*Important note:* Not all hs-PLA's are the same. Some filaments just don't get soft enough. There can be a massive differenceS between filaments used. The one I use and recommend is "Sunlu - Meta PLA". Make sure it has Meta in the name. There is another video using this method in case you missed it. *Print-Wave Metal Casting: Aluminium Mug* th-cam.com/video/5ZhkHHd6YwM/w-d-xo.html
If anything it was understated. This was some top notch stuff and while I guess we'll never stop seeing 3d printing innovations, they still surprise me when I see them!
Here is a trick for knowing when the plaster is dry. After drying it, let it go to room temperature, then place your hand on the surface. If it feels cool, it's still moist. If it feels warm, its dry. (If it is dry it will feel warm even at room temperature). We use this trick all the time making ceramics.
Your "not brass" metal is probably Zamak, an alloy of Zinc, Aluminium, Magnesium and Copper. It's a really amazing metal for casting, has a much lower melting point than brass, and does less toxic Zinc fumes. I love Zamak :)
Surely the aluminum fumes can't be better than the zinc ones tho. Either way people should be on daily silica supplements for all the airborne aluminum from cloud seeding, doubly so when they're sanding and melting alloys in their home
Yep I work as an electroplater and we plate a lot of cast Zamak parts. Probably Zamak 3 if I had to guess, there are multiple types of Zamak. We do zinc plating for a better surface finish and then a chemical dye that turns the plating a brassy color. We do a lot of handles for hotels.
I"m just sitting here in my underpants saying "holy shit" repeatedly. Incredible. One of the most integral processes to modern humans industrialization has just been meaningfully iterated. so smart to recognize the application of the microwave.
What a truly inspirational video. Like all great ideas, they are so obvious once you are shown it. I have just started putting together the necessary items to build my own metal melting workshop. I have spent hundreds of hours watching videos and reading articles and no one comes close to how you do it.
I've tried many different casting processes and not tried this one before! For me any material is precious so I try my hardest to make everything as cheap as possible. My favourite way to cast things is to print a 3D model in vase mode and then dip it in plaster of Paris, creating about 3 or 4 mm shell. Then, after drying, put it in the oven to soften the plastic and carefully remove it. Then I pack the mould shell inside some dry sand. I found casting like this uses absolute minimum materials possible
John Heisz just added a 3d printer to his wood shop. Check out what he’s been doing with it. I tried sharing link to his channel but I guess it got deleted.
Microwaving an object like this will create hots spots and cold spots - the EM waves in a microwave oven are about ~10cm, so you'll get 5cm of very hot plaster and 5cm of cold plaster - the heat from the hot areas will - of course - spread, so the cold areas will receive some heat, but it's less than ideal or efficient . . you also set up stresses in the plaster than make it much more likely to break, crack and crumble . . . . this is why pretty much all microwaves have a rotating turntable so areas of the food are not just stuck in a cold spot . . . . if you can find some easy way of moving the plaster around, up and down or rotating (or any movement) you will get better, more consistent, results.
Yes, indeed. Using the rotating turntable can be beneficial. I don’t use it because my microwave is flipped on its side. I could flip it back to its intended position when I microwave molds, but it’s just not worth it for me. Cheers!
The g-code shown in the video is not the only one I use. I have much shorter-faster moving g-codes that do the shaking. You suggestion using accelerometer testing g-code is great. Cheers!
My Anycubic Kobra 2 features what they call 'resonance tuning'. Shake the table faster and faster until it 'hums', do they same thing for the nozzle. The excursion is pretty short, however...will have to do some testing.
That butter knife came out great. Maybe making a batch of tall "funnels" out of investment to make the pouring sprue longer, then stick them onto the moulds with bit of investment as glue? That silver metal the door handles were made from is probably Zamak, a pretty common zinc-based die-casting metal.
Thanks! Well, you can always carve out the investment. It's very easy to do it after microwaving while the investment is still wet. I did not do it with the butter knife, since I have a silicon carbide ring, but I could have done that instead. One of those wax carving/sculpting tools that looks like a letter "U" attached to a stick works very good.
I think, that it was a proof-of-concept.video, where he knows, that it´d be better off with long sprues, and still doesn´t use any, cause in this case, it still worked out well. Pouring steel, if I got it right... With a 3d-printer and a mirowave-oven, mind you. That´s Startrek-level stuff.
Thank you for this video. Seriously. I've been considering how best to make a mold for some things I want to make, using many materials, but often using 3d printing to help create the mold itself, but I haven't been able to figure out which way to go about it for reliable and reusable results. This seems like the best method so far.
30 seconds in, based on what you said, I would have normally stopped watching the video figuring it was just hype. But since I've seen your other videos, instead, I continued watching, knowing that you do stuff I didn't think was possible. Not to mention things I don't think I would be willing to do. Like putting wet plaster right onto the build plate! WTF???? LOL Your videos are making me want to do things I am very nervous about doing. Though I'm still incredibly concerned about the danger aspects, and I don't have a microwave, so who knows. I would love a video on a deep dive on stainless steel casting. I heard you say that it can be done, but you aren't sure if you could melt enough for the butter knife. A whole video figuring that out would be of great interest to me. Thanks again for another great video!
Thanks! Yeah, stainless steel needs a lot of heat. So far, I have successfully melted a few stainless steel nuts (A2-70). I am talking about quantities enough to cast a ring. Because it requires such high heat, I had to use a few tricks to melt it. Preheating the crucible and using smaller crucibles helped. That's why I'm unsure if I can manage larger quantities, but I'll definitely try and make a video about it. Cheers!
@@dougaltolan3017 Well, it isn´t a different ball game apparently, if one only handles smaller amounts, like, for a big butterknife... Mind you, only with a 3d-printer, plaster, and a microwave oven...!!! Imagine what one could do with TWO microwave ovens...!!!
btw if you need higher temperatures, get a broken toaster oven for free, a kiln coil and pid controller for 10-15 bucks each, and a bag of refractory concrete for 5-10 bucks. you can add insulation around to make it more efficient (and reach higher temps) too.
This is one of those few videos where my mind starts to race! Not only is this approach novel (but once you have seen it IT IS SO OBVIOUS!), but the elegant simplicity and accessability deserves a round of applause. I already have some ideas for improvement - like adding vents for more complex objects and a bigger funnel. I will totally try this in the near future. Oh, and as others have already said: that mystery alloy the door handle was made of almost certainly is Zamac. You, my good sir, had a bright idea that certainly is going to make some waves amongst makers of all kinds.
Neat technique! I saw you patiently sanding with a Dremel. Bosch makes a cute 12V cordless die grinder that’s great for shaping and polishing metal parts. So satisfying.
