2 things 1) I used to work at a factory where we cast metal parts using a green sand type mold and this is a lot closer to how we did things than it should be. 2) I came to your channel because Nighthawkinlight gave you a shoutout in one of his videos and I am blow away by the quality of your videos and the knowledge and skill that you possess and display. Good work. I can't imagine the amazing things you'll be doing in 10-15 years (because you're already doing amazing things now). Keep up the amazing work.
This young guy inspired this old guy (haha) to get into metal casting! Just built my first propane furnace and had to come back here to learn green sand mold-making from the pro. ;)
those people down there are arguing about syntax grammar an pronunciation, while you are writing, doing videography, about casting in aluminum. You sir, are quite amazing. You are headed a long way.
Very good video and well narrated, I have a few ideas to share with you. When you are making the mold try hammering the sand down, the higher the compression, the more stable the mold will be. Also, as the release agent (you use flour, an organic material) if you use talc, regular baby powder works well, it is a component which is less likely to contaminate your media (sand) which makes for better results when reused. Also, I find instead of water (which you use) I use mineral oil to wet the sand (a cheap source of very pure mineral oil is unscented baby oil), it makes for a much better mold. I mold Silver (and various other metals) this way and always have great results. I choose to make air outlets in the mold itself heading to the edge of the mold and out, just personal choice. Your way seems to work well too. I am pleased to see you make your own molding sand, very wise choice, I have seen the laughable prices that people charge for it. Anyway, I hope these ideas may help you a little. Superb content, keep up the great work ;-)
I came across this video and am really impressed! This helped me out with the whole sand thing but even though I have a alright understanding of casting, I was hooked
when you push the slingshot pattern into the sand at the first stage that's called odd siding. when u do this step it is crucial you get it deep enough . Get exactly the middle line of the pattern to avoid under cuts. avoiding under cuts will allow for easy removal of the pattern and will not pull up the edges of the mould when stripping. also helps pressing firm on the edges of the mould when the pattern is in place to ensure the edges are firmly rammed around the pattern.
I just posted my foundry furnace build video--inspired years ago by you and a couple other youtubers! Thanks for posting so long ago (haha, 6 years ago). Glad to see you've continued in this hobby and gotten even better!
Great video, well presented. I really enjoy all your videos. 1 thing I've noticed is that several of your wooden blocks split. I realize that it isn't an issue in this application, but would like to suggest you pre-drill before inserting your screws w/ a smaller bit than your screw-shank. The holes remove enough material that is otherwise displaced by the screw, + help the screw to drive in straight. For finer work, lubricate the screw w/beeswax; for permanent applications, a drop of super-glue lubes & secures the screw. Apologies if you already knew these tricks, but didn't use them here to save time in a non-essential app. & thanks for all the entertaining & educating presentations!
The Art of Weapons One thing I would recommend would be to really add the vent hole, it works a lot better than the small dills you put. Little more time but more accurate casting. Good work!
Another thing that you can use in place of the clay, and only if you have fine sand, is oil. It is more of a add, mix and test if it breaks cleanly method however it can work in place of the clay. Not trying to correct the video, but rather offer an alternative to people who may want to try and cast aluminum at their house. Like the video.
If you use Plaster of Paris you will be able to cast many times instead of just once. Mix a batch of plaster, pour it in the frame, press the prototype half way down into the plaster. Let it harden. Coat the whole thing (plaster an upper half of the model) with Vaseline or glycerin to aid in separating the 2 halfs. Make a new batch of plaster and pour on top of the hardened lower layer. Once it's hardened you can separate the halfs, remove the prototype and carve the channel for the Aluminum to enter the space. There are materials you can add to the plaster if you find that it burns too much at the temperature of molten Aluminum. This also works well with lost wax casting which means you can mold softened wax to the exact contour of your grip making a custom fit handle (which is pretty sweet).
good job man those are cool. You sound really young, its always good to see kids actually learning how to do stuff that is worth while and valuable. Far too many kids these days sit around playing video games and becoming worthless lumps on their moms couch. They dont even know how to make a pb and j sandwich much less a weapon to hunt their own food with. Keep up the good work, you could easily start your own business making those catapults alone.
