Pre-heat the mold to a temp near the casting material . Then cut an additional chamber below the part with channels. This should take care of you problems.
Thank you for showing the process as well as your trials and tribulations with the casting. I’m miles away from the point of casting parts but this video will definitely help when I am ready to try.
As someone who was routinely tearing things apart to see how they worked from the time I was a toddler, got started with model kits at 6 years old, then pursued and obtained an education in Industrial Design a number of years ago, these sorts of videos (parts casting, etc.) are so reminiscent of what my peers and I were learning in our foundation courses, and utilizing in our student projects in our Uni studies to fabricate our conceptual prototypes. I veered off on a (slightly) tangential path after school, and now miss the opportunities I had in being able to have so much hands-on experience with processes like this on a regular basis. I'd love to get back into things like this, but life has thrown some pretty fierce curve balls at me in recent years, preventing me from (re-)equipping myself anywhere close to the level I once took for granted, back in my comparatively more secure "career student" days. With that said, even just viewing your demos on YT has been keeping my mind engaged, and my interest alive. Thank you!
Some notes on alloy, making sure you use an alloy intended for casting, like melting cast parts instead of sheet/plate/rod. Casting alloys have silicon to lower the surface tension that will help the fill a lot. Also, zinc alloys help by lowering surface tension and melting temp, so you can overheat it a little to help with the cooling. Fantastic work regardless!
Love this channel. I really appreciate your showing the unsuccessful casting as well, really shows how tricky this can be and how much work you put in.
i wonder if people will look up these videos after 20 or 50 years.. when the models will increase in value a lot :D should be interesting, if i ever get that old, i'll try coming back
I gotta say. Im not into restoring toy cars, but I really enjoy your videos. Enjoy what you like, and upload what you like. As long as you are having a good time, it'll be a good video. I love the in depth stuff.
I cast Pewter in sand. Able to get very thin castings without issue. And it melts on a domestic hob. Although it’s a softer metal, it would be fine for this application.
Pouring metal in from one end to a cold mould is probably your problem. Try preheating the mould before pouring or pour from the side through risers and vents you have cut in the sand.
Your channel is most excellent. I don't think I would ever cast my own parts or hook up a car battery with hydrochloric acid to clean a Hot Wheels car, but it sure is fun watching you do it! My favorite channel.
These videos are so fun to watch. I’ve been watching aluminum casting videos for years now and I would love to make something but I’m still intimidated by it since day one. One day lol Great video man! I can’t wait for this restoration video. Thanks.
I used to work at a foundry and if you want some help i would be glad to help you. I think i know how you could cast the part without modifying the part. And there is a danger when casting you missed. Hot liquid aluminum explodes when in contact with moist iron. But that was a realy good video on casting.
Great video. I've cast a lot of aluminum at home. If you want to cast thinner pieces, get it REALLY hot. Like orange liquid magma hot. Should work better for you. Thanks for all the great entertaining videos.
I also have that transporter but it’s in three parts and will require very special fabrication and reassembly. The tractor is separated from the towing part which has been snapped off from the main transporter. The snap happened at the thinnest part of the structure. It’s a long term project as I have other things on at the moment but I have high hopes for a fair restoration. Thanks for sharing yours!
I used to do lost wax casting, where the mold is fully contained and heated before casting. Though it is more complicated that sand casting. For everyone's information. It involves making a silicone mold impression using the original part and then making a wax replica inside the silicone. We would then remove the wax replica from the silicone mold and set it on a wax base that forms the funnel for the molten metal. Then a metal enclosure is placed around . Liquid plaster of Paris is slowly poured around the inverted wax piece helping to avoid bubbles developing and leaving the wax base showing at the top. Then the whole thing would go in a small vacuum chamber for about 20 mins or more to, hopefully, remove any remaining bubbles. After allowing the plaster to fully dry (several hours or even over night) the whole mold will be heated up using a gas torch at the same time as the metal in it's crucible. Once the correct temperatures were achieved, the metal can be poured. I was working for a manufacturing jeweller at the time and we had a sprung loaded centrifuge, where the hot mold with metal poured in would be spun around a few turns, inside it's safety cabinet! The spin helps the molten metal to settle fully into the mold. It was definitely fun to do, but i was 16 at the time and late too often for my employer's liking. :¬/
Oh yes, and my mother grew up in Farnborough 80 years ago. It's a town in South England in the county of Hampshire. Plus, I aquired this same model from a car boot sale a couple of years ago for £4.
