Lost foam casting

[b116757]

I’m doing a lost foam casting for one of the guys at work he will be retiring within the next year this will be my retirement gift. He has taken up cigars the last couple years so I’m casting him a cigar ashtray for his deck. I did a different style one for a different coworker several years ago but saw online that guys seem to like this style that are into cigars.

 

[Catscratch]

Keep the pics coming, I love projects likes this! Aluminum?

 

[b116757]

Yes aluminum

 

[b116757]

Little more progress may do a second one this one had some issues of my own making but it’s functional.

 

[b116757]

Done with it

 

[Catscratch]

Nice!!!

 

[b116757]

I managed to drop the crucible during the pour and only got part of the aluminum into the mold I had to melt more and fill the mold you can see the line between the two pours pretty well in that one photo that was the issue of my own making I was referring to I may make a second one will see if I get to it or not.

 

[Bill]

Never heard of lost foam casting but from the pics I think I got it figured out. Foam gets incinerated as the aluminum is poured. Pretty cool!

 

[Turkey Creek]

We did that type of casting in a Jr High Shop class...... way back when school was cool! LOL
I had some great shop teachers in Jr high and High School.

 

[b116757]

Lost foam is pretty easy to do I bought some special PLA for my boys 3D printer to do lost PLA casting of 3D printed parts but we haven’t played around with it yet to busy with other projects.

 

[b116757]

One I made for a different coworker several years ago this design was what he specifically asked for on that one.

 

[bigboreblr]

Casted aluminum wheels for a engineering class project way back in 2003.

Can you cast brass? Does that process clean enough for silver? I have hand cast brass pieces in the rough I need to clean up for a filntlock build down the road.

Might do some silver when I get around to the sharp's 22lr build.

 

[b116757]

Idk about brass I definitely struggle on copper with that very primitive setup of mine but it’s good enough for a few simple aluminum castings once every few years when the mood strikes me.