The idea of the clay to bury half the slingshot is good, you can add a layer of food contact film on top of it to avoid the clay sticking to your positive.
and now make a lost foam casting with green sand and very good foam structures. -> perfect If you find someone that can lasercut some foam singshots etc for you, your castings would be amazing!
Hey Mr ArtOfWeapons I have a question for you, What are your plans for education and future development. If you start to plan ahead now you will be world's ahead of people your age. Just a thought :)
Can this be done without a preexisting object? Because I'm making a mask from aluminum (then on to different metals when I can) and have no previous objects in that shape
+Raging Gamer (TheRagingGamer) Best bet is to make a negative sculpture out of wax and then fill it with a epoxy hardening material of choice ( automotive bondo works). Then you have a positive for repeat masks and you can grind or polish your "model" to your needs. You can also do a base mask with a halloween one for a base to start with.
can you please tell me what type of clay that was again and where you ordered it from.. also I was wondering if you could use or have tried using green sand in lost foam casting.. instead of using just regular sand.. Thankyou for your informative videos.
I might use green sand on more precise castings but will stick to your sand casting for a bit. I am working on a full-tang tomahawk with hdpe scales but can't figure out how to attach them both together as epoxy won't work(if I am right), got any suggestions ? Great vid btw
Dude - absolutely amazing videos. I stumbbled onto your stuff bacause I am researching HDPE and casting. I am making holds for my indoor climbing wall and have made several by simply melting HDPE and shaping it by hand into a usable shape. In one of your HDPE videos you mentioned that you were going to attempt to add different materials into the HDPE - did you ever try this? I am interested in getting sand onto the surface of the holds I make to add a more natural and usable texture - any ideas? Also I am wanting to use industrial grout (basically just a strong less brittle cement then concrete) which I will poor into a mold made of green sand (which I just discovered by watching your video) . I think green sand will hold the shape well and because I won't be using molten metal it should be an easy DIY project for me at home - any tips / ideas?
***** that would work i guess but generally,wax casting uses different type of sand with a special glue.i never tried casting using greensand before so im not quite sure about that.but i think it should work well
dude your really good bit of a suggestion tho if your not allready you might wish to think about making and selling slingshots could help cover your costs at least
Guys, I have a question, which would you preferred, Greensand method or Lost Foam method? My model would be the upper & lower receiver of a Barrett 50 cal. Which has a hexagonal tube frame and hollow inside...
Don't smell melting aluminium, or brass. The vapors will do great harm to your body down the road. Use a fan, the bigger the better. Thank you for this informative video.
2 things
1) I used to work at a factory where we cast metal parts using a green sand type mold and this is a lot closer to how we did things than it should be.
2) I came to your channel because Nighthawkinlight gave you a shoutout in one of his videos and I am blow away by the quality of your videos and the knowledge and skill that you possess and display. Good work. I can't imagine the amazing things you'll be doing in 10-15 years (because you're already doing amazing things now). Keep up the amazing work.
Nice work mate! Sweet looking slingshot design!!
Rowdy, down under.
This young guy inspired this old guy (haha) to get into metal casting! Just built my first propane furnace and had to come back here to learn green sand mold-making from the pro. ;)
those people down there are arguing about syntax grammar an pronunciation, while you are writing, doing videography, about casting in aluminum. You sir, are quite amazing. You are headed a long way.
Very good video and well narrated, I have a few ideas to share with you.
When you are making the mold try hammering the sand down, the higher the compression, the more stable the mold will be. Also, as the release agent (you use flour, an organic material) if you use talc, regular baby powder works well, it is a component which is less likely to contaminate your media (sand) which makes for better results when reused.
