Casting keys at home: Key Casting Challenge
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- #Keycastingchallenge #LundgrenBronzeStudios
This is a challenge to anyone who thinks they can cast a key better. I am starting the key casting challenge to all metal workers and casters. If you take up the challenge tag me in Instagram, Facebook, or TH-cam and let me know how it goes.
Link to shark tooth. lundgrenbronze...
i just done a cast of a thin sign same problem took 8 tries to get it thanks for shown your attempts, i have to make some keys for a project in a few months, i will tag you then
I hate those little chips. Good job.
Always good to have an extra truck key ... even if it only opens the door! Good job! :)
Mr lundgren when you part your molds turn the top mold 180°and off the edge of any intersection of your piece to be cast take a thin skier and poke it through the outside edge of each piece so that the metal and gases can vent this also eliminates some of the swirling
I accept the challenge I think the key needs more small vents to work I also think the sand might need to be packed lighter so I’d doesn’t keep breaking off in the keys grooves
Awesome! Let me know how it goes!
@@lundgrenbronzestudios I’m going to be very honest here I don’t think it will be easy if even possible I used to do lock smithing I’m pretty sure they manufacture keys to be really hard to cast with normal casting equipment the best way would definitely be a vacuum caster I have one so I will eventually make a video trying that currently I’m going to make a video trying to sand cast a key
@@lundgrenbronzestudios just finished making a video I tried 3 separate attempts each time trying a different method to get the metal to flow in even a ton of little vents i couldn’t get a complete cast one thing I was able to do is keep all the design of the key by lightly packing the sand other than that it was a fail but very fun challenge thank you
@@catchthedream1142 it’s tricky. Glad you tried it though!
@@lundgrenbronzestudios agreed it is definitely very tricky
Finally got me one of your shark teeth it a gift for my wife.
I just saw that! Thank you! I will ship it out tomorrow!
I just got it. It’s awesome gift for my wife and she loved it, so thank you.
It will work just fine if you... Dust the key with talc so the sand won't stick. Tap the key lightly before removing it to loosen the sand. Add more vents and gates and have a reservoir tower to accommodate a larger pour so the weight of the metal pushes it's way to the to the end of the pattern.
Sounds like challenge accepted! Tag me in your results. Good luck!
Hmmm...
I've never done this before, so take my words with a grain of salt.
But a smaller cope block, hotter metal, and a bigger vent seems like the way to go.
That, and heating up the sand a lot before casting.
It seems like it cools too fast, but getting those grooves will never be easy. You'll almost need anti-oil powder to make it release cleanly.
Interesting. I’ve never heard of anti oil powder. I’m hoping some people take up the challenge and show their process.
Cool to know I could unlock door with your bronze key to retrieve that bloody chip key I left inside! 🥵 Several years ago I needed to copy some key on the weekend and all the stores were closed. I could not find the key copy but the copy did work. Here are the steps if I can recall correctly: ?
Zinc pennies and plaster of paris were used. The sharp edges of the key's groves were slightly chamfered with swiss file, key sprayed with Pam then placed on a piece of glass, encased in small circle dam of plasticine, and filled with plaster. Bottom side of mold was, like yours, overfilled then finished and spued/vented etc., after plaster set, face generously greased, then cope poured, allowed to set/strengthen, separated, then finished. Very small mold was bone dry in less than an hour in 275 oven, heated to 450 degrees, joined, clamped, metal poured, key filed to work. Can't remember if it took 1 or 2 attempts and as mentioned already, this is all going from memory, an aging one, and copy is lost.
BTW- I have a neat brass key collection 100+ Free cutting brass blanks (70/30) have been the key metal of choice for hundreds plus years(machines like butter with very good strength, corrosion resistance, and good looks, too). When I get an expired zinc key it's tossed in the zinc bin for scrap or remelt. Due to costs, today more and more keys are made of zinc and aluminum, unfortunately. Aluminum keys are often encased in an enhanced plastic "handle" to help prevent breaking off in the lock. Most all low temp metals, and even plastics can be cast to make a useable emergency key! Big hurdle when casting such thin patterns is "fillage". Vacuum, spin, injection, and steam casting are all options for metal media - injection molding maybe for plastics... also, a silicon rubber mold and low temp pewter, or low viscosity castable resin. Evem simpler, a one piece mold(depress key in clay or plasticine, remove, harden, fill with JB weld -would have to cut grove on unfinished side and sand flat, or I have heard you can overpour 1peice mold with metal then quickly cover it(flying hot metal) leaving a flat dimensionally accurate but unfinished side...
