Ive struggled for a really long time with anxiety/depression, ive been hospitalized three times for it, for a total of 45 days. I only say that to say that you are a huge inspiration to me. It is important to CHOOSE joy and happiness in order to have a fulfilled life. Thanks for your videos man!
Alex you've pretty much got the idea but for better results on the casting make a vent hole on the opposite end of the cast as well.. you are creating air holes with the pressure of the trapped air once you pour.... you will know you've done it correctly when you poured and the molten metal comes out evenly both holes best of luck to you.
@@moydamer well, things that come easily aren't usually all too worth it! I've found that as opposed to looking at whether something comes easily to me, i look at what needs to happen in order to accomplish what i want to get done! Easy or not is just a matter of how much work needs to put in. So the question would be: what do i need to do to put myself in the mindset to try something new? HISTORICALLY, I've had a hard time laughing at failure. Like alec, why not focus on having fun with the process? Instead of focusing on the perfection, I'll try to enjoy the ride? Whatever works for you, but you're more capable than you could ever imagine, homie!
What did it for me was to realize I was wrong constantly, and to take it a step farther so are most people. Being right and getting it right are rare moments, human minds want to operate in this conformation biased reality. It's a fundamental human struggle to overcome confirmation bias. I will add at least in my own experience it's a painful thing to overcome, I've made some expensive mistakes and done really stupid stuff.
I love how you post your failures. Most people online make themselves look like a Ton Brady at football, an Einstein at science, and a Mother Teressa at kindness and mercy. Thanks for keeping it real.
I read a lot of the comments and I had similar suggestions. (Not a specialist but I solve problems) 1. Leave the sand packed together when removing moisture. I think your aerating the sand by sifting it. The way I understand it your putting moisture back into it when you do that. 2. Preparation, a few minutes planing where the poor spout will be and then you need a small vent shaft as well. Position of the piece in side the mold too. 3. I have loved watching your videos. Please continue to make great content and mistakes. Mistakes are how we learn and the more you make for everyone to see the more we can all learn. Thank you, Nicholas McCue
Two suggestions Alec. 1) You might want to look into trying oil sand if you are having moisture issues. 2) you might find a lost foam method easier until you get used to casting. Basically, that means that you use foam as the pattern for part that you want to cast. You make your mold around that, but you don't remove the foam. You leave it in and it burns out. Just make sure to vent it good so the gasses can escape. you probably won't have as good of a finish from lost foam, but it's easier than trying to extract your pattern part.
Alec, you need 2 holes. One to pour the metal into and then another at the other end of whatever your trying to cast that way you can let the air out and any excess metal you have. That should stop the bubbling
This exactly. The air is trying to exit the one hole when the metal is coming in making it bubble more (partially the sand moisture) but also the air escaping air.
There is a technique called Lost Foam I would recommend it for beginners such as yourself there are several videos here on you tube that make perfect guides
AvE has done some experimenting with that as well, if you haven't seen. It took him a few tries with aluminum, but he had the best results using metal that was already used for casting, as it has the right blend of 11 herbs and spices to get good castings out of it.
Hey Alac, I don’t know if anyone has suggested this, but I thought it might be a good idea to make a year-end video, highlighting some of your milestones in 2017 as well as some of your favorite projects this year.
Hey Alec, Hoping I can help with a few of the problems your facing, first the sand you have isnt "green sand" its petrobond or oil sand, its a lot easier to use than green sand and the rules for moisture content dont apply. Oil sand is actually chemically altered to not be wetted by water (its hydrophobic) so dont worry about that, I would recommend you let it breathe after opening a new bag however, also I would recommend you re-mill it a bit to help spread any settled oil back through the mix (you can do this by piling it up and walking on it till its flat then pile it up again and repeat till you cant stand doing it anymore. Next is to be generous with the talc powder, as long as its non scented its not going to hurt your cast and will make forming the mould a lot easier. you also need a riser and gas vents, a riser is a large outlet at the opposing end of the cast pattern that allows the metal to flow correctly and helps back feed to deal with shrinkage, gas vents are vents at any sharp points to allow any off gasses to escape, I form mine using thick wire that is poked through, these can be out-letting on the top or bottom (only need to be 1mm wide so dont worry about metal escaping though them.). Your ingate (pouring hole can also be cut out after the mould is made (can be easier with smaller pieces). last is practice, this is not a skill you will nail quickly, it takes a few casts to figure out whats going on and a lifetime to master. Happy to help in anyway I can and answer any questions. As a side note id recommend you stay away from trying to cast iron/steel until your an expert on bronze/brass as iron/steel is extremely dangerous and your sand will not handle it, it will explode and shower you in molten iron. casting iron and steel its its own unique art form and its very rarely done by hand due to the dangers involved. Cheers and good luck
Girtych if there is moisture in the concrete it can book and send concrete and molten metal splashing back up in random directions. Very dangerous if you aren't careful. Mistakes do happen and other times you get very lucky.
