great vid that said Zinc funes most certainly WILL kill you. we lost Paw Paw Wilson the blacksmith due to zinc fever. go ahead and google him and his death.. it WILL kill you and it will also make u wish it had killed you. be VERY careful with zinc fumes folks.
It's also worth noting that *while people may be used to things like acetone fumes, zinc fumes have a much much lower tolerance point* before you poison yourself. You won't notice it as it's happening, you will notice it hours later - when you begin to have the worst flu-feelings you've ever had, but it might take several weeks to go away, even with medical support. Sidenote: if you are welding something galvanized, use vinegar to de-galvanize it (minimal effort but expect at least 1 day soak or more)
Except for a foundry is the building, what he has built is called a furnace. It's like people saying smelting instead of melting when they are casting stuff 😂
Except that by the time I got to 1:36 he'd already sprouted so much BS that I quit watching. If you really worked in the industry you'd know that sheet is rolled, not extruded...extruded is higher grade than cast and cast is marginally lower grade than sheet. Cans are drawn from sheet as are pots and screw tops.
Safety equipment and practices include: - leather apron (leather is sufficient for this temperature range) - welding gloves - leather sleeves / arm guards - full length pants, long sleeves and clothes of natural fiber (melted plastic, e.g. nylon or polyester, sticks to skin) - face shield Assume that molten metal will spill or splash at some point: - leather boots with thick soles - leather spats for shoes so molten blobs don't drop in - clear away any clutter - concrete can spall (even if it doesn't look moist) because molten metal can flash moisture into steam; best to use a box or tray of dry sand - never put your head over the furnace; a gasping reflex can pull superheated air into your lungs and cause blistering (doesn't work well for breathing) - bucket of cool water you can stick a hand or foot in to stop burns from getting worse - someone around to call 911 if needed; show them how to turn off the furnace - nobody talks to and distracts you when handling molten metal. If they think that getting you to screw up would be funny, they can come back later. You'll probably be fine, however spills and splashes happen, crucibles can crack, break or be dropped; metal can leak out of molds (high hydraulic pressure for dense molten metal); you can trip on things. Put a little effort into taking some basic safety precautions.
Yep that’s good advice. I always wear a face shield, leather jacket, long pants, don’t pour over concrete, I spread sand out if I use a lot of metal but usually only melt small amounts and I adjust accordingly. That’s a good list. I’ll pin it so others can read it.
Pro tip for welding brass, ditch the tig. It welds beautifully with oxy-aceteylene and a slightly oxidizing flame. The excess oxygen eliminates the zinc fumes entirely, plus it doesn't pop spit or do any thing else weird. This is the process that I use to repair antique radiator tanks.
@@lundgrenbronzestudios you should, Brazing and welding with oxy acetylene is awesome and you can make some really good looking stuff. As long as you don't use too high of heat you won't cook the brass. Brazing alloys have a lower melting point than the metal you are Brazing and with prep and good flux you can do epic brazes. Welding with oxy acetylene can make really good looking welds on steel too, almost as good looking as tig and you can weld thin stuff and is more portable than other processes
@@lundgrenbronzestudiosat harbor freight you can get a Victor knock off that works with Victor tips and comes with everything except bottles. I went to school for it but you sound capable and practice makes perfect
I learned oxyacetlyene welding in high schol and it's still my favorite method of welding - it's incredibly flexibe; I've even done it underwater on salvage jobs. A torch should be an indispensible piece of equipment for any metalworker.
This video should be "required reading" for anyone melting metal. This channel should be subscibed to by all foundry wannabes. Always love the way you openly share your ever expanding wealth of knowledge. Also good to see so many foundry tubers commenting here and sharing their great knowledge as well.
As a new foundry wannabe your caution comment is literally a life saver. Now I’ll be engineering ventilation and safety into my hobby foundry. Thank you much!
Just started researching this craft and I must say , after watching at minimum 10 others this 1 video had so much more information then all those combined. Thanks for sharing and best wishes in your work.
I would like to point out that the aluminum alloy used in beverage cans is a very high-quality alloy. It is 3104 aluminum which has primarily a bit of Manganese in it as the principal alloying element. The alloy is used because of the ability to cold work it in a deep drawing process to produce the can body from a disc of aluminum. It does not need to be very strong but does need to be very ductile. All of the aluminum alloys are formulated to meet the requirements for a specific purpose. 3104 does not make a good casting alloy because it lacks fluidity when molten. This is why most aluminum alloys meant for casting have a high silicon content. Yes, you could add your own silicon to a melt of beverage cans. First refine the aluminum from the cans to get a nice clean ingot with no adulterants, weigh your ingot and add anywhere from 3% to 6% in weight as silicon. And there you go, you have just made a good casting alloy. The little bit of manganese will probably not affect the casting fluidity. hth Edit: PS: To duplicate the principal aluminum casting alloy, A356, the Silicon content needs to be between 6% and 7.5%.
@@paulkurilecz4209 a Furnance Like if I wanted to stack a car aluminum radiator, they are kinda big, but the shape of radiators are not circular and I see many if not all furnaces are cylindrical
This is one of the most informative videos I have come across detailing troubles, dangers and nuances of smelting and casting. Thank you for spending your time and sharing your experience!
The best video for us who had to learn some facts on our own, break things in the process and spend a bunch of money in repeating attempts. This simply explains it all. Thank you!
A whole video packed with usefull information and tips without all the rambling nonsense filler. You have achieved something very rare on youtube and I appreciate that. I hope your channel gets the attention it deserves and Thank you
Fantastic. Thank you. I've been circling the idea of casting for a long time. These are the videos the world needs more of. Why is a tictok star getting millions of views for eating a tide pod, but this video, providing actual skill and information, is not. Just ridiculous. Please never stop! And thank you.
I did a little sand casting years ago as part of some machining study. I wanted to be able to make some parts for antique restoration, so I was looking around for info. I really like this video, simple , concise information. I watched a couple of others and they’ve help a lot. Good vid !
Man, God bless you. I am in the process of swithching my little factory from my apartment to a little foundry..., I needed this cheat sheet. Instant like, instant subscribed. I do like your style, concise, no chit-chat, pro advise, 15 minutes gone without noticing, 👍.
