Casting an Aluminium Flywheel Using Lost Foam Method and CNC Routed Foam
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- Опубліковано 28 кві 2016
- More aluminum casting! This flywheel is for my internal combustion engine. I used the CNC router at HackPGH to make the foam pattern. Coal from my back yard was used to melt the aluminum.
Check out Myfordboy to fulfill all your aluminium casting desires: / myfordboy
Keep exploramenting and thank you for watching! Don't forget to subscribe for more! ua-cam.com/users/makerj101... - Наука та технологія
Im 57 years old and have been in tool and die making, aerospace cnc 5axis programming for years and now a prototype machinist. Loved this video and just love seeing young people kickin ass. Great work.
I
I concur.
I sure admirer your creativity, your dive and get’r done attitude!
You’ve learned and shared a lot of skill and technique with your views.
Thanks from this 71 year old fan!
Best wishes to you and your family for a healthy and productive New Year!
Roy
Pretty good for a first try, saw some real blunders videos here on the tube.👍
I'm impressed. good job. we're going to need guys like you to restart society
One trick I've seen for keeping a smooth surface with lost foam is to coat the foam in drywall plaster and let that dry before casting. No other changes to your method. Great work!
Nicely done. Consider throwing some table salt (sodium chloride) or potassium chloride (if you can get it) into the furnace when melting the aluminum to help de-gas it; will cut down on gas bubbles getting trapped inside the cast piece. Just a pinch or two should do.
Time may have been of the essence for this video, but perhaps let it cool completely before removing from the mold and placing in water next time; will avoid weakening it due to rapid contraction/thermal shock.
To determine the volume of metal needed, place your positive in a known quantity of water and see how much displacement it causes.
If you decide to go with finer sand in a future casting - especially if it's silica sand - make sure to use a respirator; you don't want that stuff in your lungs.
Lastly, that white hot core of the furnace is cool to look at (no pun intended); but keep in mind that - in addition to visible light and infrared heat - it's also pumping out UV radiation. Eye protection is a good idea. Not a real issue if this is just a one-off; but if you plan on doing a lot of casting, something to consider.
All that aside, A+ :)
John Doe agreeed
John thanks for that information because next month I will be doing the exact same thing and I am trying to get as much information as possible
I will also use styrofoam because was seem like it will catch fire being it has an oily structure. I could be wrong.
fantastic, maybe you didnt notice but just the start where your comparing foams, including the noise it makes speaks on the desk speaks volumes about what foam can be used, thanks!
He's so passionate about this - love it
Love it. Glad to see a young man playing with real big boys' toys.
Heyya makerJ - I have done many of these lost foam castings.. Instead of using the green casting sand, I instead use fine pool filter sand in a medium sized metal garbage pail - Fill the can up halfway with the sand, place your foam model in, and then pour the sand in over top of the foam.. once it is filled up you then jiggle/whack/vibrate the outside of the can with any blunt object which will cause the fine silica sand to completely fill in and around your foam template. I have had perfect success using this method, and can often see the outline of the scotch tape I use to hold the foam parts together in the finished casting. Also, I have had the best success routing the the sprue down towards the bottom of the foam model, this prevents the gasses from the melting/burning styrofoam from "bubbling" up through the molten aluminum.
Great job on your flywheel!
Fantastic work and an even better attitude!
I'm happily surprised to see a large creature that I watch commenting here
Well done young man..! You are a good example to other youngsters, there is a whole lot more in life than playing PC games and being on facebook. Keep honing your skills and you'll get far.
I'm a 30 year foundry man,,,,good to see the young people taking interest in this!
I love the free coal!
Your humility is refreshing
I will give you a tip for Lost foam casting... Always make your entry cone big enough to take the entire crucible of molten metal. So the metal can be poured at once and flow into the foam casting. (your was not big enough hence the metal flowed over the edges (slightly dangerous.) Also you are correct about the sand being too coarse. Pretty good casting though. Nice work.
best way is to put a tin can over the entry point, this creates head pressure as well, which helps fill the mold better
Every pour you keep getting better! Looking forward to seeing it mounted into one of your engines.
+Rouverius Yep! Thanks!