I love your attitude....not knowing something is a good opportunity to learn something. Many people let not knowing something become a hindrance to even trying. You, on the other hand, dive right in. Probably explains why you’re a successful businessman at age 20. Keep it up.
I think a proper air Vent might also help you. That way the gas has more than one way to escape and doesn't need to get past the molten Metal. But I'm no expert :D I just really enjoy seeing you learning something by trial, error and sometimes well deserved success. Great stuff! Keep trying new stuff!
Hey Alec get yourself a baking tin for muffins to pour the excess metal into, serves two purposes, firstly gets rid of the excess and secondly means you will have small ingots of metal rather than metal and sand mixture going into your crucible. Great videos btw
Could you not put your sand in the shop oven at 50-100 degrees for example for a while to dry it out?...kind of a sand cake bake?lol ...just an idea? 👍🏼
Montygo a high temp cleaning cycle cures a lot of ills. Also if 1/2 the sand is bone dry and you mix it and let it sit over night I'd bet you'd have it just right by morning.
Alex, you are correct that it is the excess water content that is messing with your cast. I grew up working in a molten metal factory in Massachusetts, similar weather to you. Casting temperature and dehumidifiers were adjusted during wet months. Try getting a dehumidifier and placing it and your casting sand in a closet or you can always bake the sand on low heat. There are formulas you can use to determine both the water content of your sand as well as how much moisture you remove. Lastly, I have been watching your channel for the last year and I love seeing your enthusiasm and process. I am now an emergency Physician, which feels eons away from where I began working with my hands. Watching you has inspired me to get back to building and sculpting in my spare time. Kudos to you and your team. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
I love how ambitious Alec is - taught himself blacksmithing simply due to interest/passion, and now is diving into a whole new world in casting. The two are very similar...both work with metal, and both are vast, complicated subjects that take many years of learning and practice to become competent at... ;)
Don't sieve your sand onto the floor! It picks up dirt and metal dust and a whole bunch of crap you don't want in the sand because then it'll end up in your castings. Also, you don't need to sieve all the sand for the flask, just the sand that's going directly on top of your piece. You also need vent holes so air and steam can come out and then it won't try to come out of the sprue hole. You really just need someone that knows what they're doing. You also really shouldn't fire up the foundry without the crucible in it. When there's already heat in the foundry then you put the crucible in, any moisture in the crucible could cause it to crack. You also really need to flux the inside of it. It will help to make the metal pour more easily and it will help the crucible hold up for a longer amount of time.
alec you need 2 holes, 1 for the pouring and another to the air flows out too, it's easier and gives a more smotly surface. sorry for the bad english i'm brazilian :)
I think I've learned more about being positive in the face of failure from your videos than I have about blacksmithing, and I've learned a LOT about blacksmithing from your videos.
I love your positive attitude as you face new obstacles. A true student who is learning something they are truly passionate about! Love watching you grow!
oh i dd that once,forged a katana,poured brass tsuba,seppa,tsuka gashira,fuchi,kojiri and koiguchi ornament,then made a saya and tsuka from wood,it was a lot of fun
Hey Alex, You need to get a moisture meter, you can accurately determine the moisture content of the casting sand, and any time you're casting you can prepare ahead of time. We use moisture test wood before painting and many other sensitive materials reviving coatings.
I don't believe this is a wet sand issue.... you need an inlet and outlet.... so it's bubbling up because of trapped air pockets when you're pouring. So setup 2 sprues (one to pour in, one to let the air out)
I gotta say I love your vids after seeing a few now, I have to say your attitude & personality are excellent! I also love that you don't hide your failures or your learning curve which is actually quite inspirational. As we all fail upward as we learn, no one starts off as a professional. Your channel is entertaining, informative & inspirational! Thank you very much! I hope you stick with it & experience success in your endeavors.
i like how he commits to the traditional romantic journey of reading something in a book rather than just looking it up on youtube. it fills me with inspiration
Hello there! Use fine graphite for separation of the mold and also the model. Use second straw, for outlet of the gases and metal from the mould, when pouring.
By-product of burning gas = water - not too good for "drying" Instead... Micro-wave oven dry to bone-dry, then experiment with progressively adding measured amounts of water to a known dry-weight of sand. Store the bone-dry sand for future requirements and add moisture when required.
the water from burning gas is an issue while the sand is still cold we could see steam coming of he sand proof it was drying. but yeah drying in an oven would be more effective although id probably advise a convection oven. you never know if their a bit of metal in the sand.
Dude you made The sprue but you need to make another hole called a riser so that the steam has some where else to go other than the hole you are pouring it in to.
Yup. Put it on the opposite end of the piece from the sprue, and it not only gives a place for the steam to vent, but also an overflow for the excess metal in a good pour. I'm glad that he eventually talc'ed the mold surfaces to keep them from sticking together though :). That said, I'm not sure just how small and intricate you can go with sand casting. My experience is with lost wax and investment, which you can go really really tiny on, as well as intricate detail. Maybe he should look into some homebrow lost wax casting as well?