This video needs way more attention from people who do metal casting! I myself knew just about everything you talked about already. Now if I only had more time to put this knowledge to use, so many projects I have waiting to be finished or even started. 😅 Thanks for all this great info! 👍👊
Finally! Someone who talks in a language of crafters! You don't HAVE TO have a high quality setup, but if you want high quality end result, it's going to take an investment of either money or time. Thank you sir. This is the exact kind of informational video i like.
You have a fantastic journey going on, thank you so much for sharing, I'm retired Skill Trades, and multi media artist, and I thoroughly enjoy watching things that I never got around to doing. AWESOME 😎
Spot on ! valuable info for anybody starting out. Greensand once conditioned you keep it in an airtight tub and it will always be ready. Bronzes are normally copper/tin plus numerous other metal depending on use.
Excellent content. Show us more of this, the tricks of the trade, the casting issues, vent holes etc. I have not begun yet, but I have my furnace and basic gear, just need more education before I fire it up!
@@FuhrChris Thanks for the advice. I have a huge catalogue of scientific papers from Academia on that very topic...mostly from industrial research on metallurgy and means and methods of sand casting of machine and engine parts that are odd shaped. I am studying the topic as much as possible before firing up the furnace...I will get a copy of that manual, thanks again!
If you live nearby.I could get you safely started. I am semi professional.Now retired. Live in Singapore. Ran a compressor assembly plant. Won a tender bid. Had to cast Auto condensate traps for 300 air compressors. Champion dealer sold me a sample at USD 100.whereas my budget was USD10. Together with my men built gas fired furnace and cut Cast Iron to pour.. Orders kept pouring. Pouring Aluminium is no fun.Very hot.
I’ve been watching a lot of videos over the past week or two and have been wanting to make a foundry for a few years now. I think you’re the first channel I’m subbing to related to casting because you were clear and concise and I appreciate that
So much excellent information. I’ve been working on my own “what I didn’t know” video for beginners, can melters, and ingot stackers, and you hit the great points on the head.
That was a lot of good information you shared! It seems very humbling to hear you say “that was something I did not know“ and it’s encouraging because you learned so maybe I can too. Thank you.
I just started dipping my toes into casting and your video is the first I have seen that was USEFUL! Your presentation comes across as friendly and helpful and not condescending. Great work. I will be following you for more info.
Thanks for this most informative lesson. I bought a little furnace with the intention to cast in lost wax. Your videos are my lessons on how to achieve my goal. I'm at the stage of preparing the furnace, crucible and making the dross scoop, crucible ring, etc.. Your videos have made me aware of the dangers and precautions to take.
72 and just thinking about giving it a try. Hadn't realized what all there is to consider. You haven't talked me out of it, but I'm giving it a second thought. I'll rerun your piece and view some others. Darn, I thought it was easy. Thanks for the video! ⚒️
Excellent stuff! 👍👍 I will add that a respirator shouldn't be optional or only for melting brass. Melting and casting puts out all sorts of bad stuff in the air that isn't good for breathing.
Of ALL the TH-cam videos I’ve seen, over many different topics/hobbies/crafts/skills, this has got to be one of THE best I’ve EVER seen!!! It’s both clear and concise, making it informative and understandable. There is an inherent humility with the delivery, that I appreciate VERY much. Too many TH-camrs let ego and personality get in the way, or spend the entire video yelling at you. I’m very grateful that you shared your opinions, while leaving me with the informed choice to decide for myself. This is my first video of yours, so I’m excited to see more. Keep up the great work!! 😀👍
Hi I’m just about to start my casting journey. I have made my furnace almost ready for burning. I will go with brass. Anyway. You just gave me a lot to consider before I head diving in to the unknown. Thank a lot. Was a really straight forward education video. I have learned quite few important things Well done 👍
Anyone looking to make and/or use a foundry to melt metals on a small scale would be wise to watch this descriptive video with many examples shown. This is a no nonsense video with more information about foundries than I have seen in any other single video, much of which I have never seen or heard. While not a step by step guide on how to make or use a foundry; there are many facets of foundry use including casting which are covered providing usable pro level tips with an emphasis on safety and on quality of results.
Wow, what an excellent video on foundry basics! As a beginner, this was an incredible learning experience for me. I love your explanation and how it's practical and easy to understand - it's clear you know where newbies should start. I'm happy I found this before going down the rabbit hole of other content. Your video has given me the confidence to explore more about the trade and see how others do it on TH-cam. Thanks for enlightening us, and keep up the great work!
Been working in casting for years and everything in this video is 100% spot on. Anyone thinking of doing any casting should pay close attention to all of this, casting is dangerous and everything discussed will work together to make it a lot safer. One thing I would say is to make sure you have all the safety clothing before you even start, accidents happen, especially when you are starting out and even with small setups, having the right safety gear can prevent horrific injury.
This is some mighty informative video. As I am about to get into casting myself (just tiny personal curiosity projects) I really appreciate a lot of those tips as they just saved me a lot of screwed up tries. Thank you very much for making this.
WOOOW hold up, you mentioned engine parts for aluminium alloy, which is true HOWEVER caution is advised, those block can be made out of magnesium as well, which will burn your whole shop down. So be careful guys, just saying.
no it wont. ever tried to set a lump of magnesium on fire? unless you are heating it to boiling point, its fine. ribbon burns as its easy to get it melting, vaporising... then igniting. anyway, for those that are still wary... vinegar. it reacts with vinegar. aluminium does not.
@@paradiselost9946 It is harder to ignite a lump of it instead of shavings and powder for sure. HOWEVER it is absolutely possible. People died in professional environments due to magnesium fires. I wouldn´t do it at home. You can even produce black powder at home and other dangerous stuff I just wouldn´t do it. It is a real risk.
I’ve done a lot of work at an aluminum recycle plant. In particular i worked around the aluminum mag bin doing a lot of cutting and welding. Had a few sparklers come up but never a fire or explosion. The plant said to be carful and keep an eye out. But said we was ok to perform the work. Not 100% sure who’s right or wrong but I didn’t have a problem with it. I don’t think there’s enough magnesium content in the said aluminum to be that hazardous
@@erikcourtney1834 Certain motor blocks are not made out of aluminium but magnesium instead. It´s not an alloy containing a little bit of magnesium, it is a lot. Magnesium burns at about 600°C when you melt down a chunk of it, which means it burns like hell you can not extinguish the fire. That´s why it is used in thermite and other military applications. Just typie in Magnesium on wikipedia, it´s not like I just came up with some crazy idea about magnesium. Example of alloy G-MgAl8Zn1 (AZ81) / G-MgAg3SE2Zr1 (MSR) / G-MgTh3Zn2Zr1 (ZRE1) etc. They all contain about 90% Magnesium rest is Al Zn Mn Si Zr
@@sierraecho884 I never said anything about engine blocks or pure magnesium. There is many things we use daily in life thats made of mostly aluminum and but contains .5% -13% magnesium. Pretty sure no one is casting pure magnesium at home in there garage.