Thanks, Seth! I would love to see what you come up with. You're the first one to mention the Batman scene. I'm glad that at least somebody found it funny. 😊
@@ShakeTheFuture I'd really like to focus on making molds that can be reused. It might be possible with the right material. Keep up the good work. You have a knack for creating very entertaining videos!
Zinc, or some zinc alloy, from my experience in the foundry industry. When I worked for National Zinc Processors, we would see all sorts of spouts and handles come in for recycling. Awesome work as always and looking forward to your channel growth.
@@hanelyp1 could even put in side actions/splits in the 3d print to make it easier to get it out of the mold. Would destroy the mold when demolding the final part but that could be worth it.
Something to be aware of that I've previously found using this method is to be aware of the spaces of the internal geometries if the part has "hollow" sections. As an example, when casting a donut shaped object, the metal shrinking can potentially contract and cause the plaster filling the "hole" to fracture. This of course can also happen with traditional investment casting, but when I tried this using a plain plaster-sand mould, the lack of usual internal investment structure (wire, etc) meant that the sections could crack off and cause cast failures, including fracturing the mould.
Very cool results! I use a similar trick for very detailed plaster sculptures, where I boil the molded plaster part to soften the plastic instead of microwaving it. I'll give the microwave method a test - but I fear it may weaken the plaster. For your purposes, as long as it holds up for the casting, that doesn't matter. But I want my pieces to have maximum strength and microwaving may cause issues - especially if it's done before the plaster reaches maximum strength.
I really like this method. I look forward to trying it out. I'm glad to see you have sponsors. Where do you buy your plaster? What type of plaster can be used and which to avoid? Thanks in advance.
Thanks! For Mario's star, I used a professional investment called "Unicast Prestige." The butter knife was cast using just ordinary dental Plaster of Paris. I live in Spain, and I got it from the "Dentalix" store. For this method, you'll want to use plaster that isn't as brittle. For example, for Lost PLA casting, I sometimes use the cheapest construction plaster I can find. For this method, it's better to use something a bit stronger since you'll need to pull the PLA out of the mold. Dental Plaster of Paris works fine. If you are doing something with a lot of detail or hills and valleys, like letters, you might want to use something a bit stronger like Ultracal or Hydrocal. Using mold release can also help. For now, I use Vaseline, but I want to try out mold release sprays.
Especially for copper based alloys, have you tried spraying the inside of the mold with a very fine graphite powder mixed with alcohol (dries, burns out quickly)?
Crazy idea, throw on some ultrasound sensors/speakers. You can use clicks to precisely measure top of fluids you add with another tool, then you can use the ultrasound to probe the plaster.
Have you tried doing this with flexible filament? Could remove the microwave step! Maybe even allow for reuse by having a position jig for gluing the pieces back to the bed?
I've considered but not tested it but if you have a kiln you might have clay, and could probably make a clay mold for metal too if you don't want to mess with plaster and metal temps. Sand should be best and plaster obviously breaks up easier but clay might get you a really nice resolution and be able to be pre-heated.
Using the printer as a linear nutator is brilliant. I’ve been doing similar in cold pour silicone for decades. Similar process but you’ve updated the technology 😂 Great job , thanks for sharing !
@@ShakeTheFuture I honestly don't know much either, but I know people use it to dry food completely very efficiently and make it stable at room temperature for like months. I think there might be something here... or not, idk lol
Pretty clever. I was like what kind of microwave is that, than melt brass?? Then i realized its a regular household model on its head. Very cool. Im still skeptical a microwave can melt brass. 😮
you should try a mold releasing on the printer bed, you could use a thick one like Vaseline petroleum jelly away from the parts. then close to the part you could use none or maybe a really thin oil with a paint brush on the parts.
I do use some mold release sometimes. In the dice video (not the footage from this video, it was a test piece), I had to use a mold release. I tried Vaseline, but what worked best was castor oil. I am still looking for other mold release options. Cheers!
The metal is zamak 12, an alloy of zinc, magnesium and copper, used in bathroom fixtures, door handles and other items that require very accurate details. It is known to be one of the best flowing alloys, next to silicon bronze. Also, mold should not be close to pouring temperature, it should be 500F lower than the pouring temp.
@@ShakeTheFuture No foul done, I enjoy the innovative content. You should try casting some stuff with that zinc alloy too and explore its capabilities, I would love to see that.
Thanks! Here is the gcode I use for Prusa MK4 (without the image) __________ G1 Y5 F12000 ; Move bed forward 5mm at 12000mm/min G1 Y-5 F12000 ; Move bed backward 5mm at 12000mm/min M400 ; Ensure no other movements are pending __________ Then I just copy paste those lines and change the movement distance. Cheers!
With the first star you cast, I don't think the sprue was too short but rather too thin. There isn't much of a depression on the top side of the pouring funnel indicating that the sprue solidified before the casting was done solidifying.
Hello Just wanted to say your ideas and videos are absolute genius, thank you for showing great results. I wanted to ask if you could test an idea which is also very interesting and could be a game changer for ceramic molds using desktop 3d printers. If possible can you use water soluble filament, create any complex geometry and then dissolve the filament so that you are left with an intricate ceramic mold. I think this can work both with the ceramic mold poured surrounding the water soluble mold or if the ceramic slurry is poured inside the water soluble mold. Similar to your method, no burnout would be required. The mold would then need to be dried out to remove any moisture and be ready for casting, would be great to see if this is possible. I have attached a video for reference which will help clarify what I mean but I think can be used for casting very complex shapes. Would be great to see what you think of this. Ceramic pour printing th-cam.com/video/KeQFBX5JFoI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rHQaBYmi7Zv1Hgfn
Interesting idea but it will only work for a pattern that can be withdrawn with the necessary draft so I see no advantage over sand casting which is much quicker and an indefinite number of castings can be made from one pattern.
I agree that sand casting is much quicker and less wasteful, but there are some advantages to other methods that I'll demonstrate in future projects, such as the dice example at the end of the video. That said, I have never done sand casting, so I might not know what I am talking about 😊 Thanks for the comment!
With the pattern softened for removal I don't see this method limited to sand casting draft requirements. On the other hand, if drafting is satisfied a pattern might be reused.