Also, I find instead of water (which you use) I use mineral oil to wet the sand (a cheap source of very pure mineral oil is unscented baby oil), it makes for a much better mold. I mold Silver (and various other metals) this way and always have great results.
I choose to make air outlets in the mold itself heading to the edge of the mold and out, just personal choice. Your way seems to work well too.
I am pleased to see you make your own molding sand, very wise choice, I have seen the laughable prices that people charge for it.
Anyway, I hope these ideas may help you a little. Superb content, keep up the great work ;-)
I will be homesteading and forging my own material. Would you know of an alternative oil I can cultivate or forge in nature without big machinery
I came across this video and am really impressed! This helped me out with the whole sand thing but even though I have a alright understanding of casting, I was hooked
I've been watching your videos for a few months and I gotta say, you're one of the coolest dudes on TH-cam! Awesome awesome stuff man
when you push the slingshot pattern into the sand at the first stage that's called odd siding. when u do this step it is crucial you get it deep enough . Get exactly the middle line of the pattern to avoid under cuts. avoiding under cuts will allow for easy removal of the pattern and will not pull up the edges of the mould when stripping. also helps pressing firm on the edges of the mould when the pattern is in place to ensure the edges are firmly rammed around the pattern.
awesome video, I've wanted to do aluminium casting for ages but wasn't sure how to do the mold work. Your work around for it is also really clever.
Wow...........this is an EXCELLENT tutorial. Well done and thank you so much !
seems like a intelligent ,motivated youg man,then i remember he,s building a weapons grade catapult
I just posted my foundry furnace build video--inspired years ago by you and a couple other youtubers! Thanks for posting so long ago (haha, 6 years ago). Glad to see you've continued in this hobby and gotten even better!
Great video, well presented. I really enjoy all your videos.
1 thing I've noticed is that several of your wooden blocks split.
I realize that it isn't an issue in this application, but would like to suggest you pre-drill before inserting your screws w/ a smaller bit than your screw-shank. The holes remove enough material that is otherwise displaced by the screw, + help the screw to drive in straight. For finer work, lubricate the screw w/beeswax; for permanent applications, a drop of super-glue lubes & secures the screw.
Apologies if you already knew these tricks, but didn't use them here to save time in a non-essential app.
& thanks for all the entertaining & educating presentations!
You have a very steady hand, well done.
sorry for the re-upload
The last video had a couple of errors that needed correcting.
The Art of Weapons Your production quality is great btw. Good voice overs and visuals.
The Art of Weapons love the difference between the voice in the video and the outro, you´ve grown up man, keep up the good work :)
The Art of Weapons could you make a sword? like a functionable one using the lost foam casting? please let me know. (dont stop being awesome)
The Art of Weapons also what grits of sand paper\ sanding sponges do you use to get a mirror finish?
The Art of Weapons One thing I would recommend would be to really add the vent hole, it works a lot better than the small dills you put. Little more time but more accurate casting. Good work!
thanks Bud. was looking to cast a 3d object and your vid nailed it👍
Excellent. I'm looking forward to seeing you do the extraction and finishing.
quite a brilliant way to go about casting
This is a well thought out, well prepared set of video tutorials. Not many people get to shout out to Myfordboy!
Well done. Like to see the progress in casting techniques and skills.
Another thing that you can use in place of the clay, and only if you have fine sand, is oil. It is more of a add, mix and test if it breaks cleanly method however it can work in place of the clay. Not trying to correct the video, but rather offer an alternative to people who may want to try and cast aluminum at their house. Like the video.
great videos, your work looks great!
very good tutorial for your young age.
Ahh, I see you have found Myfordboy, excellent. Tapping the piece before you remove it will help free it to remove it. Keep up the great work!
