Jump to content
I Forge Iron

I’m ready for serious casting?


Recommended Posts

Don't you ram your molds? They shouldn't be too fragile to cut a sprue, riser and gates.  The way I learned to make a gang mold was to line all the pieces close to the sprue so the gates were short and entered the best point. We wouldn't have put a riser on the bones nor the fertility sculpture. We probably would've stood the flask on end to provide a vertical flow pattern, gating the pieces near the bottom of the pattern to minimize turbulence and maximize material for shrinkage. 

Colored pebbles were usually used as markers in the game of Ur, 2 players, 2 colors, 4 each. The high brow players had special markers of course, fired glazed clay were common but cast or hammered metals and precious and semi precious stones. You only need to be able to tell the player's markers apart, how isn't important. Some boards folded to make boxes for the dice and markers. Some were carved in the counter tops of taverns, even the stone ones. 

It's one of the things I find so cool about the game, you don't need anything to play, you can whittle square sticks for dice, scratch the board in the dirt and use Xs and Os for markers.

Oh, about the crazy thing. I have no doubts you're crazy, we all are aren't we? Seriously outside of decoration what do we make that can't be purchased at a hardware store or fabricated in a welding shop? We do this stuff because we get to play with dangerous things, make things that help folk or look nice and it makes us feel good.  Is there a better kind of crazy? I don't think so. B)

 Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Replies 88
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

The new ‘ bronze lost wax mould kiln’ aka combined ‘Raku ceramic kiln’ is rising up. Cut all the insolation for lid, bottom and mid-section.  Made her from (outside to inside) 2in sells aerated blocks, ½ in Pyrogel fibre mat, two layers of 1in Superwool and 26K hard fire tiles for the bottom. The lid have the same configuration without the tiles. The mid-section is reinforced with welded on rebar rings (same for bottom part and lid to give the parts stability) and lined with two layers of 1in SW. All the mats will be attached to the shell parts with ceramic buttons tensioned with Kanthal-wire through wool & shell. All mineral fibre will be rigidized and they will be no flame face (flame cone ends up in a hard fire brick camber to spread the heat)  

Please mention also the (height/angle) adjustable burner attachment. While burn out the wax moulds and ceramic firing I will use different burners (simple weed-burner& air forced ‘Hans-burner’) and set ups, to generate a slow rising temperature curve I have to follow for both purposes (bronze moulds & firing Raku/Biscuit). Very different in comparison to fire up a smith forge where you aim for a high temperature in a very short time and more compatible to the electric hardening/annealing kilns I see in other IFI-threats.

Plan for today is making an ‘as build’ gallows and some hoisting device to lift up the ‘Bell’ (lid & mid-section) from the bottom while melting the wax out of the bronze moulds.

If some of the lecturers have ideas (building plans) for a burner capable/adjustable to generate steady temperatures between 390 – 2200°F please feel free to chime in.

Have a nice day, Hans

DSC00679.JPG

DSC00680.JPG

DSC00670.JPG

DSC00671.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

 

Finished the ‘Klompen’ as key ring hanger for Diana’s locker. Also cast the smaller farrier anvil again (do you remember the first attempt shown on the picture in the link). Lisa is just busy to make an owl collection to fire as ceramic but also suitable to cast as bronze. What a difference ;)

ttps://www.iforgeiron.com/uploads/monthly_2017_10/IMG_20171029_180946.jpg.f3dc4aa2f93863a3f26ec196a5ab35b9.jpg

DSC00788.JPG

DSC00795.JPG

DSC00792.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hans I'm glad to see you're teaching Lisa to take this stuff as seriously as I do. :)

I love your bronze castings and can't get Klompin out of my head now. It' worse torture than hearing or thinking of a catchy tune. A popular term is "Ear worm" The tune or whatever keeps repeating in your head sometimes for a day. :blink:

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frosty -thanks, very nice that you like the castings.

Know the phenomenon of 'Ohrwurm' that a word or melody does not go out of your mind all day long. On the other hand, however, there is also a certain disorder of amnesia, and sometimes I cannot remember words like 'Autist' or 'Cellulose' coated welding electrodes when I need them, -well it will be the age-_-.

A friendly chemistry teacher came by yesterday and brought me copper sulphate and copper nitrate. High time to develop my patina application knowledge. This happens again as an autodidact and based on readings that I have done extensively before. Go here to do tests on some polished ingots before application on the real stuff.