I'm thinking of building a custom microwave so that I can make it larger and have custom controls- such as built in burnout schedules, etc. I had thought that building it with multiple magnetrons might be a fool's errand since the complications due to microwave interference would be difficult to overcome... but it just hit me. What if I made separate microwave chambers that were isolated with aluminum shielding (or built the shielding into the kaowool when I built the furnace) so that there were effectively two or more different microwave chambers that were thermally connected to the main chamber and could contribute heat flow to the main chamber without having to send their microwave radiation there. Perhaps such a scheme could allow for more reliable heating at temperatures required for steel or even titanium. I would make blocks of silicon carbide that are connected by hallways of silicon carbide to the rings of silicon carbide that heat up the central chamber. Essentially, a thermal circuit. The silicon carbide blocks and hallways would be thermally insulated from the exterior as usual by kaowool and kapton tape. Inside the kaowool around the middle of the hallways (separated far enough from the silicon carbide to not melt), I would place aluminum reflectors that would achieve separating the magentrons' EM waves. I guess the whole point of such an elaborate setup would be to ensure that the microwave can run for a long time without overheating the magnetrons. Distributing the load across the magnetrons could allow the microwave to get to a similar temperature with less duty cycle per magnetron. This would make it more reliable overall. Or you could more quickly reach high temperatures. That could be nice too. LOL. Now I'm probably going to have dreams of distributing a thermal circuit in a sphere around the central chamber and pumping in energy from 16 magnetrons. The real problem is plugging them all in. Hahaha.
Microwaving an object like this will create hots spots and cold spots - the EM waves in a microwave oven are about ~10cm, so you'll get 5cm of very hot plaster and 5cm of cold plaster - the heat from the hot areas with spread, so the cold areas will receive some heat, but it's less than ideal or efficient . . you also set up stresses in the plaster than make it much more likely to break, crack and crumble . . . . this is why pretty much all microwaves have a rotating turntable so areas of the food are not just stuck in a cold spot . . . . if you can find some easy way of moving the plaster around, up and down or rotating (or any movement) you will get better, more consistent, results.
_"LOL. Now I'm probably going to have dreams of distributing a thermal circuit in a sphere around the central chamber and pumping in energy from 16 magnetrons. The real problem is plugging them all in. Hahaha."_ Lol, you'd need to get all 16 in phase, otherwise there would be a ton of destructive interference.
It does not remove water completely, and microwaving too much can crack the mold or cause the microwave to overheat. Once there is no food, water, or crucible in the microwave to absorb the energy, the magnetron will start to heat up even more, causing the thermal cut-off switch to activate and cut off the power. Doing this repeatedly risks damaging the magnetron. I am not saying that it cannot work, but it is something I cannot advise doing. Cheers!
This is a good idea however you DO need w kiln to dry it. Some of the water is locked in the plaster and will not be driven off until you can get it above 600F and keep it there. Most ovens do not get hot enough. Sometimes you will get lucky and it will work without a kiln, but eventually you’ll have one blow up in your face. Do not even attempt this without an apron and a face shield.
well, since it worked, evidently you don't (i.e. it doesn't matter if there's a bit of moisture left) though yeah you shouldn't tempt fate. I think the easiest solution (depending where you live) is to just get a pyrolysis oven, which will do 400C+ in cleaning mode. or make a crude kiln with refractory cement, a pid controller and some kiln coils if pyro ovens aren't common where you live.
@@satibel working doesn’t necessarily mean the mold is dry. It means that the geometry of the mold was not such that the escaping water was confined enough to make a bubble blow molten metal in your face.
How about the weakness of the moulds with the gypsum in it it tends to turn yellow and break easily if you fire it in a kiln. And if you don't fire it in a kiln the water moisture is still in the mould enough to cause defects on the castings when metals as hot as bronze containing copper are poured in? What are your ratios of the investment? Am I right in saying that this is better for smaller objects? And what type of build plate surface do you use so the plaster does not mess up the bed surface for the next print?
Obviously, this is just general information. There are different kinds of investments that can be used. The start was cast using "unicast prestige" investment, and the knife using Plaster of Paris. The "proper" investment was mixed according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Sometimes I add some sand, but I'm not sure if I did this time. I mixed the Plaster of Paris in a 1 to 1.2 ratio; for example, 200g of water to 240g of plaster. That said, not all Plaster of Paris products are the same, so the ratios can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. I have not yet cast any copper using this method, but I am about to do so as I write this. I am just making more molds so I can dry them all in the oven together. I would not cast copper in Plaster of Paris, even though I have done it using the Lost PLA method with quick-cooling casts like the egg cup shown at the end of the video. Those work pretty well. I know that in general, it's assumed that you need a kiln to get rid of the water in the mold, but in my experience, that's not always the case. Sure, for professional casts and perfect results, you'll want to do everything by the book. I definitely recommend it. That said, I can get pretty good casts using this method, and *I'll have more videos showing it* My oven can go up to 250°C, and I turn ON the fan. I think the fan really helps... like really helps. As I said in the video, there might be investments that will require kilns for sure, so it's all about trial and error. If one does not feel comfortable trying it out, then don't! I am not responsible for anything that can go wrong. As long as you dry your molds properly and wear PPE, you'll be fine. And if you find that your molds are still wet (after hours of drying) or casts come out bad, then you know that your oven can't do it. End of the game. I always dry my molds in the oven for at least 4 hours (or more depending on the size and temperature), and I make sure that the temperature of the molds is close to 250°C. Let's put it this way: if your oven can reach 250°C and your molds are way off that temperature, you know they are still wet. It's fine if they are hotter (since oven thermostats tend to overshoot), but if the mold has only reached 220°C in an oven that can reach 250°C, then you know it's still wet. It will also depend on the air fryer/oven you're using. My air fryer struggles to bring the molds to 205°C (the maximum temperature it can reach), so I always switch to the oven. I personally get the best results casting copper using Ultracal/Hydrocal products. I have not tried "unicast," but I suppose it should also work. I wouldn't know about casting large items, as my casts are generally pretty small anyway, so nothing has changed compared to Lost PLA casting. I just use the original Prusa PEI sheet build plate that came with the printer. It does not have any texture, which I think helps. I have not had any issues with the build plate. The investment does not affect it as far as I am aware. The mold can be removed easily. Sometimes I just go slow to avoid pulling out the print from the mold. If it's a print that is properly embedded into the investment, I just remove it from the build plate as I would a normal print. *For anyone who finds it useful* : If this video has inspired you to buy a 3D printer, you need a modern 3D printer with a "perfect" first layer, such as the Prusa MK4 or Bamboo printers. That way, you'll get the best results. I would avoid getting older generation printers that do not lay-down a perfect first layer automatically. It will make things more frustrating and complicated
Actually you're better off with a fatter sprue with a narrower neck. And it should come down to the side of the part, not the middle. Less turbulence, less entrained air, and the sprue or riser should be the very last thing to freeze out, so it can feed molten metal to the rest of the part as it freezes. Use cross sectional area as a decent rule of thumb. Awesome work!