+Makerj101 Looks pretty good! I've read that if you cover the styrofoam with drywall mud it will give you a much better surface. You need to let it dry before casting of course. If you do it this way, you don't need green sand, you can use almost any kind of sand. Do a search on the particular kind or brand of drywall mud, some works better than others, or so I've read.
you sound young, learning all these skills early is going to pay off big time later on $$$$$$$. Hats off to you man keep up the good work.
Great job bro! I love it that there is a renascence of people experimenting with doing "stuff" from home.
By no means am I trying to berate you, but if I may offer some advice. I have to say, I applaud your ingenuity, effort and sense of creativity.
1.) Please wear a respirator when working with molten metals, especially if using the lost foam method and adding things such as plastics (the straws).
2.) Also, you should really wear proper eye PPE as well. Just be aware of which end of the spectrum they are protecting from as traditional welding lenses protect UV and forging/casting is IR if I recall correctly.
3.) If you are using something such as the straws for venting the gases, haha, don't point one towards yourself when you are pouring. All it takes is a drop and then you will react. Next thing you know, you have an entire crucible of spilling molten metal to worry about.
Other than that, really great work for starting out. I hope you continue doing this and having fun. Just stay safe. :)
I like your determination. "Burning hot cast. Must see how it turned out.
Burns heal, who cares!" LOL
Nice job kid! When I took cast metals in college we did lost foam using dry loose sand in a metal 5 gallon bucket.
wood coal....coal..from..the wood.... man, you are killing this, epic stuff, excellent reuse of cast off materials
Nice work, we (the older generation) were taught this at an early age. Fantastic to see younger people making things and using home made stuff. Well done..
Very cool, nice work, enjoyed seeing the atlas lathe in action
"Wax's on, wax's off"
Thanks for the video!
I love the joy and patience and excitement you display as you work
+Pat Corrigan thank you! :)
Working with metal is so cool. Excellent product.
That worked amazingly well! I am impressed! Good work.
Amazing man, you really improved from your last attempts. Practice makes perfect, and you're nearly there. Impressive for solo work like that. Very inspiring, I'm still trying to improve on my forge. Haven't gotten to casting yet, but this will help a lot!
+Thomas Sexton Thank you!
You sir are a winner in the game of life.
Your videos are an inspiration...good work!
haha turned out way better than i thought it would!! that was a rad pour
Damn Makerj101...I see that your still kicking ass and taking names!
I haven't taken a look at your channel for about a year.
You have come a long way! You should be proud of yourself!
Just like George Jefferson on "Good Times", your... "Movin on up"!
Don't stop! Keep on learning!
I'm floored by how that came out. One thing that helps on the machining, especially our home brew aluminum, is to spray water on the piece as you're cutting. It gives you a better finish and prevents much of the galling on your cutter. You might already know that. Again, awesome job and I'm going to have to give this process a shot.
If you are using a steel can as crucible, it is unlikely you will melt it. An open charcoal furnace will not get hot enough. Steel melts about 1500C. However, the risk is actually the use of charcoal. If you are using this crucible frequently, the carbon will diffuse gradually into the steel (look for cementation or carburizing). As the carbon concentration increases, the melting temperature of the alloy gets modified. (Look for the Iron-Carbon phase diagram). With only 2 % of carbon, the steel becomes kind of fluid above 1150C due to the coexistence of a solid and a liquid phase.
There is another risk. If aluminium gets overheated, it gets oxidized rapidly. The aluminium oxidation is a high energy reaction that release a lot of heat and that perpetuates the reaction.(some solid rocket fuel used have aluminium or magnesium powder to produce a constant source of heat). It can get as high as 3000C! and that will melt everything, including any refractory material. That is more likely to happen than melting your crucible. Additionally, if you are doing this frequently and you have noticed that sometimes the final product has more porosity, it is also related with temperature. Too high temperature dissolve gases from air. When it cools down the solubility decreases (in the same way that you can dissolve more salt in hot water than in cold ice water), the gases form bubbles but the solidification is quicker than what would let the bubbles reach any surface. You may know that some people use degassing materials, but that is usually for large aluminium castings where you really need to overheat the melt to prevent it to solidify before complete the casting. Maybe you already know all this. .... It occurs to me that perhaps covering the foam with plaster or airbrush it with several layers of water paint may improve the surface finishing. Nice job!
what is more dangerous is that iron is soluble in molten aluminum - in other words, aluminum will dissolve steel. if a decent oxide layer is there, this lessens the effect, but it is still there. it is best, if using a steel crucible, to use one that has at least a 1/4" wall all around.