Brilliant education on casting. I now realize there is much more to casting than merely a small gas furnace. Thank you so much. You have saved me a ton of money !! I will look for a foundry who can do the casting work for me
I am glad I found your channel. I really enjoy your projects! Yesterday I tested my gas furnace for the first time and it melted 1 Kg of copper in no time. I purchased a 10 kg sized furnace because that was the recommendation from those that purchased a smaller size. I then did it again a second time after weighing it to see how much of the weight that was lost to slag which was next to nothing. I guess those pipes were clean. I then added some tin and now I have 1080 grams bronze - yay! More than yay actually. It was very rewarding and it was really easy and fast. This can be done after work which is a big benefit. My problems arose when I tried to burn out the wax from my test mold. It had a tiny crack from when I had it in the oven to melt out the majority of the candlewax/paraffin I used. It was super porous and crumbled into ten pieces or so and a handful of dust. So I took my low end projects mold and put it in a stainless bowl and held it over the furnace but the wax did not melt as I wanted. It started to burn, and then the mold cracked and fell apart. I wish I had known I should have had a flask instead of just a block of plaster of Paris - which is what is available in terms of investment. Plan B is now to put my block of pieces back together and cast it into the said bowl and have that function as a flask like support. That plaster is fragile though. It cracks in the oven when it hits 60ish C and that is not enough to melt the wax. I hope the bowl can add structure to sort that out. I really hope I can find a workable solution with what is available. Anyways sorry for the long post and a huge thank you for all the information. 😊
If you are going the plaster of Paris route try mixing in some sand with it and heat it very slowly when you do your burn out. Plaster of Paris isn’t really made for casting so cracking is probably going to happen regardless but try to have a little thicker walls between your wax and the edges.
Thanks for your practical advice and information. The English grammar and the outline that you used was perfect in my opinion, and also enjoyably to listen to. Thanks for a great video.
OUTSTANDING information and presentation. Among the best presentation across all the vids out there. Very nice pace, economy of words, stayed focus, and looked practiced and polished. I'm not being paid for this comment, either. 😂
I've been in the home furnace hobby for some 6 years now. this video is easily one of the best gap fillers in information that's out there. i find with a lot of topics in the diy sphere, there's a lot of assumed knowledge in a lot of hobbies. I'm thumbing this.
I didn't know the term hydrostatic pressure. I've watched so many videos about melting metal. I have a ton of knowledge and zero experience. That is what you have taught me. Thank you! 😊
Great info, I started with thinking yeah "I've heard all this", but then it got into much more specific information that is great to know getting into it even if you aren't going to utilize it yet
I've been doing bronze casting awhile, and some of my mistakes were explained well here(hydrostatic pressure and shrinkage). very useful and entertaining, AS ALWAYS.Thanks
Fantastic! Neatly summed up the majority of the topics that should be prevalent on a beginners mind when considering this hobby. I was gonna start just welding up some old tanks to make an oven so to speak, but thank you for saving me hours of trial, error, and frustration!
This was a very helpful video. I have worked with metal most of my life, on aircraft or in a weld shop, but not casting it. This was really informative and well done. Especially important was safety, wear a respirator and protective gear. Thank you for taking the time to make this.
Thank you. I think you have saved a lot of lives and heartache, myself included. I was going to venture out into this bullion making but will now do so cautiously. God bless you, Sir!
I can attest to the danger of Zinc fumes as we used to call it 'zinc flu,' when burning through steel with oxy-acetylene if you burned through galvanised steel parts and ingested the fumes you were usually laid up the following day. Nice explanative video;-)
Hopefully I found useful tips here ? Ya bet ! Super good video. You probably save me months of clumsy experience and possibly accidents. Thank you so much.
You provided a very informative video. I have been interested in metal casting for a long time. The basic instructions you have provided will help make my future work much more rewarding, and I can plan for a safer foundry and a safer working environment. Thank you very much. Your video is greatly appreciated.
This is the pinnacle of what the Internet was made for. Stellar information and presentation style. Instant sub. Looking forward to learning more from you and your amazing work 😁👍🏻
Wow, if I could send myself a video two years back it would be this one.. So many crucial lessons in here and great explanations about casting. Thank you very much, you've earned my subscription!
I took a class for investment casting, it was great, learned a lot. Still, thanx for gracefully laying down sone things I didn't know! You got a first class teaching style! Thanx to Red Dog for reiterating the zinc hazards too!
I'm looking to start casting myself. I found this video, and am finding it very informative. That said, I subbed when I seen the Trump bust. Beautiful. Yuge! More than that, going through the comments, it looks like you've got a knowledgeable subscriber base. Not only is that a good sign, it's a great resource. I'll be back.
Dude you just saved anyone looking to get started in this hours of headaches. Thankyou very much. Very good presentation and very well put together. I’d love to see some more videos on the lost wax casting and learning to cast hollow
I really appreciate the fact that you waited until the end to ask for a subscription or like you gave us something of value and had every reason to ask. I subscribed and liked
What a great video! I have been home casting for many years and I know all the points you have raised but I think for a newcomer this is a go to video and you explain it perfectly. Well done!
I have yet to even start working with metal and I just want to thank you in advance for the simple yet important truths that you have provided me. Job well done my good man ! JOB DONE QUITE WELL!!!
Dude you rock! I knew a few of these from my studying of this in the past, but there's a few new ones and a few you've debunked for me. Very cool! Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.
That right there is a great video! I would love to see you make a detailed video on making a furnace. I keep going back and forth between making or buying.
I actually have 2 on my furnace builds up. I prefer my propane tank furnace because it’s smaller. But my keg furnace works well too. It just takes a lot longer to reach temperature. How to build a foundry out of a propane tank in under 5 minutes: back yard Foundry th-cam.com/video/qj4G5zUtNkg/w-d-xo.html
I've never seen such educated tutelage. I've saved your video and subscribed. Never knew any of this. Glad i found you before setting up my work area. Thanks for the great video.
