In the interest of sharing a tip for a tip, you can make a really easy pourable silicone with 100% silicone caulk and MEK (although I suspect Acetone would work also. I use MEK and a respirator as that's what I had when trying the method and it evaporates REAL quick). Using a 55% MEK or thinner of choice to 45% silicone ratio, stir until it gets to a honey consistency and pour or brush your model as usual. I've used this to mold complex parts as well as composite fabrics for patterns and such. The MEK evaporates readily at room temp, though if you've worked with MEK, it smells awful and is quite toxic, so use all necessary PPE for the entire process. Detail replication is excellent, as good if not better than commercial products and bubble entrapment is fairly minimal with good pouring practices.
Yes, that's one of the main problems of using construction silicone instead of the special foundry silicone: it's very slow in curing completely and it's difficult to get into tight details. Thanks very much for your comment and detailed tip. Yes, I would say if someone wants to get seriously involved in this procedure one should consider the professional quality material. Your suggestion seems to be a great alternative. I'll have to try it when I have a proper ventilating hood (I'm in an appartment - no where to run).
Hello. I really like what you are trying for here. It would probably help to use a release spray on the model before applying the silicone. Also maybe use a thinner silicone made for casting. Thinner mold material will also have more detail, but then again cheaper is always more fun for DIY. :)
Hi C-doGG (do you pronounce that Sea-Dog?) :) Yes, I believe that if I used products specially created for wax casting, probably it would work better. The idea of using alternative materials is costs and availability, but maybe there is no other option. Thanks for your comment.
Hi rod ! Thanks for the videos 👍 Did you ever find a way to make a reusable mold ? I am looking at doing something very similar at the moment I am using green sand but the results are not consistent.
Hi Dan. I'm still working on trying to find some way that can work. Olfoundryman has a video where he casts aluminium into an aluminium dye. I believe that can be an option (maybe better with brass/bronze) if one can remove the cast, but if the design is complex it can get caught there and never come out. I'm going to try with refractory cement as a test to fix any part that might get caught (if bits of cement crack off when pulling out the cast, those are parts where I have to fix the angles). And then cast a dye or mold made of bronze into which I can pour aluminium. For the time being that's what I'm trying to work on, but it will take time and I have to upload other videos meanwhile, so results won't be very soon, good or bad. If I had green sand I could use the silicone mold to create a model in the sand, and with that make a brass dye, but I don't have access to green sand, so I'll have to find some other way of creating a brass dye. This should work if the model is not too complex (maybe mine is too complex) as Olfoundryman concludes. If you want to see if it works with your model please post your results.
with the concrete, you didnt pre heat it when you put the molten aluminium in, maybe that would help keep the rock intact? but maybe its like gpysum, and when the water comes out of the concrete, it turns into powder??? (if u heat rock, it splits apart.) what a shame.
I did heat it up a bit with the torch, but probably not enough. Additionally, it's difficult for the concrete to keep its integrity in the small details when it's kicked by molten metal. But as you say, maybe if I'd preheated it in the oven to high temperature maybe it would have coped a bit better. Thanks for your comments.
@@RODsDIY Theres another video there, where you put a coating of spray on "some nitrate" then the metals dont stick. Ill keep going with my stuff, ill get it going soon.
I appreciate your willingness to try new things and persistence. ;-) Good luck with coming up with a more permanent mold. I don't know if you're aware of "olfoundryman" but he has a series of videos showing how to pour aluminium in a mold made of aluminium. Here is the first in the series. ua-cam.com/video/hVdLDFAgJBg/v-deo.html Might be worth watching them for some ideas.
The first one didn't go well
But this wax idea is brilliant.
I really appreciate your work and am excited to try this!
Yeah, failed experiments are the beginning of a new hypothesis. Science is built on the added experiments of many. Thanks for commenting Zachary.
it was a good idea there is probably some way to make it work but i am not sure what it would be thank you for putting your experiment up
Have a look at this other video: ua-cam.com/video/7U38teByJkQ/v-deo.html
This might be the answer for a simple model.
And thanks for your comment
Try brushing "waterglass" in mold before pouring Aluminum.