Thank you for the tip. Spruing is something I am still figuring out. Comments like yours are always welcome. Thank you very much-I'll keep that in mind.
Online or in Art shops (or whatever they are called). If you are looking for something specific, I've had great success with "unicast prestige" powders.
Have you ever used a creality sonic pad? When you calibrate for ressonance using it, it vibrates like a mf, for sure it would be very efficient on removing bubbles.
I like it. Note that if you print your mould with soft TPU, that you could skip the microwave step. Print some placement guides and you could even re-use the TPU.
Thanks. Well, I have not tested all the flexibles, but one I tried years ago did stick to the plaster and it was almost impossible to remove it. That said, it was years ago. I should give it another try. Cheers!
I have just tried casting my first aluminium using your techniques, do you have any recommendations for simple investment that you used in this video? Thanks!
If I don't use a "proper" investment, but something like a Plaster of Paris type of powder, then I usually mix it with sand. Depending on the brand, I generally mix it as follows: *1 part water* *1.1 parts plaster* *0.5 parts sand* For example: 200g of water, 220g of plaster, and 100g of sand. This is a basic formula that can be adjusted depending on the plaster used or one's specific needs.
Well, it's not better or worse, it's just different, and yes, it is more wasteful indeed. Of course, with sand casting, you don't need to use an oven and the sand can be reused. However, this method is great if you want to do some metal casting as a busy person, assuming the files are provided by the community. It doesn't take a lot of time, I mean YOUR time. Also as I mentioned in the video, with this method you can cast items that would be impossible or difficult to cast using sand casting. Cheers!
Nobody is talking about the "investment". What is it plaster of Paris? Because this holds water which, when it meets molten metal will cause said metal to burst into the air and land on the back of your head. Luckily I wasn't hurt
Well, that’s why I said in the video that some investments will need longer drying times or higher temperatures (meaning, use of a kiln). It depends on the investment used and the temperature of the oven. and drying times. I also used a proper investment to make the star. It was not Plaster of Paris. Plaster of Paris was used only for the knife mold. Cheers!
I thoughtnhe had some fancy vertical microwave then i realized its just a microwave on its side and that we really can use microwaves as star trek replicators
Yes and no. For simple molds, it will do the job, but with 3D prints that are deeply embedded into the plaster, it will not work as well. Microwaving will be far easier. I have more videos scheduled to be published. In those videos, the prints are embedded way deeper into the mold, and I have to pull them out with some pliers. In order to do it, the PLA needs to be softened all the way into the mold, so the microwaving is the key. Cheers!
*Important note:* Not all hs-PLA's are the same. Some filaments just don't get soft enough. There can be a massive differenceS between filaments used.
The one I use and recommend is "Sunlu - Meta PLA". Make sure it has Meta in the name.
There is another video using this method in case you missed it.
*Print-Wave Metal Casting: Aluminium Mug*
th-cam.com/video/5ZhkHHd6YwM/w-d-xo.html
no clickbait ,super informative and inspiring content -that is what TH-cam used to be. Thank you!
Thank You! I am glad you like it.
If anything it was understated. This was some top notch stuff and while I guess we'll never stop seeing 3d printing innovations, they still surprise me when I see them!
Here is a trick for knowing when the plaster is dry. After drying it, let it go to room temperature, then place your hand on the surface. If it feels cool, it's still moist. If it feels warm, its dry. (If it is dry it will feel warm even at room temperature). We use this trick all the time making ceramics.
Thank You for sharing the trick. Do you think it also applies to very small/stubborn quantities of water?
@@ShakeTheFuture yes, as long as there is moisture. It's critical in ceramics, so the pieces don't explode in the kiln.
Your "not brass" metal is probably Zamak, an alloy of Zinc, Aluminium, Magnesium and Copper. It's a really amazing metal for casting, has a much lower melting point than brass, and does less toxic Zinc fumes.
I love Zamak :)
Not to mention, zinc alloys shrink so much less than just about any other casting metal.
Surely the aluminum fumes can't be better than the zinc ones tho. Either way people should be on daily silica supplements for all the airborne aluminum from cloud seeding, doubly so when they're sanding and melting alloys in their home
Yep I work as an electroplater and we plate a lot of cast Zamak parts. Probably Zamak 3 if I had to guess, there are multiple types of Zamak. We do zinc plating for a better surface finish and then a chemical dye that turns the plating a brassy color. We do a lot of handles for hotels.
Yeah, but it looses basically all strength at 250°C and is an absolute bitch to electroplate with other metals.
I"m just sitting here in my underpants saying "holy shit" repeatedly. Incredible. One of the most integral processes to modern humans industrialization has just been meaningfully iterated. so smart to recognize the application of the microwave.
Imagine the advantages that smooth glass heat-bed could add to that... The mating of the plaster-halves would be even more precise.
What color are they 😉
What a truly inspirational video. Like all great ideas, they are so obvious once you are shown it. I have just started putting together the necessary items to build my own metal melting workshop. I have spent hundreds of hours watching videos and reading articles and no one comes close to how you do it.
Thank You for taking time to leave a comment. It's always nice to know that the people found the video/information useful.
I've tried many different casting processes and not tried this one before!
For me any material is precious so I try my hardest to make everything as cheap as possible.
My favourite way to cast things is to print a 3D model in vase mode and then dip it in plaster of Paris, creating about 3 or 4 mm shell. Then, after drying, put it in the oven to soften the plastic and carefully remove it. Then I pack the mould shell inside some dry sand. I found casting like this uses absolute minimum materials possible
Thanks for sharing your casting process 👍
This is incredible! The mold process, the melting process, the information...
What a great channel, thank you!
Thank You very much for taking the time to leave the comment.
THE most significant use for 3D printers i have seen since 3D printers became an affordable thing.
John Heisz just added a 3d printer to his wood shop. Check out what he’s been doing with it.
I tried sharing link to his channel but I guess it got deleted.
Cheers!
Then you, my friend, haven’t seen a giant TPE marital aid! 😊
Microwaving an object like this will create hots spots and cold spots - the EM waves in a microwave oven are about ~10cm, so you'll get 5cm of very hot plaster and 5cm of cold plaster - the heat from the hot areas will - of course - spread, so the cold areas will receive some heat, but it's less than ideal or efficient . . you also set up stresses in the plaster than make it much more likely to break, crack and crumble . . . . this is why pretty much all microwaves have a rotating turntable so areas of the food are not just stuck in a cold spot . . . . if you can find some easy way of moving the plaster around, up and down or rotating (or any movement) you will get better, more consistent, results.