Lots of stuff the usual players don't mention.. and as I'm about to start smelting my own stuff, this would have been good to know ahead of time. Thanks, and I hope your channel blows up nicely!
That’s another term that gets mixed up sometimes. “smelting”. Smelting is a chemical reaction. For example smelting iron doesn’t actually involve melting it. I hope to do a smelting video this summer.
Thank you for an excellent well thought out video for the beginner. About to purchase my 1st forge to form large round stock aluminium bar to turn parts in my lathe & wasn’t sure where to start. I will start with a quality set up with safety in mind. Thank you again.
Excellent video! Thanks for the tips. I'm moving toward building my own furnace, and this was all great advice. Also - you speak very well! That's nice to see with TH-camrs. Keep it up.
Have been standing at the door to this world for quite some time. Really appreciate the simple, straigtforward, and concise video. Subbed. Thank you. Aloha
Love this video. Now I know that my metal shop teacher back in high school taught us well. Funny cuz he wasn't even the schools metal shop teacher. He was just a math & English teacher who was filling in because the school didn't have an actual metal shop teacher. Luckily the school I went to was very high tech even though it was in a small town outside the the city & had tools that the city schools could only dream of like plasma cutters. But the coolest thing they had was a foundry with everything mentioned in this video. That was 25 years ago & I've been dying to setup a small foundry for myself & a friend of mine. He likes to hammer steel into stuff like knives & what not while I perfer to melt metal down & cast it into molds making custom parts for my rc semi truck. And out back were I live is a perfect spot to create an outdoor setup. But until I can afford it, to prevent accidentally setting fire to the property I'm gonna blow a hole in the ground using a small hydrogen bomb then bore an angled connecting tunnel to the base of base so that I can pump air using 1 of my high power fans. And use a simple steel covering plate with hole in it as a lid. Should work quite well from what I've seen
Excellent presentation and excellent content. Great ! Just one remark : bronze is usually copper with 5-20% tin plus additions. There is also aluminium bronze and silicon bronze.
Yes I make both aluminum and tin bronze too but in the world of sculpture most foundries prefer silicon bronze. I should mentioned other types of bronzes though.
Thank you for the info. You actually taught me a couple of things. Some I knew as common sense that you affirmed. But the gold is the stuff I didn’t know. Again thanks man.
Excellent Video, so much of this is so fundamental to the craft of casting and a lot of it almost completely absent in so many videos I've watched. I think that the difference between knowing how to do something poorly once, and learning how to do something well, repeatedly is most likely the result of being taught by someone that teaches you the "boring" stuff too... because they are trying to teach rather than simply entertain... Side note to the cautionary message about making sure your molds are preheated, the same goes for all of the raw materials you intend to melt. I live in the town in Colorado that is home to the former Colorado Fuel & Iron Steel mill (now Evraz Steel Mill) which was the first and only steel mill west of the Mississippi that produced Railroad track, among lots and lots of other steel products which were and some that still are made here, these days with OSHA, Unions, and other regulatory stuff safety is pretty good... but when Mill Workers die, its because there was moisture in the "Charge" of scrap metal they drop into the furnaces several tons at a time. It only takes a little bit of ice in the middle of a pile of shredded scrap to send an ENORMOUS amount of molten steel flying in every direction following an explosion so intense it will shake the dust from the steel I-beam rafters throughout the mill....
Hey man thank you very much for your video. I am about to start a foundry at my workplace and I was about to breath in tons of zinc and to have moisture explosions. I saved your video just in case and now I realize I made a good decision. Thank you 😁
Congratulations! I’ve been watching TH-cam videos for years and I rarely if ever thumb up a video but if I could, I’d give yours 100 👍🏻’s. Very down to earth and informative.
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great vid that said Zinc funes most certainly WILL kill you.
we lost Paw Paw Wilson the blacksmith due to zinc fever. go ahead and google him and his death.. it WILL kill you and it will also make u wish it had killed you.
be VERY careful with zinc fumes folks.
I’ll pin this so people can see this comment and I’ll make a link to that story.
@@lundgrenbronzestudios thank you
Also some bronzes and brass include lead to improve machineability and wear
It's also worth noting that *while people may be used to things like acetone fumes, zinc fumes have a much much lower tolerance point* before you poison yourself.
You won't notice it as it's happening, you will notice it hours later - when you begin to have the worst flu-feelings you've ever had, but it might take several weeks to go away, even with medical support.
Sidenote: if you are welding something galvanized, use vinegar to de-galvanize it (minimal effort but expect at least 1 day soak or more)
@@andrewstambaugh8030 hydrochloric acid works much better than vinegar and it's quick
As a person that worked as a mold operator in an aluminum foundry for four years, everything in this was spot on and concise!
Except for a foundry is the building, what he has built is called a furnace. It's like people saying smelting instead of melting when they are casting stuff 😂
Just out of curiosity, where did you work? Haha I worked at an aluminum foundry for about a year as a Homogenizer Operator.
Except that by the time I got to 1:36 he'd already sprouted so much BS that I quit watching. If you really worked in the industry you'd know that sheet is rolled, not extruded...extruded is higher grade than cast and cast is marginally lower grade than sheet. Cans are drawn from sheet as are pots and screw tops.
@@garybaris139
Really pissing on some some DIYer using the terms wrong?
Let me ask you this, define “extruding.”
I don't know any foundry that uses water base sand. I've only used oil base sand and way easier to use.
Safety equipment and practices include:
- leather apron (leather is sufficient for this temperature range)
- welding gloves
- leather sleeves / arm guards
- full length pants, long sleeves and clothes of natural fiber (melted plastic, e.g. nylon or polyester, sticks to skin)
- face shield
Assume that molten metal will spill or splash at some point:
- leather boots with thick soles
- leather spats for shoes so molten blobs don't drop in
- clear away any clutter
- concrete can spall (even if it doesn't look moist) because molten metal can flash moisture into steam; best to use a box or tray of dry sand
- never put your head over the furnace; a gasping reflex can pull superheated air into your lungs and cause blistering (doesn't work well for breathing)
- bucket of cool water you can stick a hand or foot in to stop burns from getting worse
- someone around to call 911 if needed; show them how to turn off the furnace
- nobody talks to and distracts you when handling molten metal. If they think that getting you to screw up would be funny, they can come back later.