Another friend provided me with the right mix recipes for several hot patinas. I do this of course in the open air and armed with the necessary PPE. The target will mainly be a blue-green or antique turquois-green sustainable patina. Soon I will also age bronze with Ammonia for this I will use NH3 solution from the hardware store, -and no I will not buried them in a cesspool of soil and urine for a long time as  it was done in the Middle Ages:blink:. I am also not sure yet if I seal it with beeswax or double boiled linseed oil. Like your advice.

For the ‘Klompen’ supporters follow the link below:D.

Cheers, Hans  

 

 

DSC00780.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Hans Richter said:

Know the phenomenon of 'Ohrwurm' that a word or melody does not go out of your mind all day long. On the other hand, however, there is also a certain disorder of amnesia, and sometimes I cannot remember words like 'Autist' or 'Cellulose' coated welding electrodes when I need them, -well it will be the age-_-.

Ohrwurm . . . Now that one's Klompen around in my head!

Blanking out on a well known word, phrase, etc. is called "Aphasia," Amnesia is something different and more prolonged even permanent. Selective amnesia might be nice, I could pry the klompendans ohrwurm out of my head!

I have a friend or two who do a version by a different name and considerably more lively. Oh GREAT I'm thinking about that now!

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're becoming very adept at casting, Hans! Nice job!

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

Ohrwurm . . . Now that one's Klompen around in my head!

As to earworms, one of the most famous is found in "A Literary Nightmare," a short story by Mark Twain. You might find it an amusing read...or not...bwahaha...

Al (Steamboat)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Several years ago Lisa and I dig out some fossils at the English Jurassic coast. Formally (broken in to pieces) ammonites but really cool know there about at least 66 mio years old. Today we decide to make some clay pattern of them and shape some trilobites too. Want to kiln and fire them to bronze cast pattern from black Raku-clay and made them to bronze/brass sculptures on calk stone pedestals (the left over of their ant sisters and eternal baby’s). As always we will keep you updated with the progress.

Cheers, Hans & Lisa

DSCN0841.JPG

DSC00801.JPG

DSC00803.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today I played with the weed burner and copper sulphate- and copper nitrate solution. With the copper nitrate solution I get a fine antique green patina. I have applied the patina shown with a spray bottle and found out that the material should not be too hot (like the round in the middle). The concentration of the CN solution may also be slightly higher in the future and I consider to apply ther with a brush in de future. Be careful, the solution is not good for your health so do this work outside and wear an FFP3 mask. BTW the burning copper in the solution provided also a nice additional firework.

Cheers, Hans

PS. Aphasia strikes again every time I try to remember 'Caliumpolysulfide' (Sulfur liver) to make the stuff black/brown :o

DSC00808.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Put (hot sprayed) permanent patina on one of the bronze paper weight anvils. Brushed some edges to bring up the original material and the worn off effect of an antic item. Finished the surface with bees wax.

While spraying the bronze object I discover that the copper nitrate solution also turn out green and stick to the hot rebar mesh the anvil stands on. That brings me to many other ideas;).

DSC00813.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Almost finish the new shank and lifter, they fits well on the A16 crucible. The lifter will even be usable on the A10 crucible to get the melt out of the furnace, but I prepare another tong to build a A10 lifter to. Same for the smaller A10 shank.

Within the next days I will supply the devices (shank & lifter) with a lock to avoid a ‘slip out’ of the crucibles wile pouring or lifting, and give it a paint job to all the parts not exposed to the heat.

This will be my last post on IFI before I take a sabbatical from all forum activities (have to take care of other priority’s and will catch up later). Hope I was helpful to some newbies and other members are interested in the funny XXX I’m busy with.

So long, your sincerely, Hans

DSC00839.JPG

DSC00841.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 8/19/2018 at 9:16 PM, Frosty said:

I have no doubts you're crazy, we all are aren't we? Seriously outside of decoration what do we make that can't be purchased at a hardware store or fabricated in a welding shop? We do this stuff because we get to play with dangerous things, make things that help folk or look nice and it makes us feel good.  Is there a better kind of crazy? I don't think so. 

Will framed this in the shop and looking up to them. Wise words. Thanks for your replay and encouragement.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...