Yes, indeed. Using the rotating turntable can be beneficial. I don’t use it because my microwave is flipped on its side. I could flip it back to its intended position when I microwave molds, but it’s just not worth it for me. Cheers!
I think an accelerometer testing g-code would be great for popping bubbles of various sizes, as it passes through a huge range of frequencies.
great idea
The g-code shown in the video is not the only one I use. I have much shorter-faster moving g-codes that do the shaking. You suggestion using accelerometer testing g-code is great. Cheers!
He should use the vibration like my bambu does before every print
@@AckzaTV That's the first thing I thought of! That annoying BBBBBRRRRRTTT!!! lol
My Anycubic Kobra 2 features what they call 'resonance tuning'.
Shake the table faster and faster until it 'hums', do they same thing for the nozzle.
The excursion is pretty short, however...will have to do some testing.
This dude is using just average kitchen supplies to metal cast stuff, I'm definitely inspired. Unexpected way of use!
Thank You! I am Glad you enjoyed it.
Great video again! I hope I am not dead before I can reach this point of my Bucket List...
I hope not 😀
Wow. Most underrated maker channel on TH-cam!
Thank You!
That butter knife came out great.
Maybe making a batch of tall "funnels" out of investment to make the pouring sprue longer, then stick them onto the moulds with bit of investment as glue?
That silver metal the door handles were made from is probably Zamak, a pretty common zinc-based die-casting metal.
Thanks! Well, you can always carve out the investment. It's very easy to do it after microwaving while the investment is still wet. I did not do it with the butter knife, since I have a silicon carbide ring, but I could have done that instead. One of those wax carving/sculpting tools that looks like a letter "U" attached to a stick works very good.
I think, that it was a proof-of-concept.video, where he knows, that it´d be better off with long sprues, and still doesn´t use any, cause in this case, it still worked out well. Pouring steel, if I got it right... With a 3d-printer and a mirowave-oven, mind you. That´s Startrek-level stuff.
Thank you for this video. Seriously. I've been considering how best to make a mold for some things I want to make, using many materials, but often using 3d printing to help create the mold itself, but I haven't been able to figure out which way to go about it for reliable and reusable results. This seems like the best method so far.
I am glad you found it useful. Cheers!
30 seconds in, based on what you said, I would have normally stopped watching the video figuring it was just hype. But since I've seen your other videos, instead, I continued watching, knowing that you do stuff I didn't think was possible. Not to mention things I don't think I would be willing to do. Like putting wet plaster right onto the build plate! WTF???? LOL
Your videos are making me want to do things I am very nervous about doing. Though I'm still incredibly concerned about the danger aspects, and I don't have a microwave, so who knows.
I would love a video on a deep dive on stainless steel casting. I heard you say that it can be done, but you aren't sure if you could melt enough for the butter knife. A whole video figuring that out would be of great interest to me.
Thanks again for another great video!
Melting points
Brass 930C
Aluminium 660C
Stainless steel 1,500C
It's a very different ball game.
Thanks! Yeah, stainless steel needs a lot of heat. So far, I have successfully melted a few stainless steel nuts (A2-70). I am talking about quantities enough to cast a ring. Because it requires such high heat, I had to use a few tricks to melt it. Preheating the crucible and using smaller crucibles helped. That's why I'm unsure if I can manage larger quantities, but I'll definitely try and make a video about it. Cheers!
@@dougaltolan3017 Well, it isn´t a different ball game apparently, if one only handles smaller amounts, like, for a big butterknife... Mind you, only with a 3d-printer, plaster, and a microwave oven...!!! Imagine what one could do with TWO microwave ovens...!!!
btw if you need higher temperatures, get a broken toaster oven for free, a kiln coil and pid controller for 10-15 bucks each, and a bag of refractory concrete for 5-10 bucks.
you can add insulation around to make it more efficient (and reach higher temps) too.
Thanks for the tip!
This is one of those few videos where my mind starts to race! Not only is this approach novel (but once you have seen it IT IS SO OBVIOUS!), but the elegant simplicity and accessability deserves a round of applause. I already have some ideas for improvement - like adding vents for more complex objects and a bigger funnel. I will totally try this in the near future. Oh, and as others have already said: that mystery alloy the door handle was made of almost certainly is Zamac. You, my good sir, had a bright idea that certainly is going to make some waves amongst makers of all kinds.
Thank You very much!
Neat technique! I saw you patiently sanding with a Dremel. Bosch makes a cute 12V cordless die grinder that’s great for shaping and polishing metal parts. So satisfying.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Wow this is such a cool and innovative process! I’m already thinking of ways to use it. Thanks for sharing! The Batman scene made me laugh. Nice job!
Thanks, Seth! I would love to see what you come up with. You're the first one to mention the Batman scene. I'm glad that at least somebody found it funny. 😊
@@ShakeTheFuture I'd really like to focus on making molds that can be reused. It might be possible with the right material. Keep up the good work. You have a knack for creating very entertaining videos!
Awesome work like usual. Your videos are always an immediate click. Thanks from Brazil, man
Thank You! I am glad you find them useful.
Zinc, or some zinc alloy, from my experience in the foundry industry. When I worked for National Zinc Processors, we would see all sorts of spouts and handles come in for recycling. Awesome work as always and looking forward to your channel growth.
Thank You!
Awesome innovation to use the print bed as the mating surface and even shaking the bubbles out!
Cheers!
This is a great idea. You can even do it with non drafted things. Im def going to try this! Tyvm sir!
Cheers!
Even limited undercut if my guess is right.
@@hanelyp1 could even put in side actions/splits in the 3d print to make it easier to get it out of the mold. Would destroy the mold when demolding the final part but that could be worth it.
Wow, that’s an amazing technique. Very useful.
Thank You!
Great video. Thankyou for sharing. So clever what you have done on the plastic printer and the microwave. I would never have thought of that.
Thank You very much!
Something to be aware of that I've previously found using this method is to be aware of the spaces of the internal geometries if the part has "hollow" sections. As an example, when casting a donut shaped object, the metal shrinking can potentially contract and cause the plaster filling the "hole" to fracture. This of course can also happen with traditional investment casting, but when I tried this using a plain plaster-sand mould, the lack of usual internal investment structure (wire, etc) meant that the sections could crack off and cause cast failures, including fracturing the mould.
I wish i could super like this video
Thank You! You already did, just by taking time to comment. Much appreciated.
I’m going to try this with a plaque I’ve been struggling with. I’ll come back when I have some time to try this.
Very cool results!
I use a similar trick for very detailed plaster sculptures, where I boil the molded plaster part to soften the plastic instead of microwaving it. I'll give the microwave method a test - but I fear it may weaken the plaster. For your purposes, as long as it holds up for the casting, that doesn't matter. But I want my pieces to have maximum strength and microwaving may cause issues - especially if it's done before the plaster reaches maximum strength.