If you use Plaster of Paris you will be able to cast many times instead of just once. Mix a batch of plaster, pour it in the frame, press the prototype half way down into the plaster. Let it harden. Coat the whole thing (plaster an upper half of the model) with Vaseline or glycerin to aid in separating the 2 halfs. Make a new batch of plaster and pour on top of the hardened lower layer. Once it's hardened you can separate the halfs, remove the prototype and carve the channel for the Aluminum to enter the space. There are materials you can add to the plaster if you find that it burns too much at the temperature of molten Aluminum. This also works well with lost wax casting which means you can mold softened wax to the exact contour of your grip making a custom fit handle (which is pretty sweet).
good job man those are cool. You sound really young, its always good to see kids actually learning how to do stuff that is worth while and valuable. Far too many kids these days sit around playing video games and becoming worthless lumps on their moms couch. They dont even know how to make a pb and j sandwich much less a weapon to hunt their own food with. Keep up the good work, you could easily start your own business making those catapults alone.
Where did you learn this? It is awesome to see people do this, keep the good work up kiddo!
Hello I have question do I have to spray the sand with water every time I plan on making a mold or does the sand keep the consistency?
Man do I wish I had parents like yours
The idea of the clay to bury half the slingshot is good, you can add a layer of food contact film on top of it to avoid the clay sticking to your positive.
Thanks! Just what I was looking for.
Another great one.
and now make a lost foam casting with green sand and very good foam structures.
-> perfect
If you find someone that can lasercut some foam singshots etc for you, your castings would be amazing!
any tips on how to create the mold for a smaller object like a mini hooks?
its a mold so i can re-use over and over for a mass producing
Do you need greensand, or can I just use normal sand from a beach? I've just recently became interested in casting.
Normal sand won't keep its shape. So you need to use a method called "lost foam" to use regular sand. You can search it for more information.
Again, very nice upload man. Keep it up!
Hey Mr ArtOfWeapons I have a question for you,
What are your plans for education and future development. If you start to plan ahead now you will be world's ahead of people your age.
Just a thought :)
well explained. thank you for sharing!
can you reuse the sand after casting or does it burn black?
Spectacular, very useful!
Great video
Do you know what the sieve size the sand passes? To use for green sand?
hi mate where did you buy your sand ? and what type of sand is it ?
Does it matter if the bentonite is sodium or calcium bentonite?
Super cool 😛
Can this be done without a preexisting object? Because I'm making a mask from aluminum (then on to different metals when I can) and have no previous objects in that shape
+Raging Gamer (TheRagingGamer) Best bet is to make a negative sculpture out of wax and then fill it with a epoxy hardening material of choice ( automotive bondo works). Then you have a positive for repeat masks and you can grind or polish your "model" to your needs. You can also do a base mask with a halloween one for a base to start with.
Davis Top Thank's for the tip. I'll keep it in mind.
can you please tell me what type of clay that was again and where you ordered it from.. also I was wondering if you could use or have tried using green sand in lost foam casting.. instead of using just regular sand.. Thankyou for your informative videos.
I might use green sand on more precise castings but will stick to your sand casting for a bit. I am working on a full-tang tomahawk with hdpe scales but can't figure out how to attach them both together as epoxy won't work(if I am right), got any suggestions ?
Great vid btw
Try epoxy putty
?hi, i bought an kitty liter which contain 99.7% benonite and 0.3% of fragrance ' does it still good for the casting sand
Do you think you would be able to use this to cast resin?
Really helpful! Thank's for uploading!
Dude - absolutely amazing videos. I stumbbled onto your stuff bacause I am researching HDPE and casting. I am making holds for my indoor climbing wall and have made several by simply melting HDPE and shaping it by hand into a usable shape. In one of your HDPE videos you mentioned that you were going to attempt to add different materials into the HDPE - did you ever try this? I am interested in getting sand onto the surface of the holds I make to add a more natural and usable texture - any ideas? Also I am wanting to use industrial grout (basically just a strong less brittle cement then concrete) which I will poor into a mold made of green sand (which I just discovered by watching your video) . I think green sand will hold the shape well and because I won't be using molten metal it should be an easy DIY project for me at home - any tips / ideas?