The problem is not your Sand , The problem is that you don't have any vent holes For the escaping air to go to Or Fumes From the sand potentially So it just bubbles out of the hole Where you're trying to pour metal into an so it solidifies but it looks like the sand is evaporating moisture but it's not.And i see those small holes but I don't think they're big enough To Push out all the displacing air Out quickly enough.
I want to agree with everyone saying it's a venting problem (because he is having problems with venting), but the thing that's nagging at me is why the heck is an open face Petrobond mold bubbling like that? There shouldn't be enough oil binder burning off the sand to cause that sort of violence in an open mold, but you'll notice a distinct lack of black crust around the metal. I'm tempted to say it's not too "wet", but rather too oily.
Alec you have fantastic thrist for knowledge... after second or third failure I probably drop all stuff and start procrastinating. Huge respect!! Keep goin!
Alec. Trial and error is a good teacher. If you get a chance look at "myfordboy" UA-cam channel. Best hobby caster i have seen. keep showing us new stuff. Success or fail, we love it!
I believe you need a larger vent, you should see molten metal come out of the vent as well as the sprue. i have done this plenty of times. As you know if you slowed down and put more time into your mold it would also turn out better. Though I don't think the final clip was that bad, any sand casting is going to require a bit of cleanup on the sander.
Alec mate, try acetylene black on your cast pieces. Just turn on the torch with no oxygen and blacken the piece before setting its design in the foundation. Remove after impression and then black the void and faces of the casting foundation! It comes out perfectly! I so very much love the channel. Keep up the sprite!
It's actually pretty difficult. Really fun, but difficult. Grant Thompson, "The King of Random" has a really good tutorial video on it that I followed. Made a few plaques for my friend when his kid was born.
You are aware that cool tempature and heat create moisture right?. You need a heated tumbler or try drying your sand in the oven. Controlled environment
I wonder if casting the meteorite from a month ago into a ingot would make the material more regular and workable? I don’t know much about casting but now that you have a foundry it might be possible
I’ve learnt to sand cast with oil bonded sand for bronze miniatures, has been very straightforward with immaculate results… buying from the Internet, Delft Clay is the best but you have to pay the price. Petrobond is commonly used in larger flasks and a lot cheaper than delft clay when purchased, although less of a fine finish. Love your videos keep up the good work.
Also, before you start the bottom mould with shape embedded into it, its VERY important to clean the surface, liberal talc powder, THEN place the shape on top of that and start compacting sand, else, you have what happened at 8:04 , regardless of how wet or dry your sand is.
First of all yes sand to wet you need a vent hole for air to exit and as far as the animal head try putting it halfway in the sand at the top of the flask so the other half is half way out laying flat of course at this point put your spruce and vent forms in put the other flask on fill the sand pull your vent and pour spruces out split the halves with a little clean up and your ready don’t forget the talcum powder you will have what you call parting lines on your casted piece but nothing you can’t dress up I’m not trying to say I’m a expert just telling you what I know happy casting buddy
Alec!!! Please please please check out clickspring! He has done some casting on his channel and also he does this cool thing called “bluing” and I think it would look extremely cool if you blued some Damascus! Also I know how much you love to see people who have mastered their craft and he most definitely has. His clockwork and machining work is absolutely unbelievable.
Brian Daniels clickspring is the best, one of the few I support monthly. He should check out this old Tony too for machining and general fab skills, a funny and talented guy.
I don't know if you've figured this out yet, but used motor oil mixed with your sand works great! It displaces water, prevents hydration, and holds together for making cast molds.
Hey Alec! I made a few things like this, but than my teacher in metallurgy gave me a tip: dry the casting sand before using it, and if it's dry, mix it with liquid sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3 you can get it in any construction materials shop) to get a consistency like clay. Than make the mold in which you want to cast whatever (it even works when casting steel)., put it in a box, and than the IMPORTANT part: make deep holes in the soft casting sand, and( while the two pieces of the mold are apart) blow CO2 in the holes. It will get hard as hell, and you'll probably need an air hammer to break it. No cracks, no explosions, and it's non-toxic. I use this method for about a year. I was once at a blacksmith meeting, where they were casting the same way a half-ton brass bell (yeah, 500kg). Put the pieces together, and you'll get everything you want to cast. A basic tip for clear, better casting: you know the principle of communicating vases? Make the mold that way, like a U shape, so you have a channel where you pour in the metal, and on the other side of the "U" the metal will rise. This way the inclusions, the dust, burned stuffs and all what you dont't need will stay above the liquid metal in the first hole, while on the other, the casting will be done from down to the upside, keeping a good even heat, flowing, and even you have some solid thing in the liquid, it will fall and stick somewhere in the first side of the U shaped casting channel. The carbon dioxide method works with common sand too. Hope I was a bit of help, take care and keep up the good work! I'm watching. :)
Hey Alec, if you make sure that your vent hole connects with the moulding then it shouldn't bubble out of the entry any way near as much. Good work with the uploads you've been a big inspiration to me as I have finally started to plan my own personal forge.