You'll probably be fine, however spills and splashes happen, crucibles can crack, break or be dropped; metal can leak out of molds (high hydraulic pressure for dense molten metal); you can trip on things. Put a little effort into taking some basic safety precautions.
Yep that’s good advice. I always wear a face shield, leather jacket, long pants, don’t pour over concrete, I spread sand out if I use a lot of metal but usually only melt small amounts and I adjust accordingly.
That’s a good list. I’ll pin it so others can read it.
Your detailed safety standards will save me much pain and agony.
Honestly, I would just use a proximity suit at that point. Especially a Fyrepel or Newtex garment.
Does a welding jacket work in place of a leather apron
I would consider this an essential post. Thanks for your excellent advice!
Pro tip for welding brass, ditch the tig. It welds beautifully with oxy-aceteylene and a slightly oxidizing flame. The excess oxygen eliminates the zinc fumes entirely, plus it doesn't pop spit or do any thing else weird. This is the process that I use to repair antique radiator tanks.
I need to get a torch. Brazing is something I want to learn.
@@lundgrenbronzestudiostorch setup is cheaper than a TIG welder but there’s a decent number of safety items to be aware of.
@@lundgrenbronzestudios you should, Brazing and welding with oxy acetylene is awesome and you can make some really good looking stuff. As long as you don't use too high of heat you won't cook the brass. Brazing alloys have a lower melting point than the metal you are Brazing and with prep and good flux you can do epic brazes. Welding with oxy acetylene can make really good looking welds on steel too, almost as good looking as tig and you can weld thin stuff and is more portable than other processes
@@lundgrenbronzestudiosat harbor freight you can get a Victor knock off that works with Victor tips and comes with everything except bottles. I went to school for it but you sound capable and practice makes perfect
I learned oxyacetlyene welding in high schol and it's still my favorite method of welding - it's incredibly flexibe; I've even done it underwater on salvage jobs. A torch should be an indispensible piece of equipment for any metalworker.
This video should be "required reading" for anyone melting metal. This channel should be subscibed to by all foundry wannabes.
Always love the way you openly share your ever expanding wealth of knowledge.
Also good to see so many foundry tubers commenting here and sharing their great knowledge as well.
Agree. Wannabes .Take care.
As a new foundry wannabe your caution comment is literally a life saver. Now I’ll be engineering ventilation and safety into my hobby foundry. Thank you much!
You are wannabes. It’s a hobby, no one is trying to get rich. Quit being an ass about watching a video. Both of your asses.
Great information! Its so nice to see a non clickbait video that doesn't waste peoples time :D
….Yes and no terrible music overdub
Just started researching this craft and I must say , after watching at minimum 10 others this 1 video had so much more information then all those combined. Thanks for sharing and best wishes in your work.
I would like to point out that the aluminum alloy used in beverage cans is a very high-quality alloy. It is 3104 aluminum which has primarily a bit of Manganese in it as the principal alloying element. The alloy is used because of the ability to cold work it in a deep drawing process to produce the can body from a disc of aluminum. It does not need to be very strong but does need to be very ductile. All of the aluminum alloys are formulated to meet the requirements for a specific purpose. 3104 does not make a good casting alloy because it lacks fluidity when molten. This is why most aluminum alloys meant for casting have a high silicon content. Yes, you could add your own silicon to a melt of beverage cans. First refine the aluminum from the cans to get a nice clean ingot with no adulterants, weigh your ingot and add anywhere from 3% to 6% in weight as silicon. And there you go, you have just made a good casting alloy. The little bit of manganese will probably not affect the casting fluidity. hth
Edit: PS: To duplicate the principal aluminum casting alloy, A356, the Silicon content needs to be between 6% and 7.5%.
Thanks!
Wow dude thank you.
Is it possible for a melter to be flat and rectangular
@@elitehunterz I don't understand your question. What do you mean by "melter"?
@@paulkurilecz4209 a Furnance
Like if I wanted to stack a car aluminum radiator, they are kinda big, but the shape of radiators are not circular and I see many if not all furnaces are cylindrical
This is one of the most informative videos I have come across detailing troubles, dangers and nuances of smelting and casting. Thank you for spending your time and sharing your experience!
The best video for us who had to learn some facts on our own, break things in the process and spend a bunch of money in repeating attempts. This simply explains it all.
Thank you!
A whole video packed with usefull information and tips without all the rambling nonsense filler. You have achieved something very rare on youtube and I appreciate that. I hope your channel gets the attention it deserves and Thank you
Great comment for great YT producer!
Do you cast four people save me a lot of time
Fantastic. Thank you. I've been circling the idea of casting for a long time. These are the videos the world needs more of. Why is a tictok star getting millions of views for eating a tide pod, but this video, providing actual skill and information, is not. Just ridiculous.
Please never stop! And thank you.
I did a little sand casting years ago as part of some machining study. I wanted to be able to make some parts for antique restoration, so I was looking around for info.
I really like this video, simple , concise information. I watched a couple of others and they’ve help a lot.
Good vid !
Thank you! Good luck!
I have no intention of casting anything myself, but still found myself completely glued to the whole video :)
Great information for someone who has always been fascinated by metal casting and interested in bronze. Thank you so much for sharing!
I was thinking of setting up a foundry, but the threat of shrunken balls scared me off.
It’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Man, God bless you. I am in the process of swithching my little factory from my apartment to a little foundry..., I needed this cheat sheet. Instant like, instant subscribed. I do like your style, concise, no chit-chat, pro advise, 15 minutes gone without noticing, 👍.
This video needs way more attention from people who do metal casting!
I myself knew just about everything you talked about already. Now if I only had more time to put this knowledge to use, so many projects I have waiting to be finished or even started. 😅
Thanks for all this great info! 👍👊
Finally! Someone who talks in a language of crafters! You don't HAVE TO have a high quality setup, but if you want high quality end result, it's going to take an investment of either money or time. Thank you sir. This is the exact kind of informational video i like.
You have a fantastic journey going on, thank you so much for sharing, I'm retired Skill Trades, and multi media artist, and I thoroughly enjoy watching things that I never got around to doing. AWESOME 😎
Spot on ! valuable info for anybody starting out. Greensand once conditioned you keep it in an airtight tub and it will always be ready. Bronzes are normally copper/tin plus numerous other metal depending on use.
