting, the object is typically lost by melting it. In this case, however, the object is pulled out and sometimes can be reused, so it's not truly lost. It is removed from the mold, but not destroyed. It depends on your perspective. We can also say that sand casting using a 3d printed object (like a Gear) is Lost Pla casting, but we don't unless we burn it out. So that's what I mean. We have different names for different methods, so we are on the same page. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture word new is used too often
@@ShakeTheFuture candle paraffin wax is a nice lost-casting medium too. melts easily in oven, etc, re-usable fully etc.
2:52 You're getting good enough to just show off :)
"I didn't have enough plaster" Did you know you can remake it?
When you add water to Plaster of Paris, calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CaSO4·½H₂O), it reacts with water (H₂O) to form calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4·2H₂O), also known as gypsum.
Plaster of Paris can be regenerated by heating it to drive off the water. Maybe as low as 100c but probably closer to 150c-200c. Heating up to or significantly over 250c pushes it to its anhydrous form and calcium sulphate in its anhydrous form doesn't absorb water well.
I imagine that you can reuse the hardened plaster a few times but that there might be a buildup anhydrous calcium sulphate from previous casting that eventually makes it not useful. Maybe the anhydrous form can be rehydrated under high temperature and pressure but this might be far less practical and less safe for home DIY.
You might find old sheet rock scraps (gypsum) from new construction and home remodeling useful for making Plaster of Paris.
Thanks for the detailed explanation 👍
@@ShakeTheFuture welcome. I watched a few other ofbyour videos. I suspect your dehydration phase might be making anhydrous calcium sulphate which is as I said before, dificult to rehydrate. But one can still grap some old sheet rock and make plaster of Paris.
That can't be hydrogen gas bubbling up in your casting. It's most likely steam driven out of the mold.
Is not hydrogen produced by aluminium coming into contact with water, that is wet mold? Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture Aluminum boats that are not painted or coated with anything at all don't produce hydrogen when they are in the water (not even saltwater). I think you might be thinking about aluminum and hydrogen peroxide.
@@ShakeTheFuture The commenter is right. That is steam from the plaster, not hydrogen. It takes a lot of heat and drying time to remove moisture from plaster. Mostly that thick. Much higher temperature than a home oven can produce.
You used a microwave as a forge?!?
Yes, I do use microwave to melt metals.
I have a video describing the process in detail:
ua-cam.com/video/P1VmIYheuU4/v-deo.html
Cheers!
What you're describing here is a process called lost-pla casting. It's a newer subset of lost-wax casting. Never heard it called what you're calling it.
I'm not sure if you watched the first video. It might make it clearer why the method has that name.
I am aware of lost PLA casting, and I have demonstrated it in my videos. However, this is not the same process.
Every metal melting method needs a name to distinguish one process from another. This way, when people in places like forums describe the method they used to cast something, it is clear which method was used.
In lost PLA casting, we burn out the plastic using a kiln or a burnout oven. The reason it’s called Print-Wave casting is because we use the printer to make our molds and pour the plaster onto the printed model. This process is better understood with the first video I published, where the mold is in two parts, making it more obvious why a 3D printer plays an important role.
With this method, there is no burnout. We don’t lose the PLA; it's pulled out of the mold and, in some cases, can even be reused. We achieve this by microwaving or using microwaves.
We print, we wave or use waves (microwaves), and we cast. Hence, Print-Wave Casting.
In the metal melting community, many people ask for advice on forums or Reddit. If I were to share my cast on Reddit and people asked how it was made, I would not say I used lost PLA casting because it's not the same thing.
I hope this makes sense. Thanks for the comment!
The condition of your left glove has worsened considerably between clips!
I have 2 pairs of the same gloves, so I just alternate between the 4 gloves. Sometimes I grab the worst, other times the best. That said, I need to get more gloves, that's true 😊
@@ShakeTheFuture I didn't think about that! Considering your UA-cam revenue, better get the most out of the gloves you have!
That power bill 🥴😩
6:10 🤣
In the time the it took to finish one cup the Chinese made 1,000,000 cups.
If you're interested: try casting without pouring. You're already vacuuming your molds, so you can pull the metal up a tube from the melt. The surface turbulence from pouring aluminum (and most aluminum-containing alloys) causes defects including cracks and voids.
Interesting. I might try it out. Thanks!