I worked in a cast iron founry for 5 years... happy days its better if you sieve the sand for the top layer ... We used parting powder made from chalk .... but it would have been better if you had layed the blade on the base and filled it up and rammed sand on top of the blade . then turn the mold over and make a joint ... then put the top half of the box on top then parting powder then fill top half with sand . then you should be able to lift the top box off remove the sword mould and cut the runners an risers .... youll get a better finish if you use a Sieve ... Once it has been cast you should let it cool down naturally .....
What a fantastic video Will, first time i've seen this being done and really appreciating the amount of work that goes into making one of these. Many thanks for taking the time to share this ~Peace~
Just a suggestion... a tiny suction cup or a length of wood with adjustable suction cups on the hilt and blade part would probably give you flawless pickups with little risk of damaging the sand.
Have already watched this video but like every other video you have made I just watch them over again as they are excellent and informative on a lot of great stuff keep it up mate
If the sand reacts anything like concrete, which I think it might, to a degree. Using a palm sander or something similar, around the outer edge of the mold, ( box ) to vibrate the sand, should better compact it. After setting the pattern in the sand a jig could be made, of sturdy, flat material that sits just inside the mold. Having pull-down straps fastened to the tighten the jig, on both sides. The straps come together under the table, pulled tight to one side and cranked tightly, to compress the jig. A combination of cranking and vibrating, around the edge, should produce a finer detail, left behind in the pattern. The PH of the sand will be crucial to create a smooth finish, which is also the idea behind the vibrating as well. These techniques are used in concrete forming so, I suspect they should also work or at least not harm in the process. Using hydrated lime in the mix with sand and possibly in place of the powder, to release the forms, could be an inexpensive alternative.
I've read about a two piece limestone mold for casting bronze spear heads that had been discovered in Israel. Dated to 400 b.c.e., if my memory is not betraying me. I recall the author saying that such a mold might be good for up to 100 castings--although I have no idea how such a determination could be made.
Charles Christopher A geologist and/or someone with experience with stone casting might be able to divine the approximate amount of casting such a mold might give. Otherwise, we need to actually do a replica of the mold and test it out. I have never played extensively with limestone or with casting itself either, I am still learning/researching about it.
After so many casting's the limestone loses it's strength becoming brittle possibly do to the capability of retaining water, maybe that's what they're testing?
Awesome step by step video, and very neat. I want to start making this kind of things, but probably with aluminium. I need to build the furnace from zero. Any advice to someone who has never done anything like this before? I don't want to die right away when I pour the molten metal.
Have you ever used soapstone to cast with? I've made a few small ones. A couple of small knives and arrowheads years and years ago but nothing larger then that.
Thanks for taking the time and effort to show your method here. Really cool to watch. Also, cool truck. Not seen any of those here in the States. What is it? One more thing. You have a striking resemblance to an old friend of mine here in Alabama, USA. You have any ancestral kin with the name Ledbetter by chance?
Great video! What about the detail on La Tene (presumably ceremonial) swords? Surely sand isn't sufficient for that detail, do you know how they did that?
Do you mean the v shaped design at the transition from the handle to the blade? You would have to make your model thicker there and grind/file/engrave/chase the details into your master. But yes, sand can hold decent details. You might get surface blemishes on subsequent pours, but nothing too difficult to clean up. Great video, Will!
I wonder how much bronze cost in that era, given the difficulty of extracting and smelting both copper and tin then hauling it and making a sword I expect it would have been worth weeks or months pay for the average person.
diamondflaw I thought of wood but I imagined clay being used and not sand. Just wrap the wood sword in clay then fire it which will burn away the template then pour the bronze.
A man punched a tree then made sticks form the wood and made a wood sword and shovel to make a better sword from better material.LOL But seriously, things improve with time so it's a processes.
I have only just found your videos. Got to say really well done my grandad used to Knapp and legit I never got my head around it but being in Scotland flint isn't really common I spent hours watching him work some of the fondest memories I have, he used to travel far for material and theres a fairly funny story of him getting caught robbing a local church yard of its yew tree Haha. Yew also being reasonably rare in our neck of the woods
Very nice pour. I make jewellery in a similar way only using silver instead of bronze. Petrobond is great i prefer using that to delf clay. Excellent tutorial. Thanks.
A comment, here in the USA talcum powder is call baby powder however baby powder sometimes is made with corn starch. Corn starch is flammable anyone casting should know this but if anyone is new to casting be aware. Why not have a mold master that has the cup and fill track already built in? Very nice.
Would it be possible to list the materials used in the video description? I would like to know the composition of the sand. Cause just "sand" is vague. And are there alternatives in sand composition? Also, how would you make the casting with out the blade to start with. Like if you were making it from scratch. And last, are you planning to do a video on a primitive forge? Like how the ancients forged bronze.