Most bronze castings now days are silicon bronze. Tin bronze is a common bronze but not used as much in most foundry’s today.
Excellent content. Show us more of this, the tricks of the trade, the casting issues, vent holes etc. I have not begun yet, but I have my furnace and basic gear, just need more education before I fire it up!
So how’s the casting going?
You need a copy of "Metal Casting: A Sand casting Manual for the Small Foundry. Vol. 1"
@@FuhrChris Thanks for the advice. I have a huge catalogue of scientific papers from Academia on that very topic...mostly from industrial research on metallurgy and means and methods of sand casting of machine and engine parts that are odd shaped. I am studying the topic as much as possible before firing up the furnace...I will get a copy of that manual, thanks again!
If you live nearby.I could get you safely started. I am semi professional.Now retired. Live in Singapore. Ran a compressor assembly plant. Won a tender bid. Had to cast Auto condensate traps for 300 air compressors. Champion dealer sold me a sample at USD 100.whereas my budget was USD10. Together with my men built gas fired furnace and cut Cast Iron to pour.. Orders kept pouring. Pouring Aluminium is no fun.Very hot.
I’ve been watching a lot of videos over the past week or two and have been wanting to make a foundry for a few years now. I think you’re the first channel I’m subbing to related to casting because you were clear and concise and I appreciate that
So much excellent information. I’ve been working on my own “what I didn’t know” video for beginners, can melters, and ingot stackers, and you hit the great points on the head.
That was a lot of good information you shared! It seems very humbling to hear you say “that was something I did not know“ and it’s encouraging because you learned so maybe I can too. Thank you.
Very informative! I cast 35 years ago. I have forgotten most of it. If you don't use it you lose it. Thanks again.
I just started dipping my toes into casting and your video is the first I have seen that was USEFUL! Your presentation comes across as friendly and helpful and not condescending. Great work. I will be following you for more info.
Thanks for this most informative lesson. I bought a little furnace with the intention to cast in lost wax. Your videos are my lessons on how to achieve my goal. I'm at the stage of preparing the furnace, crucible and making the dross scoop, crucible ring, etc.. Your videos have made me aware of the dangers and precautions to take.
72 and just thinking about giving it a try. Hadn't realized what all there is to consider. You haven't talked me out of it, but I'm giving it a second thought. I'll rerun your piece and view some others. Darn, I thought it was easy.
Thanks for the video! ⚒️
Good tips! Thank you
As a wannabe and a willbe, great video and reason to pay attention to detail when I start setting up shop, Thank you!
Excellent stuff! 👍👍
I will add that a respirator shouldn't be optional or only for melting brass. Melting and casting puts out all sorts of bad stuff in the air that isn't good for breathing.
Of ALL the TH-cam videos I’ve seen, over many different topics/hobbies/crafts/skills, this has got to be one of THE best I’ve EVER seen!!! It’s both clear and concise, making it informative and understandable. There is an inherent humility with the delivery, that I appreciate VERY much. Too many TH-camrs let ego and personality get in the way, or spend the entire video yelling at you. I’m very grateful that you shared your opinions, while leaving me with the informed choice to decide for myself. This is my first video of yours, so I’m excited to see more. Keep up the great work!!
😀👍
Thank you for the kind words!
Hi I’m just about to start my casting journey. I have made my furnace almost ready for burning. I will go with brass.
Anyway.
You just gave me a lot to consider before I head diving in to the unknown. Thank a lot. Was a really straight forward education video. I have learned quite few important things
Well done 👍
Have fun and don’t breath the white smoke! Try not to over heat the brass.
Anyone looking to make and/or use a foundry to melt metals on a small scale would be wise to watch this descriptive video with many examples shown. This is a no nonsense video with more information about foundries than I have seen in any other single video, much of which I have never seen or heard. While not a step by step guide on how to make or use a foundry; there are many facets of foundry use including casting which are covered providing usable pro level tips with an emphasis on safety and on quality of results.
Wow, what an excellent video on foundry basics! As a beginner, this was an incredible learning experience for me. I love your explanation and how it's practical and easy to understand - it's clear you know where newbies should start. I'm happy I found this before going down the rabbit hole of other content. Your video has given me the confidence to explore more about the trade and see how others do it on TH-cam. Thanks for enlightening us, and keep up the great work!
Love it, I'm founder since 2007. This is great video for people starting up. Keep up the good work
Thanks for making this; lot of important information regarding health/safety - better safe than sorry :) Looking forward to see more content from you!
I am just starting casting. This video is solid gold and will save me a lot of mistakes and frustration. Thank you.
Great advice!
Been working in casting for years and everything in this video is 100% spot on. Anyone thinking of doing any casting should pay close attention to all of this, casting is dangerous and everything discussed will work together to make it a lot safer. One thing I would say is to make sure you have all the safety clothing before you even start, accidents happen, especially when you are starting out and even with small setups, having the right safety gear can prevent horrific injury.
This is some mighty informative video. As I am about to get into casting myself (just tiny personal curiosity projects) I really appreciate a lot of those tips as they just saved me a lot of screwed up tries. Thank you very much for making this.
This video is such ridiculous good quality that i'm subscribing.
WOOOW hold up, you mentioned engine parts for aluminium alloy, which is true HOWEVER caution is advised, those block can be made out of magnesium as well, which will burn your whole shop down. So be careful guys, just saying.
no it wont. ever tried to set a lump of magnesium on fire?
unless you are heating it to boiling point, its fine. ribbon burns as its easy to get it melting, vaporising... then igniting.
anyway, for those that are still wary... vinegar. it reacts with vinegar. aluminium does not.
@@paradiselost9946 It is harder to ignite a lump of it instead of shavings and powder for sure.
HOWEVER it is absolutely possible.
People died in professional environments due to magnesium fires. I wouldn´t do it at home.
You can even produce black powder at home and other dangerous stuff I just wouldn´t do it. It is a real risk.
