Casting Car Emblems from 3d printer to METAL casting / vehicle restoration - Lost PLA Method
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 มี.ค. 2019
- Reproducing vehicle emblems is commonplace in car restoration, particularly antique emblems. It's usually done by Lost Wax Casting. Here I show how a car emblem can be made at home on a 3D printer and then cast into metal, using the Lost PLA Casting method. For demonstration purposes, I used a few examples of auto emblems I found at Thingiverse.com as well a making a couple myself using Fusion 360. This allows the car badges to be scaled to fit individual vehicles. After that it's just a simple matter of casting to bronze. Now bronze might not seem to be the right colour choice, but it's an ideal, non-corrosive material that can be chrome plated.
So if you can't find that car vehicle emblem you need for your car restoration project, consider 3d printing your own : )
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This video is for and educational and entertainment purposes. Do not try and replicate what you see here without proper equipment, safety gear and a thorough understanding of the processes involved. It is a VERY dangerous.
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MORE EMBLEMS
It's a small world... if you've seen and enjoyed my Car Emblem video, take at look at this video by fellow TH-camr thehomefoundry - Where I took a 3d Print file from Thingiverse, he produces an adapted emblem on CNC and Lost Wax Casting. Excellent stuff. Well worth watching - • Making a car emblem
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This is the most professional diy casting video I've seen yet!
Thanks Matthijs : D
Great video....as a metalsmith, I have a few suggestions. The sprue you printed doesn't need to have the concave/convex ring around the pouring hole (did you design it this way for a specific reason?). As you were pouring the metal, the liquid metal was pooling in that area and it wasn't going into the mold - you want it to enter the void ASAP (since you were using bronze - this isn't as big an issue because it tends to stay molten longer than other metals). Also, and this is just me, I'd never quench a flask when the metal is THAT hot - it can lead to pitting and fracturing. I was always taught to wait until the button (the left over metal) loses it's red color.
Thanks for the advice : )
I'm impressed! That was a lot of forms for one pour. Excellent results.
I was lucky with this one Bryan. Often different shapes and sizes on one casting tree can lead to problems, as they do in this weeks video (coming Friday). Fortunately things went well for me on this occasion, probably because there's not really much material in each casting : )
WOW!
Those are just awesome!
They came out fantastic!
Pat youself on the back buddy, you deserve it!
I absolutely love these castings!
The Mercedes 220 D and Toyota emblems are my favorites from this batch!
You have dialed this in pretty well!
Hell yeah Geoff! :D
Thanks bud. The 220D is my favourite as well, though I don't know how accurate it is as I made it from an old photo. But it goes to show what is possible with 3D printers : )
Love these classic car emblems!
Thanks mate. Now all I need is a classic car to restore : D
That was really cool! Glad I found your channel you look like you have some amazing videos and crafts. Just subscribed, keep it up! 👍
Great to have you here : D
Pretty cool how you put them all on one casting tree. Great results, too.
Many thanks. I try to keep things simple : )
Awesome buddy! I hope your ready for the next challenge soon 👍🏻 great job!
Thanks mate - and as usual, no. I'll mad flap panic cast as usual : )
You're results with dense trees are getting really good.
Thanks. It's an easy technique and it's obvious why it's so commonly used amongst jewellers, etc. It pokes a finger in the eye of many casting "rules" but the fact that it works is justification enough : )
@@vogman the "casting rules" were written for sand casting... I take a little grain of salt for investment/vacuum assisted stuff.
Exactly. Well said!
Those turned out really good! Awesome!
Thanks : )
You're getting pretty good at this investment casting. Well done, Sir.
Many thanks : D
They turned out great. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were people looking for emblems they couldn’t find elsewhere...
Hi John. Take a look at my Community page. Fellow TH-camr thehomefoundry produced an amazingly similar work for just such a person. I was aware of car emblem reproduction here in the UK as vintage cars have been something I've enjoyed seeing all my life, so I guessed it would be equally popular elsewhere : )
This channel is amazing. Can't believe I just found it now.
Thanks Troy. It's great to have you here : )
Stunning results.