I have never done this before but I think some people pack the sand in a bit looser on the last layer of the top mold then stack the bottom on there and fill it up with the silica sand mixture and pack that down snuggly. I could be wrong, but I believe that is how some of the people do it, and it allows for the bottom half of the mold to be shaped more properly as the sand was not compacted down over the edge and underneath as much. It might make for easier results for you Alec. I look forward to watching more of these videos!
Alec, a trick that you could use for the pouring forms to keep them from sticking would be to use completely dry sand and mix in sodium silicate. And to make your crucible forge burn hotter in order to melt iron/steel you'll probably have to convert it to a forced air burner system
Alec, you need another sprew for a vent hole. You're going to get air pockets no matter the moisture content of the sand, you need a place for the air to escape. right now it's only option is right back up your pouring sprew.
I use my oven to dry the sand and you have to have a riser hole as a vent to get good solid pours. I also put my pour and riser to the outside of the casting and hand carve troths over to the mold.
Ive struggled for a really long time with anxiety/depression, ive been hospitalized three times for it, for a total of 45 days. I only say that to say that you are a huge inspiration to me. It is important to CHOOSE joy and happiness in order to have a fulfilled life. Thanks for your videos man!
Make a vent hole for the air to push out as the metal comes in
Allie Richardson this guy knows
I tried to say that yesterday that the steam and air don't have anywhere to go so it bubbles back out
I was literally yelling at the tv "you need two holes"!
Need vents for air to escape, as the molten metal goes into casting
Escape hole
Electric oven would work a lot better for drying, as propane isn't a "dry heat", the combustion process adds some moisture back in.
Yeah, this. He's basically blasting it with hot carbondioxide and water vapour.
@@nextlifeonearth yeah the 3 or so ways the torch doesn't work can be summed up as "chemistry says no"
Alex you've pretty much got the idea but for better results on the casting make a vent hole on the opposite end of the cast as well.. you are creating air holes with the pressure of the trapped air once you pour.... you will know you've done it correctly when you poured and the molten metal comes out evenly both holes best of luck to you.
"I'm doing a terrible job!"
*Laughs gleefully*
It's my inability to have that attitude that prevents me from learning new things.
You have the ability to have whatever attitude you want. The only thing stopping you is your unwillingness to see that fact ;)
@@stamperthedooker4510 Haha well, you're not wrong. But still it's not always just that easy.
@@moydamer well, things that come easily aren't usually all too worth it! I've found that as opposed to looking at whether something comes easily to me, i look at what needs to happen in order to accomplish what i want to get done! Easy or not is just a matter of how much work needs to put in.
So the question would be: what do i need to do to put myself in the mindset to try something new? HISTORICALLY, I've had a hard time laughing at failure. Like alec, why not focus on having fun with the process? Instead of focusing on the perfection, I'll try to enjoy the ride?
Whatever works for you, but you're more capable than you could ever imagine, homie!
What did it for me was to realize I was wrong constantly, and to take it a step farther so are most people. Being right and getting it right are rare moments, human minds want to operate in this conformation biased reality. It's a fundamental human struggle to overcome confirmation bias. I will add at least in my own experience it's a painful thing to overcome, I've made some expensive mistakes and done really stupid stuff.
I love how you post your failures. Most people online make themselves look like a Ton Brady at football, an Einstein at science, and a Mother Teressa at kindness and mercy. Thanks for keeping it real.
Roman Seppala well u carried that a bit too far but I agree w your basic premise.
You need a vent hole to let the air out of the mold as you pour
Usually the air will filtrate between the sand pores. But since the sand is too wet, those pores are blocked with water.
You may want to try lost foam casting. Make sure you stand upwind if you do
We used this video hen we got started. not the most professional of set ups but the process is the same. ua-cam.com/video/HindjIdUMhQ/v-deo.html
Lost wax casting is a lot more accurate
Alec: *burns sand*
me: alec i think thats enough fire
Alec: *burns sand more*
Me: ALEC THATS ENOUGH NOW
Alec: MORE FIRE!!!
Me: ALEEEC
It was not even close to enough
I read a lot of the comments and I had similar suggestions. (Not a specialist but I solve problems)
1. Leave the sand packed together when removing moisture. I think your aerating the sand by sifting it. The way I understand it your putting moisture back into it when you do that.
2. Preparation, a few minutes planing where the poor spout will be and then you need a small vent shaft as well. Position of the piece in side the mold too.
3. I have loved watching your videos. Please continue to make great content and mistakes. Mistakes are how we learn and the more you make for everyone to see the more we can all learn.
Thank you,
Nicholas McCue
Two suggestions Alec. 1) You might want to look into trying oil sand if you are having moisture issues. 2) you might find a lost foam method easier until you get used to casting. Basically, that means that you use foam as the pattern for part that you want to cast. You make your mold around that, but you don't remove the foam. You leave it in and it burns out. Just make sure to vent it good so the gasses can escape. you probably won't have as good of a finish from lost foam, but it's easier than trying to extract your pattern part.