I’ve done a lot of work at an aluminum recycle plant. In particular i worked around the aluminum mag bin doing a lot of cutting and welding. Had a few sparklers come up but never a fire or explosion. The plant said to be carful and keep an eye out. But said we was ok to perform the work. Not 100% sure who’s right or wrong but I didn’t have a problem with it. I don’t think there’s enough magnesium content in the said aluminum to be that hazardous
@@erikcourtney1834 Certain motor blocks are not made out of aluminium but magnesium instead. It´s not an alloy containing a little bit of magnesium, it is a lot. Magnesium burns at about 600°C when you melt down a chunk of it, which means it burns like hell you can not extinguish the fire. That´s why it is used in thermite and other military applications. Just typie in Magnesium on wikipedia, it´s not like I just came up with some crazy idea about magnesium.
Example of alloy G-MgAl8Zn1 (AZ81) / G-MgAg3SE2Zr1 (MSR) / G-MgTh3Zn2Zr1 (ZRE1) etc. They all contain about 90% Magnesium rest is Al Zn Mn Si Zr
@@sierraecho884 I never said anything about engine blocks or pure magnesium. There is many things we use daily in life thats made of mostly aluminum and but contains .5% -13% magnesium. Pretty sure no one is casting pure magnesium at home in there garage.
Brilliant education on casting. I now realize there is much more to casting than merely a small gas furnace. Thank you so much. You have saved me a ton of money !! I will look for a foundry who can do the casting work for me
Well said, nicely explained. Love it 👌 have a good one 👍
These are all fantastic tips. I've done lost-wax casting, but large-scale foundry work is clearly a different animal. THANK YOU!
Thanks for making this video!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching
I have pored over so many online resources, but none have been as helpful and straightforward as this one - thanks!
Aluminium cans 10 cent refund in my state. LoL I'd rather take the cash
I am glad I found your channel. I really enjoy your projects!
Yesterday I tested my gas furnace for the first time and it melted 1 Kg of copper in no time. I purchased a 10 kg sized furnace because that was the recommendation from those that purchased a smaller size. I then did it again a second time after weighing it to see how much of the weight that was lost to slag which was next to nothing. I guess those pipes were clean. I then added some tin and now I have 1080 grams bronze - yay! More than yay actually. It was very rewarding and it was really easy and fast. This can be done after work which is a big benefit.
My problems arose when I tried to burn out the wax from my test mold. It had a tiny crack from when I had it in the oven to melt out the majority of the candlewax/paraffin I used. It was super porous and crumbled into ten pieces or so and a handful of dust.
So I took my low end projects mold and put it in a stainless bowl and held it over the furnace but the wax did not melt as I wanted. It started to burn, and then the mold cracked and fell apart. I wish I had known I should have had a flask instead of just a block of plaster of Paris - which is what is available in terms of investment.
Plan B is now to put my block of pieces back together and cast it into the said bowl and have that function as a flask like support. That plaster is fragile though. It cracks in the oven when it hits 60ish C and that is not enough to melt the wax. I hope the bowl can add structure to sort that out.
I really hope I can find a workable solution with what is available.
Anyways sorry for the long post and a huge thank you for all the information. 😊
If you are going the plaster of Paris route try mixing in some sand with it and heat it very slowly when you do your burn out. Plaster of Paris isn’t really made for casting so cracking is probably going to happen regardless but try to have a little thicker walls between your wax and the edges.
@@lundgrenbronzestudios I will give it a try! 👍
Thanks for your practical advice and information. The English grammar and the outline that you used was perfect in my opinion, and also enjoyably to listen to. Thanks for a great video.
Thanks for appreciating it!
OUTSTANDING information and presentation. Among the best presentation across all the vids out there. Very nice pace, economy of words, stayed focus, and looked practiced and polished. I'm not being paid for this comment, either. 😂
I've been in the home furnace hobby for some 6 years now. this video is easily one of the best gap fillers in information that's out there. i find with a lot of topics in the diy sphere, there's a lot of assumed knowledge in a lot of hobbies. I'm thumbing this.
I didn't know the term hydrostatic pressure. I've watched so many videos about melting metal. I have a ton of knowledge and zero experience. That is what you have taught me. Thank you! 😊
As an experienced Bronze Caster, I found your video spot on. You covered pretty much everything! Great job.
Thank you!
Great info, I started with thinking yeah "I've heard all this", but then it got into much more specific information that is great to know getting into it even if you aren't going to utilize it yet
I've been doing bronze casting awhile, and some of my mistakes were explained well here(hydrostatic pressure and shrinkage). very useful and entertaining, AS ALWAYS.Thanks
You've really expressed your learnings well in this video. It would pay for people to take note. Well done!
Fantastic! Neatly summed up the majority of the topics that should be prevalent on a beginners mind when considering this hobby. I was gonna start just welding up some old tanks to make an oven so to speak, but thank you for saving me hours of trial, error, and frustration!
Man, I appreciate the calm and approachable delivery of info here! Thank you!
This was a very helpful video. I have worked with metal most of my life, on aircraft or in a weld shop, but not casting it. This was really informative and well done. Especially important was safety, wear a respirator and protective gear. Thank you for taking the time to make this.
Thank you. I think you have saved a lot of lives and heartache, myself included.
I was going to venture out into this bullion making but will now do so cautiously.
God bless you, Sir!
Thanks for the shout-out regarding the ceramic shell. Happy to help!
I Think Your A Caring Decent Human Being For Teaching People What You Know About This Subject
I can attest to the danger of Zinc fumes as we used to call it 'zinc flu,' when burning through steel with oxy-acetylene if you burned through galvanised steel parts and ingested the fumes you were usually laid up the following day.
Nice explanative video;-)
Thank you for helping the rest of us avoid relearning these same lessons on our own!
I make mistakes so you don’t have to.
Hopefully I found useful tips here ? Ya bet ! Super good video. You probably save me months of clumsy experience and possibly accidents. Thank you so much.
You provided a very informative video. I have been interested in metal casting for a long time. The basic instructions you have provided will help make my future work much more rewarding, and I can plan for a safer foundry and a safer working environment. Thank you very much. Your video is greatly appreciated.
This is the pinnacle of what the Internet was made for.
Stellar information and presentation style. Instant sub. Looking forward to learning more from you and your amazing work 😁👍🏻
Wow, if I could send myself a video two years back it would be this one.. So many crucial lessons in here and great explanations about casting. Thank you very much, you've earned my subscription!
I took a class for investment casting, it was great, learned a lot. Still, thanx for gracefully laying down sone things I didn't know! You got a first class teaching style! Thanx to Red Dog for reiterating the zinc hazards too!