Many thanks : )
That trick with the candle was clever.
It's simple - and I love simple solutions : )
This is messy and may not be worth the effort (I'm still experimenting) but when I print a PLA form for casting, I dip it in hot wax. This coats the surface so I can make it glass smooth by pressing it against a hot flat surface, it seals the PLA form so when I vacuum invest it, investment doesn't get sucked into the guts of the low-infill PLA mold, it can be built up rapidly to fill voids, and it provides a great surface for attaching wax sprues and vents. It's also messy and dangerous.
Great video - production value A+
Thanks Lukas : )
maybe the best casting video out there
That's very kind : )
That's a cool example of lost PLA casting.
Thanks Nick. Glad you enjoyed it : )
Awesome ! I have started foundry one year ago and i really enjoyed your video. Foundry is an art and i'm sure you have worked a lot before obtaining such a beautiful result.
Andre, this nice stuff I've been doing is still quite new... just a few months. If you can establish a good and regular technique, you can create fantastic things. I am 100% confident you'll do just as good if not BETTER than me : )
@@vogman Well, up to now my pla castings were much below the wax castings, which come out quite nicely now. Your video encourages me to try again.
Just treat them the same. Maybe go a little slower with burnout. I tend to heat at 250C for 3 or 4 hours and allow the PLA to melt out. Then the heat gets raised and any remains should burn.
@@vogman In fact i mix my plaster myself from slow plaster, which gives me half an hour to degas etc. But this plaster stays a bit soft until completely dry. The problem with the wax is that you need to dewax before drying because otherwise the wax will enter the plaster pores. So i heat up to wax melt point first around 80C, then dry around 110C, then cook the plaster at 700C. This works great. With the pla, the plaster dries first, then pla melts. I suspect pla and my kind of plaster have different thermal expansion characteristics and plaster cracks. I should try with a different sand, maybe with cristobalite, which expands more than standard sand.
This Channel deserve to be having billions of subscribers!!
If only... if only... : )
You are incredibly talented.
Many thanks 😁
Nice work. I am keen to have a go at this but it seems like one of the "black arts". Lots of specialist materials too. Still, the results are impressive. Well done. (I've watched your journey with this and it's commendable that you have peresevered).
Thanks Mark. Casting has often been considered a black art and so many disagree about what is the "correct" way of doing it. When I first got the bug I was very disheartened by people saying I needed expensive equipment. I got around this by making my own, very cheap equipment - and it works. If this helps others have a go, then I'm thrilled.
My advice? Have a go. It's easier than you'd imagine. You'll love it : D
I would do it even if the emblem was still on my car! Most car emblems are actually made of plastic with a layer of chrome on it. So this would be way better. It's more
*_p r e s t i g e_* ;)
I'm with you : )
Wow great work! Definitely would love to have an emblem like this done for one of my cars!!
Thanks Aastin : )
Wow really nice! Great job, looking very good 👍
Many thanks : )
You made and EXCELLENT suggestion for your next video in your conclusion: I'd love to see you try your hand at chrome plating... Maybe some nifty add-ons for your motorcycle (or in absence of such a vehicle, for the motorcycle of one of your patrons), like a gps or camera screw stand... You know, something simple yet useful and with interesting techniques showcased.
About this one: would it be a mad idea to use a massive item like that GTI logo in the stead of the trunk of the casting tree, and feed all other parts through that one? It may have increased the material usage efficiency and perhaps even freed up space for one logo more... But I realize that I am just thinking outloud and it may as well be just a terrible idea :)))
I've never been one for "rules" Luke as they can restrict thinking. I'll listen to rules and learn from them, but sometimes going against the rules gets better results - certainly with casting. It's one of those subjects that people "find" their own way through. So your suggestion has as much merit as any other : )
@@vogman thank you :) since we're meriting random creative thoughts, how about trying to melt tin and copper in two separate crucibles (or one with 2 chambers?) and then pour them together into a mould, and see if the flow turbulence creates cool swirls like they do with resin casting...
This is amazing!
Thanks Jared : )
Awesome job!