Look at PressTube's Channel for more tricks to help you Alec.
Alec, you need 2 holes. One to pour the metal into and then another at the other end of whatever your trying to cast that way you can let the air out and any excess metal you have. That should stop the bubbling
This exactly. The air is trying to exit the one hole when the metal is coming in making it bubble more (partially the sand moisture) but also the air escaping air.
There is a technique called Lost Foam I would recommend it for beginners such as yourself there are several videos here on you tube that make perfect guides
AvE has done some experimenting with that as well, if you haven't seen. It took him a few tries with aluminum, but he had the best results using metal that was already used for casting, as it has the right blend of 11 herbs and spices to get good castings out of it.
Shoulda read down to hear before I added my comment- he can always try water Casting
Don't you mean lost wax?
Lost wax, lost foam two different materials same outcome
Jerrod king of random does a great intro for it. That's where I heard about it first
Do casting using foam shapes which have risers. When you pour the liquid metal instantly vaporises the foam and takes its place
I wish more people were as happy and understanding with failures/learning processes as you are.
Hey Alac, I don’t know if anyone has suggested this, but I thought it might be a good idea to make a year-end video, highlighting some of your milestones in 2017 as well as some of your favorite projects this year.
good idea
Lol I was a caster for 7 yrs on thing that will really help you is adding a second hole for venting
Hey Alec, Hoping I can help with a few of the problems your facing, first the sand you have isnt "green sand" its petrobond or oil sand, its a lot easier to use than green sand and the rules for moisture content dont apply. Oil sand is actually chemically altered to not be wetted by water (its hydrophobic) so dont worry about that, I would recommend you let it breathe after opening a new bag however, also I would recommend you re-mill it a bit to help spread any settled oil back through the mix (you can do this by piling it up and walking on it till its flat then pile it up again and repeat till you cant stand doing it anymore. Next is to be generous with the talc powder, as long as its non scented its not going to hurt your cast and will make forming the mould a lot easier. you also need a riser and gas vents, a riser is a large outlet at the opposing end of the cast pattern that allows the metal to flow correctly and helps back feed to deal with shrinkage, gas vents are vents at any sharp points to allow any off gasses to escape, I form mine using thick wire that is poked through, these can be out-letting on the top or bottom (only need to be 1mm wide so dont worry about metal escaping though them.). Your ingate (pouring hole can also be cut out after the mould is made (can be easier with smaller pieces). last is practice, this is not a skill you will nail quickly, it takes a few casts to figure out whats going on and a lifetime to master. Happy to help in anyway I can and answer any questions.
As a side note id recommend you stay away from trying to cast iron/steel until your an expert on bronze/brass as iron/steel is extremely dangerous and your sand will not handle it, it will explode and shower you in molten iron. casting iron and steel its its own unique art form and its very rarely done by hand due to the dangers involved.
Cheers and good luck
very good and accurate comment :)
I hope he reads it
I wouldn't work with smelting metal anywhere over a concrete floor either. Apart from aluminium, it can be really dangerous.
Is that because of the potential of splashing?
Girtych if there is moisture in the concrete it can book and send concrete and molten metal splashing back up in random directions. Very dangerous if you aren't careful. Mistakes do happen and other times you get very lucky.
I love your attitude....not knowing something is a good opportunity to learn something. Many people let not knowing something become a hindrance to even trying. You, on the other hand, dive right in. Probably explains why you’re a successful businessman at age 20. Keep it up.
Honest and humble. Best channel on UA-cam!
I think a proper air Vent might also help you. That way the gas has more than one way to escape and doesn't need to get past the molten Metal. But I'm no expert :D I just really enjoy seeing you learning something by trial, error and sometimes well deserved success. Great stuff! Keep trying new stuff!
HighVoltageCarnage You are right an 'air vent' is need and it is called a risor that work in collaberation with a runner
Hey Alec get yourself a baking tin for muffins to pour the excess metal into, serves two purposes, firstly gets rid of the excess and secondly means you will have small ingots of metal rather than metal and sand mixture going into your crucible. Great videos btw
Could you not put your sand in the shop oven at 50-100 degrees for example for a while to dry it out?...kind of a sand cake bake?lol ...just an idea? 👍🏼
i was thinking the same thing
7K.METALWORX I was also thinking that.
Yes
Montygo a high temp cleaning cycle cures a lot of ills. Also if 1/2 the sand is bone dry and you mix it and let it sit over night I'd bet you'd have it just right by morning.
That sounds like another good idea
Alex, you are correct that it is the excess water content that is messing with your cast. I grew up working in a molten metal factory in Massachusetts, similar weather to you. Casting temperature and dehumidifiers were adjusted during wet months. Try getting a dehumidifier and placing it and your casting sand in a closet or you can always bake the sand on low heat. There are formulas you can use to determine both the water content of your sand as well as how much moisture you remove.