Question: can you somehow adapt your vacuum rig to work with small plaster molds? Look at how intricate fine jewelry is - pretty sure that is vacuum cast. Or, you could keep same large size flask, and make a tree of all the keys in your house, relatives, etc. (Christmas Tree of Keys...
I saw this last night. I'll give it shot this morning. I hope to have a video of my efforts out 11/08.
What "recipe" do you use to rejuvenate the sand? I tried looking for one a while ago, and the best I found was "add used motor oil until you think it's the right consistency, then you're good" no suggested ratios/measurements, just, go for it
Yeah I just go for it but I will say it’s less oil than you think. I use the oil that I change out of my vacuum pump. It works well but it’s not quite as good as new sand which is why I put the layer of new sand over the pattern first.
For what its worth I saw a vid somewhere someone made petrobond and used non detergent 30w oil. I was going to try but some of the other ingredients I couldn't find.
Why don’t you use your vacuum method?
Cost mainly. The cost of investment casting is higher than I wanted to deal with for this project.
I LOLed when the alarm went off.
I have heard hotter metal can help with a thin pour like this, although I have no firsthand expertise.
If the metal has an easier time getting into the not yet fully filled shark tooth than squeezing through the length of the thin key-shaped cavities, it'll go there instead first, relieving pressure and potentially pausing the flow of molten metal into the keys long enough for them to freeze off like that. I bet they would have filled easier pouring horizontally without the tooth in each mold.
You might be right. But even without the shark tooth the house key still didn’t fill.
@@lundgrenbronzestudios yeah I'm sure someone could do it... But not as easy as the guy at the mall 😁
Hi mate, thanks for your fab video and challenge. I couldn’t resist having a go. Do you mind me using a few short screen grabs from your video to give mine a bit of context? Also I can’t find your first name anywhere, do you prefer to keep that private? Cheers … Nick
Oh feel free to use any clips you want. My first name is Lucas. I look forward to seeing what you made!
Appreciate that Lucas, you didn’t say how long it would take to fettle and fit … oh well it was worth it just spent the last hour at it … now have a nice new shiny bronze key for my workshop … i’ll let you know when I get a vid uploaded thanks for the inspiration … cheers … Nick
I think unless if you touch the original key to casted key then that's the only way to start a vehicle using casted key
Very good
What's your Etsy link? Waiting for your hand or a horse. Lol.
Those were a few nice shark teeth.
Nice! 👍
FYI it won't work anyway if you succeed, being the OEM Keys have chips in them that is read by the vehicle. That's why you could turn the ignition and it did nothing but set the alarm off.
Yeah. The house key would probably work though.
Lost wax might be the way, with a rubber mold, a wax injector, and a lot of vents
Putting an aluminum key into your car? What if it breaks off?
I’d get so many views. 😂
What is the can you used to mix the sand?
Oh that’s just a flower sifter. It’s made for baking but works for sifting sand.
Very nice, I am going to buy one for the same purpose now lol.@@lundgrenbronzestudios
I was also thinking of connecting the handle to a drill xD@@lundgrenbronzestudios
I noticed that the flasks were moving on each other during ramming, maybe losing some accuracy there. Keep up the good work !
Definitely need vent holes for small channels.
Does that mean you accept the challenge?
You should try casting it with modeling, clay and gallium.😂😂😂
That’s for you to take up the challenge!
Vent vent vent vent did I say vent I meant vent ventilation is the key don't be afraid of ventilate
Also one last thing something that thin must be poured very hot and did I say ventilate and by the way there's a chip in your key
Pakistani work boots... LOL
Should've used a magnet for the extraction!
Good idea!
If you have an original it's a lot easier and takes about a minute to cut a blank on a sharpening wheel.
I call the truck key a full success would work in older cars. Lack of chip doesn't make a fail IMO