Many thanks : )
Beautiful result! :)
Many thanks : )
Gennius..well done!!
Many thanks : )
Dude, Nice job! 😀
Thanks : )
Still can't attach this to cars coz it does not have the necessary curvature. But nice job anyway, so clean and precise. Is there a shrinkage when you cast in bronze?
These were demo emblems. Getting the correct scale and even curvature is possible with the print, of course, and if you can get the print right, you can get the casting right : )
Shrinkage does occur. Again this is something to factor in. 1% is often quoted.
Hi Great video! can you share what kind of plaster you use? I have tried to do the PLA burnout with some "casting plaster" I purchased on-line and it cracked horribly
Hi Dave. If you check out my recent video th-cam.com/video/43SqzuoNNnI/w-d-xo.html there's links to the products I use in the description. Following the manufacturer's instructions is critical.
I hope this helps : )
earned my sub! amazing video!
Excellent! Great to have you here : )
Amazing, I plan to get into casting
That's great Issac. It's a terrific hobby. Once you start the ideas for applications just flood in : D
Well done!
Thanks Tom - and thanks for the email : )
Those came out nice! Saw that drip at the end of the pour... hope it didn't land on the vacuum lid!
I swear it bounced off. Very lucky : )
@@vogman Excellent!
I am impressed...congrats sir. Just subscribed.
Great to have you here : )
This would be a nice upgrade for a lot of cars. So many logos are chromed plastic!
I didn't know that... but logically I suppose they are all plastic these days, yes. I'm old enough to remember the Beastie Boys car badge pendants : )
@@vogman It was the Mercedes one I usually saw as a pendant.
Strange... I remember it being VW but it's been a while... and there's no sleep til Brooklyn
Got that spruing method down pat now 👍🤘😁
It's easy with the positioning wax : )
Hi instead if using wax, can we use a 3d pen and pla filament to fuse the base and the part??
This method´s so versatile that I´m drawn to wonder where the limits are. I´ve noticed that Thingiverse has files for the various components which make up Han Solo´s DL 44 blaster.
It strikes me that a blaster assembled from castings made from these components would have a satisfyingly weighty feel in the hand compared to an all-PLA example. Nobody appears to have done this yet - at least, not on TH-cam. This brings up an important philosophical question along tree-falling-in-the-forest lines: if an event takes place but isn´t posted on TH-cam, can it be said to have really taken place?
A few months back we made Klingon knives for the casting challenge. At the time I noticed a spring-loaded Thingiverse version and I was VERY tempted.
I'd be similarly tempted with the Solo Blaster, but it's a time thing. It would take me a few casts I should think and that would mean no videos for that time... and the final video, even if successful, wouldn't generate the kind of attention that amount of work deserves... at least not on my channel. Throw a melon at it, beat it with an iPhone, insult its mother and I'm sure it would go viral elsewhere.
But this technique, for a modeller like you, could yield magnificent things.
@@vogman I do see your point - you need to consider the cost in time and the benefits of such an undertaking, and these often don´t add up to a green light for the idea.
What kind of bronze are you using? Looks like aluminum bronze. I like the color and would like to know your composition. Thanks.
Hi Jeff. You guessed correctly. Aluminium bronze... copper + aluminium 10%(weight of the copper)
: )
De ja Vu . I made the comment to another channel about casting classic car badges last week. Hmm. Those castings are really nice and you are quickly becoming better than good. Lol
Thanks Donnie : D
The castings look really good, can I ask which investment powder you used?
Many thanks 😁
that is interesting. you make it look so easy X)
Thanks... but honestly, the technique is quite easy once you get into it : )
I’d love theirs one
These look really good. Better than the originals which were probably not metal anyway!
Thanks Hugo : )
As for metal or not, I think it largely depends on the era. Classic cars tend to be metal, that's for sure : D
Impressive!
Thanks Craig
Nice job!
Thanks : )
Tip for even better results your flask temperature is crucial before casting depending on type of metal used and after casting let the flask cool for about 5 minutes untill the metal is not glowing anymore if you hold it in a dark place then quench it, you eliminate a lot of porosity and shrinkage tearing . I do this type of 3d printed casting for a living
Nice tip John, thanks : )
Very neat great video.