Lastly, I have been watching your channel for the last year and I love seeing your enthusiasm and process. I am now an emergency Physician, which feels eons away from where I began working with my hands. Watching you has inspired me to get back to building and sculpting in my spare time. Kudos to you and your team. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
I love how ambitious Alec is - taught himself blacksmithing simply due to interest/passion, and now is diving into a whole new world in casting. The two are very similar...both work with metal, and both are vast, complicated subjects that take many years of learning and practice to become competent at... ;)
Don't sieve your sand onto the floor! It picks up dirt and metal dust and a whole bunch of crap you don't want in the sand because then it'll end up in your castings. Also, you don't need to sieve all the sand for the flask, just the sand that's going directly on top of your piece. You also need vent holes so air and steam can come out and then it won't try to come out of the sprue hole. You really just need someone that knows what they're doing. You also really shouldn't fire up the foundry without the crucible in it. When there's already heat in the foundry then you put the crucible in, any moisture in the crucible could cause it to crack. You also really need to flux the inside of it. It will help to make the metal pour more easily and it will help the crucible hold up for a longer amount of time.
agreed he needs a bin and table
All agreed but everyone learns somewhere and it's fun to see people learn by screwing up
alec you need 2 holes, 1 for the pouring and another to the air flows out too, it's easier and gives a more smotly surface.
sorry for the bad english i'm brazilian :)
Somebody knows his metalurgy here. good job
thx man :)
Try putting some sand in a dish in your tempering oven to dry it out.
Then you just need to leave the sand in the oven to cool otherwise is sucks the moisture out of the air and ends up all wet again.
I think I've learned more about being positive in the face of failure from your videos than I have about blacksmithing, and I've learned a LOT about blacksmithing from your videos.
This would be a great way to deal with your meteorite. If you melt it down, then you'll likely be able to make something out of it.
YES!!
You need a muffin tray to pour the excess metal into, to make cleaner and more easily stored ingots for next time.
~Make a video about how to make a touch mark!~
you need two holes, one to pour the metal in and a different one to allow the air to escape without rising back through your pour.
Dave Gibson ever cast bronze ?
Alec you are sooo relatable just randomly breaking into Christmas songs well any songs tbh
I love your positive attitude as you face new obstacles. A true student who is learning something they are truly passionate about! Love watching you grow!
Is it possible that you forgot the hole that allows the air to escape? Just a thought.
Put a little borax in the molten metal to keep fewer impurities out
Next project: Use all three methods of making for one item - forging, casting, and wood working
Uriah Siner weldin mate u missed weldin
he does that when he makes damascus anyway
oh i dd that once,forged a katana,poured brass tsuba,seppa,tsuka gashira,fuchi,kojiri and koiguchi ornament,then made a saya and tsuka from wood,it was a lot of fun
Great idea !!!!😁
Machining?
Steel to Build Smelter = $75
Bronze to make "thing" = $15
Forgetting to remove cast item from mold = Priceless
For everything else there's Alec Steele
Hey Alex,
You need to get a moisture meter, you can accurately determine the moisture content of the casting sand, and any time you're casting you can prepare ahead of time. We use moisture test wood before painting and many other sensitive materials reviving coatings.
Alec, fill your cake pan and place in your baking oven on low temp.
Think you may need a 2nd hole for an exhaust
Robb jerls up-vote this. Space for the air to escape would help.
I don't believe this is a wet sand issue.... you need an inlet and outlet.... so it's bubbling up because of trapped air pockets when you're pouring. So setup 2 sprues (one to pour in, one to let the air out)
The good thing is that you never never give up. Best channel
I gotta say I love your vids after seeing a few now, I have to say your attitude & personality are excellent! I also love that you don't hide your failures or your learning curve which is actually quite inspirational. As we all fail upward as we learn, no one starts off as a professional. Your channel is entertaining, informative & inspirational! Thank you very much!
I hope you stick with it & experience success in your endeavors.
I think you should make 2 holes, 1 for pour the metal and the other for escape the air
Why not use the oven to bake the sand in order to dry it out?
YOU NEED A SECCOND HOLE SO THE AIR CAN COME OUT AND IT DON'T HAS TO COME OUT OF THE SAME HOLE AS THE POUR COMES IN
He had vent holes. Those where the holes made with the tig filler rod.
when a modern blacksmith is still dealing with stone age problems XD
i like how he commits to the traditional romantic journey of reading something in a book rather than just looking it up on youtube. it fills me with inspiration
Hello there! Use fine graphite for separation of the mold and also the model. Use second straw, for outlet of the gases and metal from the mould, when pouring.
By-product of burning gas = water - not too good for "drying"
Instead...
Micro-wave oven dry to bone-dry, then experiment with progressively adding measured amounts of water to a known dry-weight of sand.