Thanks Mattias!
That door handle is most likely made of zamak12, a very common casting zinc alloy. It's used in everything.
Cheers!
This is ingenious! Thanks so much for sharing!
Cheers!
This is amazing! Why didn't anyone popularize it earlier!
Thanks!
I really like this method. I look forward to trying it out. I'm glad to see you have sponsors. Where do you buy your plaster? What type of plaster can be used and which to avoid? Thanks in advance.
Thanks! For Mario's star, I used a professional investment called "Unicast Prestige." The butter knife was cast using just ordinary dental Plaster of Paris. I live in Spain, and I got it from the "Dentalix" store. For this method, you'll want to use plaster that isn't as brittle. For example, for Lost PLA casting, I sometimes use the cheapest construction plaster I can find. For this method, it's better to use something a bit stronger since you'll need to pull the PLA out of the mold. Dental Plaster of Paris works fine. If you are doing something with a lot of detail or hills and valleys, like letters, you might want to use something a bit stronger like Ultracal or Hydrocal. Using mold release can also help. For now, I use Vaseline, but I want to try out mold release sprays.
@@ShakeTheFuture Thank you!
This is brilliant! I must try this!
Cheers!
Especially for copper based alloys, have you tried spraying the inside of the mold with a very fine graphite powder mixed with alcohol (dries, burns out quickly)?
Thanks for the info. I have never tried or heard about it. I might try it out. Cheers!
My Bambu a1 mini would vibrate the plaster really well, it does that test before each print that vibrates the x & y.
I am sure it can be done on prusa....but I have not looked into that. It's not my area of expertise 😊
Crazy idea, throw on some ultrasound sensors/speakers. You can use clicks to precisely measure top of fluids you add with another tool, then you can use the ultrasound to probe the plaster.
I was going to try to use an ultrasonic cleaner with plaster and metal, so your suggestion is not crazy. I just need to get it first. Cheers!
Have you tried doing this with flexible filament?
Could remove the microwave step!
Maybe even allow for reuse by having a position jig for gluing the pieces back to the bed?
I have not tried it yet, but I will. Cheers!
Great video. Thanks for making it.
Thank You Marc!
I totally didn't know you could just melt any pla in a microwave like that. Very cool. Any caveats I should know about?
Thanks! I'll be making another video with more examples of this method. I'll demonstrate how it's possible to do a bit more complicated casts.
I've considered but not tested it but if you have a kiln you might have clay, and could probably make a clay mold for metal too if you don't want to mess with plaster and metal temps. Sand should be best and plaster obviously breaks up easier but clay might get you a really nice resolution and be able to be pre-heated.
Cheers!
Can you use metal powder so you do not have to pour hot metal. Like sintering.
Yes, you can sinter using the microwave, but I have not done it myself. There are some people doing it on TH-cam.
Deserves attention! 💯
Cheers!
Using the printer as a linear nutator is brilliant. I’ve been doing similar in cold pour silicone for decades. Similar process but you’ve updated the technology 😂
Great job , thanks for sharing !
Thank You!
Innovative as always.
Thank You!
Excellent and informative. Well done sir.
Thank you!
Would it be possible to freeze dry the mold to get rid of the moisture? I wonder if that would be more efficient.
I don't know anything about freeze-drying, so I wouldn't know. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture I honestly don't know much either, but I know people use it to dry food completely very efficiently and make it stable at room temperature for like months. I think there might be something here... or not, idk lol
Pretty clever. I was like what kind of microwave is that, than melt brass?? Then i realized its a regular household model on its head. Very cool. Im still skeptical a microwave can melt brass. 😮
Yes, just an ordinary microwave indeed 😀Cheers!
Great video mate, thanks.
Thanks!
you should try a mold releasing on the printer bed, you could use a thick one like Vaseline petroleum jelly away from the parts. then close to the part you could use none or maybe a really thin oil with a paint brush on the parts.
I do use some mold release sometimes. In the dice video (not the footage from this video, it was a test piece), I had to use a mold release. I tried Vaseline, but what worked best was castor oil. I am still looking for other mold release options. Cheers!
The metal is zamak 12, an alloy of zinc, magnesium and copper, used in bathroom fixtures, door handles and other items that require very accurate details. It is known to be one of the best flowing alloys, next to silicon bronze. Also, mold should not be close to pouring temperature, it should be 500F lower than the pouring temp.
Thank you for the correction. I think saying close to pouring temperature was not a good word choice.
@@ShakeTheFuture No foul done, I enjoy the innovative content. You should try casting some stuff with that zinc alloy too and explore its capabilities, I would love to see that.
anyone have a gcode file for shaking the bed? Big thanks for sharing your knowledge, this video blew my mind and made my day.
Thanks! Here is the gcode I use for Prusa MK4 (without the image)
__________
G1 Y5 F12000 ; Move bed forward 5mm at 12000mm/min
G1 Y-5 F12000 ; Move bed backward 5mm at 12000mm/min
M400 ; Ensure no other movements are pending
__________
Then I just copy paste those lines and change the movement distance.
Cheers!
This is brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
With the first star you cast, I don't think the sprue was too short but rather too thin. There isn't much of a depression on the top side of the pouring funnel indicating that the sprue solidified before the casting was done solidifying.
That's great to know. Thanks You!
Clever technique
Cheers!
Hello
Just wanted to say your ideas and videos are absolute genius, thank you for showing great results. I wanted to ask if you could test an idea which is also very interesting and could be a game changer for ceramic molds using desktop 3d printers. If possible can you use water soluble filament, create any complex geometry and then dissolve the filament so that you are left with an intricate ceramic mold. I think this can work both with the ceramic mold poured surrounding the water soluble mold or if the ceramic slurry is poured inside the water soluble mold. Similar to your method, no burnout would be required. The mold would then need to be dried out to remove any moisture and be ready for casting, would be great to see if this is possible. I have attached a video for reference which will help clarify what I mean but I think can be used for casting very complex shapes. Would be great to see what you think of this.
Ceramic pour printing
th-cam.com/video/KeQFBX5JFoI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rHQaBYmi7Zv1Hgfn
Lost pva casting would be a suitable name
That's a great idea. I might try it out in the future. Cheers!
Very neat. Can you use this same method with plaster as the "investment" and concrete as the thing being cast?
I have never tried it, so I would not know. Cheers!
Metal 3d printers hate him, see how he made them obsolete for all but the most complex prints.
Very impressive!
Thanks Robert!