Thanks Mike.
I had no idea that PLA would burn out so cleanly. Did you blow out the invested mold cavity before pouring the metal?
No need. The trick is to design the sprue system so everything runs downhill. That way you're removing as much material as possible to minimise the 'burnout.'
What size crucible do you typically use?
Cool video!
Hi Tyler. I have a few crucibles. In this video I used an A4 (5.6kg brass, .75 litres), though my largest crucible is an A8 (12.5kg brass, 1.7 litres). It makes sense to use the small ones for the smaller jobs : )
Awsome video!
Thanks Joe : )
What is the ceramic used where do we get it
you make that look easy
It's not difficult. Like everything else it's just practice 😁
such great detail with the plaster compared to sand
Sand has its place. It's excellent for bigger parts. Plaster is good for small detailed stuff though : )
*VegOilGuy* May I ask which video editing software you use? The results are excellent, as are all your videos, I thank you.
I use Adobe Premier : )
@@vogman Complicated, but frankly the best. You have excellent command of it's operation obviously.
@@vogman Thank you for the response, may I ask if your foundry is custom built? It's very nice, I am building one currently from an old kiln.
I randomly hit buttons and swear profusely until something happens!
Frankly I'm always amazed when something comes out the other end : D
The electric one is a home build (th-cam.com/video/XypmI38IKAw/w-d-xo.html) which is much easier to do than most people would think. The gas one is a Devil-Forge th-cam.com/video/L-mFwIyIWXI/w-d-xo.html
Will you show the difference between molds made with propper investment plaster and generic plaster?
That's a good idea actually. I'll try to fit that video in soon : )
@@vogman Yeyyy, thanks
Hi Vog, do you cast the bronze onto the 3D printed items/tree and melt it away?
The PLA melts away completely and leaves a hole inside the plaster that's the exact shape of the printed item. Molten metal is then poured in and you have a perfect replica of the original print 😁
Wonderful!
Thanks John : )
well done
there cool .i thought you would of made a vw badge has back in the day
they was the favs lol..can you put a link baybe to the plaster please .or a
ebay heads up cheers
www.hswalsh.com/product/pioneer-smoothcast-investment-powder-tc0451
no worries : )
is that investment medium something special? Or is it something like plaster of paris?
Hi Rob, yes it's casting investment powder. It's special because after it's been cooked, it becomes porous and a vacuum can suck the metal into the mold. Have a look at this video I made on the entire Lost PLA process th-cam.com/video/qxj5eUkAFUI/w-d-xo.html : )
Hey quick question, was this 2 seperate casts? I noticed the 1600 reverses position
And the winner of the Observation category goes to Jason!!! : D
Well spotted. I wondered if anyone would notice.
It was a single cast but the "filmed" PLA casting tree and the "filmed" castings are different. On the original tree, which also contains a few Celtic Knots if you look closely, I ran out of gas minutes before the perfect temperature. As I was already committed, I poured but it was unsuccessful. As time was limited (it's quite demanding all this filming lark) the second tree wasn't as full as the first, but it did contain ALL of the parts you see at the end. So continuity might not have been brilliant, but the results are 100% genuine.
Excellent spot : )
@@vogman ahh the joys of casting! good videos eh
Say, just thinking out loud here, I know PLA does not really sand very well, so rubbing with wax is pretty smart, but can you not smooth it out more if you give the wax coated pattern a quick bit of love with a heat gun or a torch?
Ahhh... well sanding the wax is often enough to melt it thanks the friction which then seeps into all the crevices : )
Another super video, really good detail in those castings, lovely finish. I've been subbed for quite a while now - never disappointed !! I just sent you an email, through your contact page. Cheers
Out of curiosity, have you considered 3D printing the mold? Just build yourself the aluminum cases, print the mold to fit in the case and you would be able to use wax instead of having to reprint the item to be lost. Just a thought...
Awesome😊
Could you make me one for my MB 280 who’s got a bigger engine? 470 SE
I'm looking for someone to reproduce some cast aluminium boat badges for me. Can you offer any suggestions?