Not sure if it matters, but it looks like he's using actual coal, not charcoal
Nice! love the fun!
Amazing work creating the part. I was excited watching the video.
That's an awesome flywheel !!! The right temperature is probably key to the right result, perhaps even more important than the sand grade. Maybe a bit hot? So many variables, including moisture. No matter what, great job!!
+ch300fnqi Thank you! Yeah probably a little too hot. I was just kinda paranoid that the foam would not all melt.
Well done mate well impressed now you've given me inspiration to cast my own belt grinder wheels you got talent bro keep it up
Great work, You my friend are going places. Well done
nice. great to see welders gloves. AND outside casting
this is all already looking a hundred times more proffesional then the other flywheel video.
Good job! If you spend about a week putting on layers of soupy sheet rock mud (the kind made from a dry, non-aggregate mix), your surface finish will be exactly the finish of the original foam since sand won't come into actual contact w/ the foam. Also, you wouldn't need to use a flask (an old metal bucket or coffee can will work) and you can also use regular, loose sand (not green or petrobond). Basically paint on or dunk the whole part, let it dry completely and repeat until you've got a good 1/4" or more shell. You want your mix to be like pancake batter.
+Jake Mercer Yeah that's probably the best method however I'm kinda lazy and I like a fast turn around on my projects! :P With just doing it layer by layer do I still burn the foam out before casting? Thank you!
+Makerj101 There are times I don't bother coating my foam before casting and it just comes out with the sand texture. I do with this with normal loose sand. No need for green sand with this method. The sheetrock mud is just a barrier between the sand and the foam. I have also just wrapped the foam in wide masking tape (without sheetrock mud). It works ok but doesn't look as good as a piece done using the sheetrock/investment method. To answer your question, yes, the foam burns out fine. You're already venting so keep doing that and the gasses will have somewhere to go when the foam burns out. You might want to put some masking tape on the straws to make the sheetrock mud to stick to them.
Hey Jake
When you say "sheetrock mud" are you refering to Drywall filler mix? If so I take it you dilute it into a slurry with water?
Coating the pattern with plaster will not do anything to improve the finish as the plaster will not melt and the finish will be exactly like the pattern dip the pattern in melted wax smooth it off by dipping it in hot water that way the wax will melt out with the foam you are not alone in this misconception i have heard this many times before try it and see J.B.
Congratulations ! Nice work. You have my sincere admiration.
Nice job !!! One thing to check out if you want to keep your lathe alive. Do not switch the forward reverse gears whil the lathe is running. You can already hear the noises coming from the fwd/rev gear combination.always shut the lathe OFF before going from fwd to neutral and reverse. It's just so expensive to replace or repair the damaged parts when you could have avoided it entirely by using it correctly. I know it takes longer, but it is WAY cheaper to use it properly. Really nice casting😀
I like your attitude. Keep doing your stuff.
Very engaging video.
Very nice furnace.
Lovely old lathe.
Great skills.
Result!
I worked for a company that made styrofoam casting patterns (my side), then they poured metal from them. Liked your video. I would suggest making pattern out of foam just like used to make drinking cups (EPS), and density makes a difference (like 1.5). It makes a smother surface. Also putting a coating as stated before helps the most for surface finish, foundries have their own mix (yes sand, the finer the better, will get into cracks and pits of foam no matter how small they are). Hope this helps, your looking good at it so far.
Excellent job, very professional...!!!
nice job, always love watching your videos, great content
+lucid_flo Thanks!
Man I wish we had youtube when I was young. Great job kid amazing actually.
make your next crucible out of an old fire extinguisher and weld a hook on the bottom so you have more control when pouring. you did a good job dude.
Brilliant, so cool! Keep up the great work
im so proud of you makerj
Inspirational! You are going places.