Store the bone-dry sand for future requirements and add moisture when required.
the water from burning gas is an issue while the sand is still cold we could see steam coming of he sand proof it was drying. but yeah drying in an oven would be more effective although id probably advise a convection oven. you never know if their a bit of metal in the sand.
I loved that solo. Great pitch
Dude you made The sprue but you need to make another hole called a riser so that the steam has some where else to go other than the hole you are pouring it in to.
Yup. Put it on the opposite end of the piece from the sprue, and it not only gives a place for the steam to vent, but also an overflow for the excess metal in a good pour. I'm glad that he eventually talc'ed the mold surfaces to keep them from sticking together though :).
That said, I'm not sure just how small and intricate you can go with sand casting. My experience is with lost wax and investment, which you can go really really tiny on, as well as intricate detail. Maybe he should look into some homebrow lost wax casting as well?
Agree, will make a huge difference.
The problem is not your Sand , The problem is that you don't have any vent holes For the escaping air to go to Or Fumes From the sand potentially So it just bubbles out of the hole Where you're trying to pour metal into an so it solidifies but it looks like the sand is evaporating moisture but it's not.And i see those small holes but I don't think they're big enough To Push out all the displacing air Out quickly enough.
I want to agree with everyone saying it's a venting problem (because he is having problems with venting), but the thing that's nagging at me is why the heck is an open face Petrobond mold bubbling like that? There shouldn't be enough oil binder burning off the sand to cause that sort of violence in an open mold, but you'll notice a distinct lack of black crust around the metal. I'm tempted to say it's not too "wet", but rather too oily.
Yay! First time for everything. Hang in there Alec, you'll get it. Used to pour aluminium in Highschool shop class.
try putting the sand in a pot and putting it over the foundry lid and stirring it to dry it out. just a thought.
You should watch the king of random video on making green sand, very informative video
Yeah... Because he is the authority on casting..... :-/
worldtraveler I'm not saying it's the best one on UA-cam it's just a good video to get a grasp on where to start
My ford boy, oldfoundryguy, or mr Pete are much better resources in my book for learning casting..
Dry your sand in an oven till it's way too dry, add a bit of water at a time till it's good.
I'd recommend using a very high temp oil to wet it instead of water too.
Alec you have fantastic thrist for knowledge...
after second or third failure I probably drop all stuff and start procrastinating. Huge respect!! Keep goin!
I love that he keeps his head level and just has fun learning new things about the craft he loves.
Alec. Trial and error is a good teacher. If you get a chance look at "myfordboy" UA-cam channel. Best hobby caster i have seen. keep showing us new stuff. Success or fail, we love it!
Try with a styrofoam mold.
I believe you need a larger vent, you should see molten metal come out of the vent as well as the sprue. i have done this plenty of times. As you know if you slowed down and put more time into your mold it would also turn out better. Though I don't think the final clip was that bad, any sand casting is going to require a bit of cleanup on the sander.
Alec mate, try acetylene black on your cast pieces. Just turn on the torch with no oxygen and blacken the piece before setting its design in the foundation. Remove after impression and then black the void and faces of the casting foundation! It comes out perfectly! I so very much love the channel. Keep up the sprite!
everything never always goes smoothly. good to see you are human like us.
ALEC !!!! THE SAND IS NOT TO WET!!! YOU NEED TO MAKE AIR HOLES TO LET THEM AIR IN THIS FORM GO OUT !!!
Casting metal looks fun! I can't wait to see more videos! Maybe casting logos would be cool, like the batman logo
Yada its fun af, but I rather stay with lost wax and plaster, it make way cleaner pieces
It's actually pretty difficult. Really fun, but difficult. Grant Thompson, "The King of Random" has a really good tutorial video on it that I followed. Made a few plaques for my friend when his kid was born.
If anyone gonna try this in the future ... remember to make more then one hole so the air can get out while you pour the metal ...
You are aware that cool tempature and heat create moisture right?. You need a heated tumbler or try drying your sand in the oven. Controlled environment
I wonder if casting the meteorite from a month ago into a ingot would make the material more regular and workable? I don’t know much about casting but now that you have a foundry it might be possible
I’ve learnt to sand cast with oil bonded sand for bronze miniatures, has been very straightforward with immaculate results… buying from the Internet, Delft Clay is the best but you have to pay the price.
Petrobond is commonly used in larger flasks and a lot cheaper than delft clay when purchased, although less of a fine finish. Love your videos keep up the good work.
Time to forge a rake.
Put some of the sand in your oven!
Do this!!
And a pie. Who doesn't love pie?
Myfordboy does some of the best tutorials on casting. u should check him out.
was about to say the same
The next work shop make will be a sieve table and a sand recovery device. Also a set of sand rakes.
Also, before you start the bottom mould with shape embedded into it, its VERY important to clean the surface, liberal talc powder, THEN place the shape on top of that and start compacting sand, else, you have what happened at 8:04 , regardless of how wet or dry your sand is.