I actually already looked into the courses. Unfortunately for me I'm in the US. Maybe I'll book myself for a course when I visit England in the future. Thank you very much for your response Will Lord.
UrielOmega if you dont have a sword to do this with, make a styrofoam mold. shape it into the exact size and shape that you want the sword to look like. bury the styrofoam sword completely except for a small spot where you can pour the bronze or aluminum in. then pour in the liquid that you are using to make the sword, and the styrofoam should melt and the liquid metal will take its place.
Hi Will watched this video about ten times , the thing is I get to pack the sand (green sand )not petrobond and it fails, spitting and obviously means the mold does not fill ,do you recommend petrobond or how can I install venting.best wishes ian,
Jeff Chartier The talc is there to keep one side from sticking to the other and for easier separation. It has to be present _in between_ the cakes. If one side gets the talc, then all is well.
Brass is rubbish, if that's what you mean. Too soft to keep an edge, or so I've been told. If you mean bronze, then I imagine that it wouldn't keep its edge as well as steel, but would probably serve its purpose.
Rusty Shackleford Hey I'm Canadian and I fucking love swords. I mean, we still kinda have connections to the crown but we're about as similar to America as we are to the UK. I think Europeans may have an interest in swords because it's a large part of their culture and heritage.
Riften Guardo Fair enough but you have to admit that Canada has more of a connection to Britain than the USA does. I'm a lil drunk right now man but you know what I'm thinking? Its hotdamn time to work on Canadian/American relations! I fuckin' loves you hockey playing bastards! Fuck the UK!
Rusty Shackleford Honestly, I have more respect for the UK than I do for America. Although Canada and America do have pretty Solid relations. Recently the USA has been nothing but a detriment to itself, its people, and the rest of the world. No countries actually like America, your few allies are just scared that if they tell you guys off you'd declare war on us with your severely over-funded army and start World War 3 because your nation didn't get what it wanted. There are a lot of good people in America, but out of the developed world, the USA is the worst country. (literally the only thing it has better than the rest of the developed world is its unnecessarily large army.)
Riften Guardo I disagree with the unnecessarily over funded army,we are a war faring nation and I've come to admire that in a way. I mean if we show weakness the big boys will strike (China,Russia) so we have to be hard. Also man,everyone makes fun of us yanks but seriously do you think us citizens have a say? No we don't. Man we are sick and tired of war...I want isolationism and to work on trade with Canada,France and England.
Rusty Shackleford I absolutely agree. That's kinda why I don't like the USA. That and the wildly out of hand police state it's starting to become. Anyway I have to go, nice talking to you.
I worked in a cast iron founry for 5 years... happy days its better if you sieve the sand for the top layer ... We used parting powder made from chalk .... but it would have been better if you had layed the blade on the base and filled it up and rammed sand on top of the blade . then turn the mold over and make a joint ... then put the top half of the box on top then parting powder then fill top half with sand . then you should be able to lift the top box off remove the sword mould and cut the runners an risers .... youll get a better finish if you use a Sieve ... Once it has been cast you should let it cool down naturally .....
Absolutely fascinating from start to finish, and very informative. Thanks for sharing your process with us Will, brilliant work.
A lot more work doing the packing than I expected. Nice one :)
One of the best casting videos I've ever seen
Awesome job, brother! Ended up looking awesome!
I've been enjoying a lot the stuff on your channel. Thanks for sharing this stuff with us!
What a fantastic video Will, first time i've seen this being done and really appreciating the amount of work that goes into making one of these. Many thanks for taking the time to share this ~Peace~
Just a suggestion... a tiny suction cup or a length of wood with adjustable suction cups on the hilt and blade part would probably give you flawless pickups with little risk of damaging the sand.
I don’t think they had suction cups in the Bronze Age lol
@peterwetton2655 the sword design is the only bronze age part of this.
The sword might be too hot for cups?
this video was very informative and that sword looked perfect. love your work
This is one of the coolest and most interesting things I've seen on youtube in a long time. Keep up the good work!
I have been thinking of casting a bronze kukri knife for a while now and your video is a great help to me .
I understand this is an old video but to see you in modern clothes is strange lol
Have already watched this video but like every other video you have made I just watch them over again as they are excellent and informative on a lot of great stuff keep it up mate
Cant wait to try that! Great show Will as usual. Thx!
I mean, it seems like a lot of work - but if your survival depends on it, it seems like a trivial task to protect yourself!
If the sand reacts anything like concrete, which I think it might, to a degree.
Using a palm sander or something similar, around the outer edge of the mold, ( box ) to vibrate the sand, should better compact it.
After setting the pattern in the sand a jig could be made, of sturdy, flat material that sits just inside the mold.
Having pull-down straps fastened to the tighten the jig, on both sides.
The straps come together under the table, pulled tight to one side and cranked tightly, to compress the jig.