At 11:11, it seems like Zamak - a zinc alloy
Interesting idea but it will only work for a pattern that can be withdrawn with the necessary draft so I see no advantage over sand casting which is much quicker and an indefinite number of castings can be made from one pattern.
I agree that sand casting is much quicker and less wasteful, but there are some advantages to other methods that I'll demonstrate in future projects, such as the dice example at the end of the video. That said, I have never done sand casting, so I might not know what I am talking about 😊 Thanks for the comment!
With the pattern softened for removal I don't see this method limited to sand casting draft requirements. On the other hand, if drafting is satisfied a pattern might be reused.
Wow, great video.
Glad you enjoyed it
I'm thinking of building a custom microwave so that I can make it larger and have custom controls- such as built in burnout schedules, etc. I had thought that building it with multiple magnetrons might be a fool's errand since the complications due to microwave interference would be difficult to overcome... but it just hit me. What if I made separate microwave chambers that were isolated with aluminum shielding (or built the shielding into the kaowool when I built the furnace) so that there were effectively two or more different microwave chambers that were thermally connected to the main chamber and could contribute heat flow to the main chamber without having to send their microwave radiation there. Perhaps such a scheme could allow for more reliable heating at temperatures required for steel or even titanium.
I would make blocks of silicon carbide that are connected by hallways of silicon carbide to the rings of silicon carbide that heat up the central chamber. Essentially, a thermal circuit. The silicon carbide blocks and hallways would be thermally insulated from the exterior as usual by kaowool and kapton tape. Inside the kaowool around the middle of the hallways (separated far enough from the silicon carbide to not melt), I would place aluminum reflectors that would achieve separating the magentrons' EM waves.
I guess the whole point of such an elaborate setup would be to ensure that the microwave can run for a long time without overheating the magnetrons. Distributing the load across the magnetrons could allow the microwave to get to a similar temperature with less duty cycle per magnetron. This would make it more reliable overall. Or you could more quickly reach high temperatures. That could be nice too.
LOL. Now I'm probably going to have dreams of distributing a thermal circuit in a sphere around the central chamber and pumping in energy from 16 magnetrons. The real problem is plugging them all in. Hahaha.
Well, it's definitely possible. Industrial microwaves have 2 magnetrons. I've never tried them out, but they should melt metals way faster.
Microwaving an object like this will create hots spots and cold spots - the EM waves in a microwave oven are about ~10cm, so you'll get 5cm of very hot plaster and 5cm of cold plaster - the heat from the hot areas with spread, so the cold areas will receive some heat, but it's less than ideal or efficient . . you also set up stresses in the plaster than make it much more likely to break, crack and crumble . . . . this is why pretty much all microwaves have a rotating turntable so areas of the food are not just stuck in a cold spot . . . . if you can find some easy way of moving the plaster around, up and down or rotating (or any movement) you will get better, more consistent, results.
_"LOL. Now I'm probably going to have dreams of distributing a thermal circuit in a sphere around the central chamber and pumping in energy from 16 magnetrons. The real problem is plugging them all in. Hahaha."_
Lol, you'd need to get all 16 in phase, otherwise there would be a ton of destructive interference.
but why not dry plaster in microwave? It worked for me quite well but I've never done metal casting
It does not remove water completely, and microwaving too much can crack the mold or cause the microwave to overheat. Once there is no food, water, or crucible in the microwave to absorb the energy, the magnetron will start to heat up even more, causing the thermal cut-off switch to activate and cut off the power. Doing this repeatedly risks damaging the magnetron. I am not saying that it cannot work, but it is something I cannot advise doing. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture thank you! Found the answer in video as well! Great job!
mold release before pouring plaster.
Yes, sometimes I use some Vaseline. I will tray mold-release spray. Cheers!
Your acronym is one U away from an Internet classic. :-D
Oh yes, people mention it time to time 😂
Sick method
Cheers!
Another awesome vid
Thanks!
This is a good idea however you DO need w kiln to dry it. Some of the water is locked in the plaster and will not be driven off until you can get it above 600F and keep it there. Most ovens do not get hot enough. Sometimes you will get lucky and it will work without a kiln, but eventually you’ll have one blow up in your face. Do not even attempt this without an apron and a face shield.
well, since it worked, evidently you don't (i.e. it doesn't matter if there's a bit of moisture left)
though yeah you shouldn't tempt fate.
I think the easiest solution (depending where you live) is to just get a pyrolysis oven, which will do 400C+ in cleaning mode. or make a crude kiln with refractory cement, a pid controller and some kiln coils if pyro ovens aren't common where you live.
@@satibel working doesn’t necessarily mean the mold is dry. It means that the geometry of the mold was not such that the escaping water was confined enough to make a bubble blow molten metal in your face.
Thanks for the info. Yes, wearing a PPE is a must!
Brilliant!
Thanks!
Fantastic idea!!
Thanks!
How about the weakness of the moulds with the gypsum in it it tends to turn yellow and break easily if you fire it in a kiln. And if you don't fire it in a kiln the water moisture is still in the mould enough to cause defects on the castings when metals as hot as bronze containing copper are poured in? What are your ratios of the investment? Am I right in saying that this is better for smaller objects? And what type of build plate surface do you use so the plaster does not mess up the bed surface for the next print?
Obviously, this is just general information. There are different kinds of investments that can be used. The start was cast using "unicast prestige" investment, and the knife using Plaster of Paris.
The "proper" investment was mixed according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Sometimes I add some sand, but I'm not sure if I did this time. I mixed the Plaster of Paris in a 1 to 1.2 ratio; for example, 200g of water to 240g of plaster. That said, not all Plaster of Paris products are the same, so the ratios can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
I have not yet cast any copper using this method, but I am about to do so as I write this. I am just making more molds so I can dry them all in the oven together. I would not cast copper in Plaster of Paris, even though I have done it using the Lost PLA method with quick-cooling casts like the egg cup shown at the end of the video. Those work pretty well.
I know that in general, it's assumed that you need a kiln to get rid of the water in the mold, but in my experience, that's not always the case. Sure, for professional casts and perfect results, you'll want to do everything by the book. I definitely recommend it. That said, I can get pretty good casts using this method, and *I'll have more videos showing it*
My oven can go up to 250°C, and I turn ON the fan. I think the fan really helps... like really helps. As I said in the video, there might be investments that will require kilns for sure, so it's all about trial and error. If one does not feel comfortable trying it out, then don't! I am not responsible for anything that can go wrong. As long as you dry your molds properly and wear PPE, you'll be fine.
And if you find that your molds are still wet (after hours of drying) or casts come out bad, then you know that your oven can't do it. End of the game.