First of all yes sand to wet you need a vent hole for air to exit and as far as the animal head try putting it halfway in the sand at the top of the flask so the other half is half way out laying flat of course at this point put your spruce and vent forms in put the other flask on fill the sand pull your vent and pour spruces out split the halves with a little clean up and your ready don’t forget the talcum powder you will have what you call parting lines on your casted piece but nothing you can’t dress up I’m not trying to say I’m a expert just telling you what I know happy casting buddy
Called a Sprue, otherwise you're right :)
Marco Seifert-Simpson lol sorry meant to say sprue
Alec, why don't you do this with the meteorite?
Alec!!! Please please please check out clickspring! He has done some casting on his channel and also he does this cool thing called “bluing” and I think it would look extremely cool if you blued some Damascus! Also I know how much you love to see people who have mastered their craft and he most definitely has. His clockwork and machining work is absolutely unbelievable.
Brian Daniels clickspring is the best, one of the few I support monthly. He should check out this old Tony too for machining and general fab skills, a funny and talented guy.
When your materials are not ready but you need to film it. epic!
I don't know if you've figured this out yet, but used motor oil mixed with your sand works great! It displaces water, prevents hydration, and holds together for making cast molds.
Get a moisture meter of amazon, it’s very cheap
me 10:47 "thumbs up"
10:52 "why, for christ sake, Alec!" ahahahahahaah
Myfordboy has superb videos about casting, I'd recommend anyone should look at his videos if interested, he does really great machining videos too
True dat.
Hey Alec! I made a few things like this, but than my teacher in metallurgy gave me a tip: dry the casting sand before using it, and if it's dry, mix it with liquid sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3 you can get it in any construction materials shop) to get a consistency like clay. Than make the mold in which you want to cast whatever (it even works when casting steel)., put it in a box, and than the IMPORTANT part: make deep holes in the soft casting sand, and( while the two pieces of the mold are apart) blow CO2 in the holes. It will get hard as hell, and you'll probably need an air hammer to break it. No cracks, no explosions, and it's non-toxic. I use this method for about a year. I was once at a blacksmith meeting, where they were casting the same way a half-ton brass bell (yeah, 500kg). Put the pieces together, and you'll get everything you want to cast. A basic tip for clear, better casting: you know the principle of communicating vases? Make the mold that way, like a U shape, so you have a channel where you pour in the metal, and on the other side of the "U" the metal will rise. This way the inclusions, the dust, burned stuffs and all what you dont't need will stay above the liquid metal in the first hole, while on the other, the casting will be done from down to the upside, keeping a good even heat, flowing, and even you have some solid thing in the liquid, it will fall and stick somewhere in the first side of the U shaped casting channel. The carbon dioxide method works with common sand too. Hope I was a bit of help, take care and keep up the good work! I'm watching. :)
Nice to see the whole learning curve, including failure. Always learning more from failure than success !
"the sand is indeed too wet"
*Proceeds to turn on jazz music*
Alec!! Check out the UA-cam channel “Brian Oltrogge” he’s an amazing metal caster and I learned a lot from watching him!!
Weaponmaster626 my favorite metal caster personally
Is this the bloopers reel. Funny as hell. They say you learn by your mistakes. You Sir are now highly educated. Keep up the good work.
Hey Alec, if you make sure that your vent hole connects with the moulding then it shouldn't bubble out of the entry any way near as much. Good work with the uploads you've been a big inspiration to me as I have finally started to plan my own personal forge.
I have never done this before but I think some people pack the sand in a bit looser on the last layer of the top mold then stack the bottom on there and fill it up with the silica sand mixture and pack that down snuggly. I could be wrong, but I believe that is how some of the people do it, and it allows for the bottom half of the mold to be shaped more properly as the sand was not compacted down over the edge and underneath as much. It might make for easier results for you Alec. I look forward to watching more of these videos!
Your intellect is amazing. You all have the best video style, it makes your content perfect.
Thanks for a great year of learning and entertainment Alex. Have a great Christmas.
Lots of fun, as usual Alec. Keep on failing until you succeed--it's the best way to learn! (Unless you're a heart surgeon...)
I used to work in a geotechnical lab. We used an old pizza oven with some large steel pans to dry soil samples.
Alec, a trick that you could use for the pouring forms to keep them from sticking would be to use completely dry sand and mix in sodium silicate. And to make your crucible forge burn hotter in order to melt iron/steel you'll probably have to convert it to a forced air burner system
Alec, you need another sprew for a vent hole. You're going to get air pockets no matter the moisture content of the sand, you need a place for the air to escape. right now it's only option is right back up your pouring sprew.
I work as a locksmith and I'm saving all the brass shaving and miscut keys. I'm hoping to one day melt the brass and do something with it.
3:00 Thanks Alec, now i know how to deal with bullies!!
I use my oven to dry the sand and you have to have a riser hole as a vent to get good solid pours. I also put my pour and riser to the outside of the casting and hand carve troths over to the mold.
how can one man be so hyped ? love it !