A combination of cranking and vibrating, around the edge, should produce a finer detail, left behind in the pattern.
The PH of the sand will be crucial to create a smooth finish, which is also the idea behind the vibrating as well.
These techniques are used in concrete forming so, I suspect they should also work or at least not harm in the process.
Using hydrated lime in the mix with sand and possibly in place of the powder, to release the forms, could be an inexpensive alternative.
Dude this was so long... it was awesome!
I've read about a two piece limestone mold for casting bronze spear heads that had been discovered in Israel. Dated to 400 b.c.e., if my memory is not betraying me. I recall the author saying that such a mold might be good for up to 100 castings--although I have no idea how such a determination could be made.
Charles Christopher
A geologist and/or someone with experience with stone casting might be able to divine the approximate amount of casting such a mold might give.
Otherwise, we need to actually do a replica of the mold and test it out.
I have never played extensively with limestone or with casting itself either, I am still learning/researching about it.
After so many casting's the limestone loses it's strength becoming brittle possibly do to the capability of retaining water, maybe that's what they're testing?
Thank you for the lesson
What cracking video. You are a clever man Will :)
Awesome step by step video, and very neat. I want to start making this kind of things, but probably with aluminium. I need to build the furnace from zero. Any advice to someone who has never done anything like this before? I don't want to die right away when I pour the molten metal.
Have you ever used soapstone to cast with? I've made a few small ones. A couple of small knives and arrowheads years and years ago but nothing larger then that.
I think one could use stone tools to make wood tools. And also make the sword shape from wood.
Thus one could forage stuff to get into the bronze age.
Thanks for taking the time and effort to show your method here. Really cool to watch.
Also, cool truck. Not seen any of those here in the States. What is it?
One more thing. You have a striking resemblance to an old friend of mine here in Alabama, USA. You have any ancestral kin with the name Ledbetter by chance?
Well done!
Thank you!!
This helps me alot!
But i still wonder how much sand you were using for the sword in the video, looks like alot!
excelente. Saludos desde Córdoba Argentina
living the dream *.*
Good show ol' chap!
after the quench why not clamp it in between two wide boards to prevent warpage ?
Great video!
What about the detail on La Tene (presumably ceremonial) swords? Surely sand isn't sufficient for that detail, do you know how they did that?
Do you mean the v shaped design at the transition from the handle to the blade? You would have to make your model thicker there and grind/file/engrave/chase the details into your master. But yes, sand can hold decent details. You might get surface blemishes on subsequent pours, but nothing too difficult to clean up.
Great video, Will!
I was wondering what type of bronze you used and also where you got it from.
amazing
excelent
where did you get that sand
I wonder how much bronze cost in that era, given the difficulty of extracting and smelting both copper and tin then hauling it and making a sword I expect it would have been worth weeks or months pay for the average person.
Nice Defender, Video is good too....lol
As the molten bronze is being poured, how does the air inside the mold void escape?
where do i get oil based sand for casting like that.
Micah Worthington
You make it. I guess you can also buy it as is.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_casting#Green_sand
how did they make the first sword?
Wood works well to shape into a casting blank as long as it's dry when you shape it and you don't let it get wet (to prevent cracking and warping).
diamondflaw I thought of wood but I imagined clay being used and not sand. Just wrap the wood sword in clay then fire it which will burn away the template then pour the bronze.
Luciffrit Sand could be reused, I think. Clay would definitely be a one time use. Also makes it much easier to remove finished piece
A man punched a tree then made sticks form the wood and made a wood sword and shovel to make a better sword from better material.LOL
But seriously, things improve with time so it's a processes.
paul styczinski Makes sense.
how many castings is this mold good for?
Hey, Hephaestus how are your leg's not broken?
6:15 clearly, you don't know my cat... >:D
👍
Ok good
Попробуйте таким же образом отлить меч катана из высоколигированой стали.
This is, of course, not how bronze was cast in the Bronze Age. We actually know this.
(HINT: PLASTER OF PARIS IS SWAG)
i also like to make crazy stuff
Go eat something, you're shaking!
using a curved blade knife makes your screed leveling more difficult. Use something straight.
✨⚔️✨ 👶👏❤️
Thank you! This is very well illustrated and explained. Can't wait to try and cast something!
Amazing skill at work! Somehow this was very relaxing to watch. Thanks!
I have only just found your videos. Got to say really well done my grandad used to Knapp and legit I never got my head around it but being in Scotland flint isn't really common I spent hours watching him work some of the fondest memories I have, he used to travel far for material and theres a fairly funny story of him getting caught robbing a local church yard of its yew tree Haha. Yew also being reasonably rare in our neck of the woods
Excellent demonstration and detailed explanation.
Thank you!
Great video. The cast turned out flawless.
absolutely fascinating to watch. I love this sort of thing. The best history is living history.