I'm looking to start casting myself. I found this video, and am finding it very informative. That said, I subbed when I seen the Trump bust. Beautiful. Yuge!
More than that, going through the comments, it looks like you've got a knowledgeable subscriber base. Not only is that a good sign, it's a great resource. I'll be back.
Dude you just saved anyone looking to get started in this hours of headaches. Thankyou very much. Very good presentation and very well put together.
I’d love to see some more videos on the lost wax casting and learning to cast hollow
Because google doesn’t exist right? Tho is just jumping into this without googling how it’s done?
Best video of intro things for casting that I've ever seen. You put a lot of content in those 15 minutes. Thanks!!
Thank you. Very useful for someone who was thinking about melting cans to cast household objects.
I really appreciate the fact that you waited until the end to ask for a subscription or like you gave us something of value and had every reason to ask. I subscribed and liked
Thank you!
What a great video! I have been home casting for many years and I know all the points you have raised but I think for a newcomer this is a go to video and you explain it perfectly. Well done!
So nice to see the many safety tips and lots of information!
I have yet to even start working with metal and I just want to thank you in advance for the simple yet important truths that you have provided me. Job well done my good man ! JOB DONE QUITE WELL!!!
Dude you rock! I knew a few of these from my studying of this in the past, but there's a few new ones and a few you've debunked for me. Very cool! Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.
That right there is a great video! I would love to see you make a detailed video on making a furnace. I keep going back and forth between making or buying.
I actually have 2 on my furnace builds up. I prefer my propane tank furnace because it’s smaller. But my keg furnace works well too. It just takes a lot longer to reach temperature.
How to build a foundry out of a propane tank in under 5 minutes: back yard Foundry
th-cam.com/video/qj4G5zUtNkg/w-d-xo.html
Wow first video I watched on casting Have not done casting in over thirty years. Great advice. Great shared lessons learned
I've never seen such educated tutelage. I've saved your video and subscribed. Never knew any of this. Glad i found you before setting up my work area. Thanks for the great video.
I've always kinda wanted to try something like this. Spelling out all the 'rookie' stage mistakes is a huge help!
Nice, several aspects I was aware of, though some I hadn't considered and I appreciate the knowledge of technique and safety passed along. Thank you.
That was the most helpful video I have ever seen. You answered all the problems I've been having. Thank you so much.
Lots of stuff the usual players don't mention.. and as I'm about to start smelting my own stuff, this would have been good to know ahead of time. Thanks, and I hope your channel blows up nicely!
That’s another term that gets mixed up sometimes. “smelting”. Smelting is a chemical reaction. For example smelting iron doesn’t actually involve melting it. I hope to do a smelting video this summer.
Thank you for an excellent well thought out video for the beginner. About to purchase my 1st forge to form large round stock aluminium bar to turn parts in my lathe & wasn’t sure where to start. I will start with a quality set up with safety in mind. Thank you again.
Thanks again for taking us on your casting journey, you are fun and informative, a great combination 👍😊
Excellent video! Thanks for the tips. I'm moving toward building my own furnace, and this was all great advice.
Also - you speak very well! That's nice to see with TH-camrs. Keep it up.
Have been standing at the door to this world for quite some time. Really appreciate the simple, straigtforward, and concise video. Subbed. Thank you. Aloha
been melting metals for a couple years now. your video is good info for anyone.
Absolutely fantastically done and safty was placed right out front. Very professional, well done!❤
Love this video. Now I know that my metal shop teacher back in high school taught us well. Funny cuz he wasn't even the schools metal shop teacher. He was just a math & English teacher who was filling in because the school didn't have an actual metal shop teacher. Luckily the school I went to was very high tech even though it was in a small town outside the the city & had tools that the city schools could only dream of like plasma cutters. But the coolest thing they had was a foundry with everything mentioned in this video. That was 25 years ago & I've been dying to setup a small foundry for myself & a friend of mine. He likes to hammer steel into stuff like knives & what not while I perfer to melt metal down & cast it into molds making custom parts for my rc semi truck. And out back were I live is a perfect spot to create an outdoor setup. But until I can afford it, to prevent accidentally setting fire to the property I'm gonna blow a hole in the ground using a small hydrogen bomb then bore an angled connecting tunnel to the base of base so that I can pump air using 1 of my high power fans. And use a simple steel covering plate with hole in it as a lid. Should work quite well from what I've seen
Excellent presentation and excellent content. Great ! Just one remark : bronze is usually copper with 5-20% tin plus additions. There is also aluminium bronze and silicon bronze.
Yes I make both aluminum and tin bronze too but in the world of sculpture most foundries prefer silicon bronze. I should mentioned other types of bronzes though.
@@lundgrenbronzestudios Easier to cast, right ? I have made aluminium bronze but silicon bronze not yet.
Thank you for the info. You actually taught me a couple of things. Some I knew as common sense that you affirmed. But the gold is the stuff I didn’t know. Again thanks man.
Excellent Video, so much of this is so fundamental to the craft of casting and a lot of it almost completely absent in so many videos I've watched. I think that the difference between knowing how to do something poorly once, and learning how to do something well, repeatedly is most likely the result of being taught by someone that teaches you the "boring" stuff too... because they are trying to teach rather than simply entertain... Side note to the cautionary message about making sure your molds are preheated, the same goes for all of the raw materials you intend to melt.
I live in the town in Colorado that is home to the former Colorado Fuel & Iron Steel mill (now Evraz Steel Mill) which was the first and only steel mill west of the Mississippi that produced Railroad track, among lots and lots of other steel products which were and some that still are made here, these days with OSHA, Unions, and other regulatory stuff safety is pretty good... but when Mill Workers die, its because there was moisture in the "Charge" of scrap metal they drop into the furnaces several tons at a time. It only takes a little bit of ice in the middle of a pile of shredded scrap to send an ENORMOUS amount of molten steel flying in every direction following an explosion so intense it will shake the dust from the steel I-beam rafters throughout the mill....
I’ve seen some video of those steel mill accidents. They are terrible.
Hey man thank you very much for your video. I am about to start a foundry at my workplace and I was about to breath in tons of zinc and to have moisture explosions. I saved your video just in case and now I realize I made a good decision. Thank you 😁
Congratulations! I’ve been watching TH-cam videos for years and I rarely if ever thumb up a video but if I could, I’d give yours 100 👍🏻’s. Very down to earth and informative.