I like your videos very much
Many thanks for your comment Mike.
In the interest of sharing a tip for a tip, you can make a really easy pourable silicone with 100% silicone caulk and MEK (although I suspect Acetone would work also. I use MEK and a respirator as that's what I had when trying the method and it evaporates REAL quick). Using a 55% MEK or thinner of choice to 45% silicone ratio, stir until it gets to a honey consistency and pour or brush your model as usual. I've used this to mold complex parts as well as composite fabrics for patterns and such. The MEK evaporates readily at room temp, though if you've worked with MEK, it smells awful and is quite toxic, so use all necessary PPE for the entire process. Detail replication is excellent, as good if not better than commercial products and bubble entrapment is fairly minimal with good pouring practices.
Yes, that's one of the main problems of using construction silicone instead of the special foundry silicone: it's very slow in curing completely and it's difficult to get into tight details. Thanks very much for your comment and detailed tip. Yes, I would say if someone wants to get seriously involved in this procedure one should consider the professional quality material. Your suggestion seems to be a great alternative. I'll have to try it when I have a proper ventilating hood (I'm in an appartment - no where to run).
you need to batten down the hatches there with your vibrator platform thinger - if you keep that constantly on it, i think the cement sets quicker.
Thanks for your comment Magnus.
Hello. I really like what you are trying for here. It would probably help to use a release spray on the model before applying the silicone. Also maybe use a thinner silicone made for casting. Thinner mold material will also have more detail, but then again cheaper is always more fun for DIY. :)
Hi C-doGG (do you pronounce that Sea-Dog?) :) Yes, I believe that if I used products specially created for wax casting, probably it would work better. The idea of using alternative materials is costs and availability, but maybe there is no other option. Thanks for your comment.
Hi rod ! Thanks for the videos 👍
Did you ever find a way to make a reusable mold ? I am looking at doing something very similar at the moment I am using green sand but the results are not consistent.
Hi Dan. I'm still working on trying to find some way that can work. Olfoundryman has a video where he casts aluminium into an aluminium dye. I believe that can be an option (maybe better with brass/bronze) if one can remove the cast, but if the design is complex it can get caught there and never come out. I'm going to try with refractory cement as a test to fix any part that might get caught (if bits of cement crack off when pulling out the cast, those are parts where I have to fix the angles). And then cast a dye or mold made of bronze into which I can pour aluminium. For the time being that's what I'm trying to work on, but it will take time and I have to upload other videos meanwhile, so results won't be very soon, good or bad. If I had green sand I could use the silicone mold to create a model in the sand, and with that make a brass dye, but I don't have access to green sand, so I'll have to find some other way of creating a brass dye. This should work if the model is not too complex (maybe mine is too complex) as Olfoundryman concludes. If you want to see if it works with your model please post your results.
Maybe you could use the base. But use sand on the top.
Yes, I believe that would be possible. Thanks for your comment Pinzthing.
with the concrete, you didnt pre heat it when you put the molten aluminium in, maybe that would help keep the rock intact? but maybe its like gpysum, and when the water comes out of the concrete, it turns into powder??? (if u heat rock, it splits apart.) what a shame.
I did heat it up a bit with the torch, but probably not enough. Additionally, it's difficult for the concrete to keep its integrity in the small details when it's kicked by molten metal. But as you say, maybe if I'd preheated it in the oven to high temperature maybe it would have coped a bit better. Thanks for your comments.
@@RODsDIY Theres another video there, where you put a coating of spray on "some nitrate" then the metals dont stick. Ill keep going with my stuff, ill get it going soon.
Nice :D
Thanks for your comment dhio; I hope 2019 is a great year for you and your family.
I appreciate your willingness to try new things and persistence. ;-) Good luck with coming up with a more permanent mold. I don't know if you're aware of "olfoundryman" but he has a series of videos showing how to pour aluminium in a mold made of aluminium. Here is the first in the series. ua-cam.com/video/hVdLDFAgJBg/v-deo.html Might be worth watching them for some ideas.
Thanks for the suggestion swdweeb. Went there, saw it, liked it. Yes, worth watching.