Thank you, great video.
Once I make the molding sand, can the sand be reused for other
molds, even after the aluminum has been poured?
George P i think so, why not
Keyboard Warrior If the sand gets black, you shoudn'e use that part of the sand again
Does the sand need to be as fine as yours or could it be just play sand?
GREAT CLIP
Do I need sodium bentonite clay or calcium bentonite clay? what is the difference?
Can it be made as fine as delt clay?
Love ur slingshots and tried to make it in wood but was so bad I bunt it
Hey man.
A quite good video.
lf you dont mind me asking which wood did you use to make the first model ?
should there be a vent hole?
Is that design your own? cause it's really cool I really want one
very cool!
Can you do a video same as this but making 10mm lead catapult ammo I would like to see if it works cheers
Anyone have a link to the bentonite clay?? Amazon sells bentonite clay, but there seems to be different types...
The art of weapons I think u should do a give a way that would be good thanks pal
What do you think is causing the cavities? Water vapor from the sand or dissolved hydrogen in the aluminum?
***** that would work i guess but generally,wax casting uses different type of sand with a special glue.i never tried casting using greensand before so im not quite sure about that.but i think it should work well
well done
i live in australia. how can i get the materials for greensand?
Awesome vid, keep up the good work but I think the sand is too soft. 😀
I didnt know that was a slingshot, I thought it was some kind of claw blade handle!!!!
Hey! Can you make video showing all your weapons (slingshots)?
Thanks!
Nice videos. Why do you add the Bentonite clay
dude your really good bit of a suggestion tho if your not allready you might wish to think about making and selling slingshots could help cover your costs at least
whats the difference between casting with sand and green sand?
Hi,
Can you cast modern armour e.g. - An Ironman suit?
Guys, I have a question, which would you preferred, Greensand method or Lost Foam method? My model would be the upper & lower receiver of a Barrett 50 cal. Which has a hexagonal tube frame and hollow inside...
It looks just a little the same as the other one you made.You should make a machete from a lawn mower blade.
Name of fine ground sand? must be an analog in US?
what brand of sand is this?
Please show how you made the wood mold
i see where i screwed up when making green sand. I did the ratio by volume. not weight. So i had far too little bentonite in my green sand.
Awesome Video! Very informative! What would you say the % of clay to sand is? Is it 15/85% as you stated? You don't really revisit that, thanks!
The art of weapons can you make a video telling use how to make a smeltery
What kind of coal do you use for fuel?
Jack Humphrey basically all standard charcoal form any store works
I wonder if this chap has moved on to molding AR15s, or SA80s based on a hunch. =D
How many pounds of bentonite clay did you buy
Where did u get u alluminium from? (:
Melting cans (soda or "pop")
+joker jim I'm betting aluminum foil works too. But don't quote me on that.
Don't smell melting aluminium, or brass. The vapors will do great harm to your body down the road. Use a fan, the bigger the better. Thank you for this informative video.
Who was the company you bought "your" bentionite clay from, with the onces you requested.
I just mixed finely chopped grass with beach sand. It looks way greener than yours.
Godfrey Poon. lmao
aluminum?
It's back!!
Can you send the link to the clay item on ebay?
thanks
are u making but plugs
your whole life is a fail I can already tell!
+flack youe your whole face is a fail
+Jimmy Last your *
oh, tell me how you can tell that
because he makes them for me to use on our ma
if you can show me websites that have the ingredients i need, that would be really helpful!
"Al-u-mini-um!" xD
+TheMCGamer2012 It's spelled and pronounced that way everywhere, but North America
+Raging Gamer (TheRagingGamer) Where is everywhere?
I am buisy with finishing the half aluminium slingshot. If it is done i will send you some pictures
Can you forge a monstrous beeropener :D?
Did you not like the lost foam process?