Thanks Will, excellent work, an inspiration to us all.
Very nice pour. I make jewellery in a similar way only using silver instead of bronze. Petrobond is great i prefer using that to delf clay. Excellent tutorial. Thanks.
Just imagine casting a sword in white gold.
A comment, here in the USA talcum powder is call baby powder however baby powder sometimes is made with corn starch. Corn starch is flammable anyone casting should know this but if anyone is new to casting be aware.
Why not have a mold master that has the cup and fill track already built in?
Very nice.
Enjoyed your video very much....good job.
Outstanding!
did anyone hear him say, "the pressure you should use is the same as petting a cat" ive never pet me cat with a knife. regardless cool video.
This is the most informative casting video ive seen
Clearly we have been petting cats wrong lol
soooo awesome... SUBSCRIBED!
Would it be possible to list the materials used in the video description? I would like to know the composition of the sand. Cause just "sand" is vague. And are there alternatives in sand composition? Also, how would you make the casting with out the blade to start with. Like if you were making it from scratch. And last, are you planning to do a video on a primitive forge? Like how the ancients forged bronze.
I actually already looked into the courses. Unfortunately for me I'm in the US. Maybe I'll book myself for a course when I visit England in the future. Thank you very much for your response Will Lord.
UrielOmega if you dont have a sword to do this with, make a styrofoam mold. shape it into the exact size and shape that you want the sword to look like. bury the styrofoam sword completely except for a small spot where you can pour the bronze or aluminum in. then pour in the liquid that you are using to make the sword, and the styrofoam should melt and the liquid metal will take its place.
I hoped that helped :)
It did thank you :)
No problem :)
interesting video!
"Baby powder ! " :D
should put the link to your website in the description box. yes?
Hi Will watched this video about ten times , the thing is I get to pack the sand (green sand )not petrobond and it fails, spitting and obviously means the mold does not fill ,do you recommend petrobond or how can I install venting.best wishes ian,
will you make a video on finishing this?
Good suggestion!
***** I too would like to see a video of how the sword is finished
Did you say stroking a cow
Any reason why you did not talcum the opposite side of the mold?
Jeff Chartier
The talc is there to keep one side from sticking to the other and for easier separation.
It has to be present _in between_ the cakes. If one side gets the talc, then all is well.
Is brass good for a machete or hatchet? I'm thinking of making one for hiking.
Brass is rubbish, if that's what you mean. Too soft to keep an edge, or so I've been told. If you mean bronze, then I imagine that it wouldn't keep its edge as well as steel, but would probably serve its purpose.
TheSteelEcho666 Derp, I did mean bronze
dasdew2 Not as good as steel, but it works. /watch?v=ngjMtzJ6xgQ
20:27 RELEASE THE SCREWS!
AYE SIR
Are u a Viking 🇬🇧😯
Where can I learn how to work with bronze? I want to dick around with this stuff myself.
Directions unclear, dick stuck in molten bronze.
why is it that it seems men from the UK fucking love swords? I mean,its a good hobby but ive just noticed
Rusty Shackleford Hey I'm Canadian and I fucking love swords. I mean, we still kinda have connections to the crown but we're about as similar to America as we are to the UK. I think Europeans may have an interest in swords because it's a large part of their culture and heritage.
Riften Guardo
Fair enough but you have to admit that Canada has more of a connection to Britain than the USA does. I'm a lil drunk right now man but you know what I'm thinking? Its hotdamn time to work on Canadian/American relations! I fuckin' loves you hockey playing bastards! Fuck the UK!
Rusty Shackleford Honestly, I have more respect for the UK than I do for America. Although Canada and America do have pretty Solid relations. Recently the USA has been nothing but a detriment to itself, its people, and the rest of the world. No countries actually like America, your few allies are just scared that if they tell you guys off you'd declare war on us with your severely over-funded army and start World War 3 because your nation didn't get what it wanted. There are a lot of good people in America, but out of the developed world, the USA is the worst country. (literally the only thing it has better than the rest of the developed world is its unnecessarily large army.)
Riften Guardo
I disagree with the unnecessarily over funded army,we are a war faring nation and I've come to admire that in a way. I mean if we show weakness the big boys will strike (China,Russia) so we have to be hard. Also man,everyone makes fun of us yanks but seriously do you think us citizens have a say? No we don't. Man we are sick and tired of war...I want isolationism and to work on trade with Canada,France and England.
Rusty Shackleford
I absolutely agree. That's kinda why I don't like the USA. That and the wildly out of hand police state it's starting to become. Anyway I have to go, nice talking to you.
what if i dont have a sword to press into the sand
Thank you
Make a wooden one!
Sword was beautiful, but I had to laugh because the pour cup strongly resembled a vagina. Keep up the good work.
There's no evidence they used sand casting techniques?
what the f dude u put payment on a casting video, I reported u hahaha u jerk