I always dry my molds in the oven for at least 4 hours (or more depending on the size and temperature), and I make sure that the temperature of the molds is close to 250°C. Let's put it this way: if your oven can reach 250°C and your molds are way off that temperature, you know they are still wet. It's fine if they are hotter (since oven thermostats tend to overshoot), but if the mold has only reached 220°C in an oven that can reach 250°C, then you know it's still wet.
It will also depend on the air fryer/oven you're using. My air fryer struggles to bring the molds to 205°C (the maximum temperature it can reach), so I always switch to the oven.
I personally get the best results casting copper using Ultracal/Hydrocal products. I have not tried "unicast," but I suppose it should also work. I wouldn't know about casting large items, as my casts are generally pretty small anyway, so nothing has changed compared to Lost PLA casting. I just use the original Prusa PEI sheet build plate that came with the printer. It does not have any texture, which I think helps. I have not had any issues with the build plate. The investment does not affect it as far as I am aware. The mold can be removed easily. Sometimes I just go slow to avoid pulling out the print from the mold. If it's a print that is properly embedded into the investment, I just remove it from the build plate as I would a normal print.
*For anyone who finds it useful* : If this video has inspired you to buy a 3D printer, you need a modern 3D printer with a "perfect" first layer, such as the Prusa MK4 or Bamboo printers. That way, you'll get the best results. I would avoid getting older generation printers that do not lay-down a perfect first layer automatically. It will make things more frustrating and complicated
@@ShakeTheFuture Oh and where can we get the gcode to shake the 3d printer do they only work for one 3d printer or many?
Actually you're better off with a fatter sprue with a narrower neck. And it should come down to the side of the part, not the middle. Less turbulence, less entrained air, and the sprue or riser should be the very last thing to freeze out, so it can feed molten metal to the rest of the part as it freezes. Use cross sectional area as a decent rule of thumb. Awesome work!
Thank you for the tip. Spruing is something I am still figuring out. Comments like yours are always welcome. Thank you very much-I'll keep that in mind.
It's zink alloy.
Where do one go to get plaster that would be suitable for this endeavor?
Online or in Art shops (or whatever they are called). If you are looking for something specific, I've had great success with "unicast prestige" powders.
Have you ever used a creality sonic pad? When you calibrate for ressonance using it, it vibrates like a mf, for sure it would be very efficient on removing bubbles.
this is so cool
Thanks!
I like it. Note that if you print your mould with soft TPU, that you could skip the microwave step. Print some placement guides and you could even re-use the TPU.
Thanks. Well, I have not tested all the flexibles, but one I tried years ago did stick to the plaster and it was almost impossible to remove it. That said, it was years ago. I should give it another try. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture you could try spraying mineral oil as a mold release
@@ShakeTheFuture Car spray sheen products are supposed to support release.
@@satibel Indeed. I do use mold release (castor oil based). I have not tried it out with flexibles, will give it a shot.
I have just tried casting my first aluminium using your techniques, do you have any recommendations for simple investment that you used in this video? Thanks!
If I don't use a "proper" investment, but something like a Plaster of Paris type of powder, then I usually mix it with sand. Depending on the brand, I generally mix it as follows:
*1 part water*
*1.1 parts plaster*
*0.5 parts sand*
For example: 200g of water, 220g of plaster, and 100g of sand.
This is a basic formula that can be adjusted depending on the plaster used or one's specific needs.
@@ShakeTheFuture amazing thanks for your response!
link to the microwave furnace and how does one do it fo ørsteel?
If you have not already, check out the video titled: *Melt Metals in The Microwave | The Ultimate Guide*
th-cam.com/video/P1VmIYheuU4/w-d-xo.html
Still the pla is lost ?
Well, not in the same way as in Lost PLA casting. In some cases it can even be reused.
@@ShakeTheFuture true, and what a great process. Keep going
I love seeing new and innovative ideas, but isn't this much more expensive and wasteful than typical sand casting?
Well, it's not better or worse, it's just different, and yes, it is more wasteful indeed. Of course, with sand casting, you don't need to use an oven and the sand can be reused. However, this method is great if you want to do some metal casting as a busy person, assuming the files are provided by the community. It doesn't take a lot of time, I mean YOUR time. Also as I mentioned in the video, with this method you can cast items that would be impossible or difficult to cast using sand casting. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture I'm looking forward to seeing the dice video
Genius!
Cheers!
Nobody is talking about the "investment". What is it plaster of Paris? Because this holds water which, when it meets molten metal will cause said metal to burst into the air and land on the back of your head. Luckily I wasn't hurt
Well, that’s why I said in the video that some investments will need longer drying times or higher temperatures (meaning, use of a kiln). It depends on the investment used and the temperature of the oven. and drying times.
I also used a proper investment to make the star. It was not Plaster of Paris. Plaster of Paris was used only for the knife mold.
Cheers!
The other metal is most likely zamak (mostly zinc and aluminium)
I thoughtnhe had some fancy vertical microwave then i realized its just a microwave on its side and that we really can use microwaves as star trek replicators
Yeah, it always confused people 😉
I subscribed, for the baldness fashion advise
Thanks 😂
Nice!
Cheers!
The gun parts printing crowd is going to flip out when they see this.
@@klausbrinck2137why would that be sad?
Very smart 💙💛
If you're going to use that knife, you'll want to test it for lead content. The white metal is a zinc alloy, like zamak.
Thank You for the tip! 👍
11:00 Zamak? th-cam.com/video/MoxK2hWN4LIt/w-d-xo.html=372 Apparently it's used a lot in household fixtures.
Oh yeah, I have seen that. Maybe it is. Cheers!
Kids are awesome, but there’s no way I could live with the noise 😂
Sounds nice
Nice work. Yeah steam explosions and molten metal is a really bad mix. A former lecturer of mine nearly killed himself casting into a damp mould.
Yes that's true. That's why I said that it needs to be tested to know whether or not your oven can do it. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture Yeah yeah, I was just relating a story.
Fuckin Awesome. Cheers!
Thanks!
why you put it in a for child category, i cant save it for my collection, no option to put it in my favorites...
It appears he changed it. Try now.
Wait!! can you melt metal with microwave ?
Yes you can 😊
A heat gun or hair dryer should also be able to soften the plastic enough to remove it.
Yes and no. For simple molds, it will do the job, but with 3D prints that are deeply embedded into the plaster, it will not work as well. Microwaving will be far easier.
I have more videos scheduled to be published. In those videos, the prints are embedded way deeper into the mold, and I have to pull them out with some pliers. In order to do it, the PLA needs to be softened all the way into the mold, so the microwaving is the key. Cheers!