What PLA is that? The color is awesome!!
It's PLA+ from Amazon. Nicely priced and good stuff...
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073P9LZWB/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1
Have you herd of poly cast a filament made for casting and what do you think of them
Ah... oh yes... take a look at my Community Page. Scroll down just a little and you'll see I've been in touch with 3 big manufacturers (including Polymaker of PolyCast) and received samples which I'll be testing and reviewing very soon : )
I've used wax filament from machinablewax.com and while it works, getting it to adhere to the bed is difficult and it deforms a lot during the print as it cools. PLA prints so well and burns out so well it's hard to justify the extra work of wax filament, at least.
I have to admit, I haven't tested ANY of them yet, but I'm inclined to agree... it's going to be very hard to justify the price difference as PLA hasn't disappointed me yet.
Do you take orders for custom emblems
thats awesome, I'm making a badge for a mate, I think this is what I'll do
Nice one 👍😊
Another good video, as usual. 👍 Have you seen the LULZBOT commercial that got tacked on to the end of your video? They might have a tip for you.
Thanks Ron. If I had a tip from LULZBOT it would probably be, "Stop 3D printing... you're giving it a bad name!"
: )
@@vogman Ha. 😃 What caught MY attention was the mention of using isopropyl alcohol as a prewash of the printed pattern to facilitate smoothing off. 🙂 The way that commercial operation was forming their plaster molds was pretty cool too. 😎
Did the top of your vacuum chamber get any burn damage? I think I noticed a spill.
You witnessed divine intervention my friend. If you look very closely, you may see the gauge is smoke damaged. I did have an accident the other day and spilled molten metal all over the plastic top, melting it. The gauge still worked, but the top was scrap. Luckily I had another so it was a quick swap over.
And what happens in this video, first use, molten metal drips from the crucible, bounces OFF the new plastic and hits the concrete. If it marked it, my eyes haven't detected it yet : )
@@vogman 😮 Oops! Well, on the bright side, smoke damage can usually be cleaned off, so that guage might not be in as bad of condition as it appears. The cover glass on many guages can be screwed off. Using some acetone and a cotton swab/bud might get it looking like new again. Then again, it might just take the lettering off, so be cautious at first. 👍
🤔 I'm wondering if putting your water bucket onto a vibrating surface is good enough to simulate an ultrasonic cleaner. That way you could get stubborn plaster residue removed, and save your media bucket for polishing. Just a thought.
Hello, what is the material cost of project like this? I know PLA side of the cost would be pretty cheap but i don't know the heating and casting costs. Thank for the video, its more than helpful. :)
Like most hobbies, it's not cheap. I did a video on exactly this subject a while ago. The video suggests ways to save money with homemade items and includes links to relevant videos. There's also links to products in the description. From this you should be able to gauge the sort of things you'll need and the appropriate costs : )
Help if I gave the link - d'oh : )
th-cam.com/video/qxj5eUkAFUI/w-d-xo.html
@@vogman I guess i'm more curious about the heating costs. As far i can see, you run your foundry several hours for the pla or castable resin to fully melt. I am curious about how much watts of energy it's consuming while melting PLA and melting the metals. Thank you for your kind answer :)
Would you share the sprue file? I love it.
I'm still perfecting my sprue design so I'm holding off sharing until I'm done. But in the meantime, I've already shared a very similar sprue base on Thingiverse. Just search for VegOilGuy : )
Can you please tell us WHY you're doing what you're doing as you're doing it? In addition to filling the audio voids, it would answer so many questions, like... does the angle of the sprues matter? Do you need vent holes for the metal pour? Is the special casting plaster essential, or can you use plaster of Paris? You may answer these questions in other videos, so I'll go looking through your catalog. Thanks!
Edit: Oh, I see. You've got lots of other vids on this subject, and I just came late to this game. Continue on, my good man!