Very nicely done I'm impressed!
It came out brilliant
Nice job. That turned out great.
Hot things are hot. Im so glad I came here and learned that! But all joking aside, Love your video! Ive melted my first aluminum my self just recently. Liked and subscribed!
ahh man looking forward too more vids. i waited long for another one hopeing youd upload
Nice video. Turned out well!! Take you jewelry off around machines. Thanks for sharing.
+sam yeates Yeah, ive met people who lost fingers thanks to jewelry. Scary old open Lathe.
Fantastic job
Lost Foam is good way for cast aluminum, learn much, thank you.
Super informative!! Wish I knew a skill like that.
awesome!!!! looks great man!
+Dumpster Marcus Thanks!
This was a really cool video to watch. Thanks
I really am enthralled by your videos. Wonderful experiences to share. As another young enthusiast, I envy your knowledge and experience ^^
Love the mentality of a learning experience instead of failure
Nice one, turned out great
awesome video!
you are quite amazing
and your videos are refreshingly entertaining
+Cavan griffin Thank you!
That looks great!
now that was fairly entertaining, good job ace.
You are Lucky you have that atlas. I have been wanting a bench for so long time. Money has always been the first problem :( Thank's for sharing :)
nice! good work, I gotta admit I learned something tonight
very admirable .great job.
Great job, I had metal shop years ago in high school and we sifted our sand plus we used talcum powder especially when we made a two part casting mold.also there should be at least two 3/4 in. holes one for pouring and the second usually 180 deg. from the first will allow you to verify that the mold is completely full when you see the metal rise in the vent hole . Hope this helped and again great work
awesome, great job....very cool process
It's a beauty. Congrats.
OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!
Kiddo I love your creativity!!!
Sir, that looks absolutely amazing. Hugs from brazil.
Cool! I think maybe it helps this sort of pour to have a high 'head' of aluminum to make sure it pushes into all the corners and overcomes the vapors pumping out. You had a good height on this. I've always liked myfordboy's risers.
You need a shaker table to set your castings forms on when you add the sand. It packs it down really well. Also you could use a drum (can or something) that rolls with steel BBs or possible sandblasting sand and toss the part in and let it turn for a good bit. It would clean off a lot of those bumps that your not going to turn off. Both items are easy enough to make and can save a lot of time and make clean up a lot smoother.
GREAT WORK! must feel good
Nice work! Looks great.
Nicely done!
Looks great!
very nice work man!
Nice job !
To check if there's any void, weight it and calculate it's water displacement ;)
Eureka!
I shall do no such thing
Hey look, its AVE Jr
shout out to AvE
Ryan E I wonder how many Canadian pesos it took him to build this lol
yeah he forgot to get rid of the schmoo on top too
Ryan
Ryan E that's very high praise. May he honor it.
Nice work! You made the aluminium cannon :D
Very nice. Well done.
Great Attitude. Exploreamenting... love it..
Great vid! We're going to have to start calling you MyfordJr :P
Nice Work!
If you haven't tried it yet ..dried sifted sand works good with lost foam, wrap the sprue with tin foil and with a funnel like top for pressure ,when you pour, don't let up..so the sand doesn't cave in. dried sifted sand can pack good as you shake it it and tap when preparing the part,,leaves a great finish..but the part needs to be deep enough..cause it can grow if there isnt enough weight to keep the aluminium cavity down lol.ive had finishes that you can see the factory foam marks .
wow brilliant very good I have to give it a try
Keep exploarmenting? That's unpossible! :D
Great job!
I like that experimental, "wing it" approach, and you're very candid about the mistakes made. Keep up the exploramenting! And yes, you do have a very good location for your stuff- coal mind seriously?
Excellent video, well done, you must have been very pleased with the result, regards Doc Cox.
Just some advice from someone who's done a lot of machining. You can take a lot more material off on a rough pass like that. With soft metals like aluminum it won't matter much. With things like steal the chips you were making would have been about right. The thing you have to be careful about is chatter between the tool and the work. Always make sure your tooling is sharp too. While it's not as important for brass, copper, and aluminum you definitely want to make sure your tool insert is sharp for harder materials.