No worries Scott. Yes, I'm talking less and less, which actually makes my videos shorter and easier for me to put together. But the main reason is I'm largely repeating myself. But I'm always happy to answer questions. I know you've asked some here but you've also said you're watching some of my other stuff... so do drop me a line if you need any clarification : )
Awesome video, I have a emblem that I would loved reproduced, I have tried to contact homefoundry a few time, but hey haven't responded it's been a over an year. I have a file ready, please let me know if we can work something out
Hi Adrian. I'm always looking for interesting projects. Feel free to contact me here - www.vegoilguy.co.uk/contact_me.php - to exchange emails.
But thehomefoundry is a professional. I'm sure he'd be a better choice. He regularly posts comments on this channel and has done below. Feel free to reply to him here if that helps : )
Hey there I have decal I wish to have it made.
Thank you
Neat!
Many thanks : )
Also some info on your printer and print material, settings...
really liked the vid , very informative and educational ,really liked the way it was edited and the narration is very likeable, the music and the ambient sounds made it really good to watch and to follow the train of thought. big thumbs up ! cheers
Many thanks : )
great job, god please your hands
Please try the Rolls-Royce spirit of ectasy emblem
It would look good... I have to admit : )
@@vogman In nordic gold
Another great casting. 👍😀
What happens if the alloy percentage of aluminum is increased?
Like 20, 30, 40, ... how much would the metal appearance / properties change?
Perhaps, that's an experiment I will try this summer.🤓
Experimenting is always rewarding... but apparently, with aluminium bronze, it dramatically effects the strength. The best window is between 9 and 12 percent I believe, so 10 is an easy number to calculate. After that, the metal becomes brittle and shatters like glass. Or so I've read : )
You should post makes against the Thingiverse models you used.
Thanks for the tip David : )
i recently did my first bit of lost pla, and the metal filled all the void left where the wax was but none of the pla void. Does anyone have any idea? i thought it was very odd. I didnt the mould while pouring but the wax void results were perfect. i dont see what the difference would be in this respect
It sounds like you're not burning away the PLA. Make sure the flask is place button side down in the oven so PLA and wax can drip out of the plaster. This will leave less behind to "burn out".
@@vogman 100% guaranteed for certain the pla was burnt out. I tried it again but did the vacuum better and it worked a lot better. I think it was my placement that maybe made it a bit easier for air to get trapped and not fill the entirety if the void
This explains the Miata I saw with the Cobra emblem.
Brilliant LOL : D
What 3dp are you using ?
A creality cr10s : )
When I try to burn the PLA out it always leaves a bunch of crispies that make voids, how do I get those out?
To be honest you might not. PLA is not really meant for this, but there are castable filaments that are. They should burn away perfectly : )
Awesome. Frankly you should have just taken the whole casting tree and glued it onto the hood of some whacky expensive car…
Interesting idea : D
Or a really cheap car to make it look fancy.
A Toyota 1600 Super 220D RS GTI. Sounds legit.
Sir can I place an order with you special design ?
Sorry Brian, I have more requests for prints and casts than I could ever cope with.
1:12 *scale and print to match your vehicle emblem dimensions TIMES 1.025
there will be shrinkage and finishing
If you can comment more on the steps that would be great, ex: the plaster mix, pouring, vaccum, cooling, removal etc etc
Why not just use the 3D prints on the car? why cast them in bronze?
Also... curious how you apply them... double sided tape? hot glue? elmers? maybe epoxy? =D
How do you measure the curvature of the car, so you can match the badge with the curve? Just eyeball, then sand to perfection?
Once upon a time car emblems were metal and many classic cars / restorations want metal replacement. How they are fixed is largely down to the original emblem and can be incorporated into the design, such as fixing locations, etc. And why use metal? Because it's fun : D
@@vogman cool beans... Thinking of getting creative with some badges on my project car... Thanks for the reply... :D
Nice one : )
Normally emblems use double sided tape, plugs or screws, there's a benefit to being able to remove them so don't use epoxy.
Have you thought about making antique car emblems and other brass accessories..bet you could make some $
I dare say others are already doing that Greg : )
there is a PLA substitute made especially for investment casting, that is supposed to work perfectly in 3d printers.
Can't you print the whole tree as one piece?
You certainly could do that, though it may be a complex print : )