It wouldn't be metal, but if you upload a drawing with the critical dimensions and a few photos from different angles, i'd be happy to model and 3D print you a replacement in solid ABS. It'd have much finer detail and with some primer you'd be able to paint it as normal
Hi in the early 1960's i worked at a light engineering firm on a injection plastic moulding machine, they did have a zinc diecast machine. I didn't get to work on that but i know enough to tell you it used molten zinc as you did, but it was forced into the dies by air pressure pushing a ram and it was water cooled. The dies had to be brushed free of any zinc debris between each and every casting.
I know this may be two years too late, but have you tried adding silicon to your casting metal? Aluminum castings, from what I remember of my college days, greatly benefit from silicon being added to the mix as it can drive down the melting temp, improve fluidity, and reduces shrinkage.
I found your video quite interesting as I had been toying with the idea of casting toy parts with low temp metals for some time. However, since many of the toys I have considered casting for restoration or customization have been made by the tens of thousands by the manufacturers, it is much easier to go on line to find beaters to get replacement parts. Case in point, the car carrier you needed the ramp for, I just bought 2 of, in the same auction for less than $10 for the 2 of them. While both are missing wheels, paint and on is missing the windows, they both have the ramp that you attempted to reproduce.
Awesome Video! I love using petrobond sand. I make jewelry with it. Once I dropped a crucible of molten copper, it splashed on my foot and burned me pretty bad. I watch all your vids so keep up the good work.
You have mentioned that you make other things out of metal. It would be fun to see a quick video of your skills in another area other than diecast. A knife for example.
Amazing work. Something to consider for future metal projects: if you know how to do a little basic 3d modeling, there’s a website called shapeways where you can have parts 3d printed in metal. Something worth considering for future restorations, perhaps.
You're a class act bmHW. While the lower skill mods and restorations are more my speed, i'd love to see you do some crazy modification with these techniques in the future!
Super awesome video learned quite a bit. You should make a modification to any car and cast your own version of a car and get someone to make cardboard and bubble put it out there. I’ll pick one up for sure :)
I hope you get cranking with a Patreon or something and go crazy and cast a vehicle out of gold. I'm sure it's been done before, but with your video style it would be a great event to watch!
I’m guessing you’re aware already but if not might I recommend you check out the table top game, Gaslands. It’s a post apocalyptic mad max style game that uses modified hot wheels as the components. Some of your builds are already perfect for it.
Heat the mold before pouring, to make sure there's no moisture in it. Molten metal will flash heat any water it contacts and if there's too much moisture, the steam pressure can squirt liquid metal back up at you. Not fun, and it spoils the casting.
How about casting the piece width ways with another sprue coming off the top left corner to help fill the mould. or using lost wax to cast. would make an interesting video.
One question, wouldn´t it be easier to cast it in pewter? You would also have no need to change the part for the casting to work and the surface will be nearly the same.
If you heat the mold before you pour, you should be able to get the thin part done. Bring it up to temp in the oven. It won't be as warm as the molten aluminum, but it will wick heat out of the poured metal slower, allowing the part to fill. If the results are stil marginal, heat it, and point a third torch in the area that's voiding and it should get it over the hump.
Can we do it with Engine part of Hotwheels too? I like to try casting my Loco Motorin engine part to be a metal. since major part in this diecast is plastic
Yeh, I guess they used pressure die cast. I’ve seen the aluminium ones and it would be a hell of a thing to make at home :o) plus, they were artists at using the absolute least amount of metal they could get away with.
You might want to upgrade from propane to MAP gas. Should get the aluminum hot enough to cast such a thin part. I don't think you can pre-heat that sand, but maybe you'd have better luck with a lost wax mold with plaster of paris and sand. you should be able to heat it up with propane enough to make it work.
you should create a hole in the section the mold doesn't get filled......later you just need to cut the tube you will get and use the dremel or sandpaper to flat that surface
How about casting the entire model mister ?! I am thinking about creating dupplicates by using these techniques,but not just the parts but an entire models
When ever I see videos where manhole covers, boat anchors or engine blocks are manufactured, they always preheat the sand mold to get the best flow of molten metal through it.
I'm not even into this stuff but you make it fascinating! I especially love that you show your mistakes and how you meticulously work to correct them.
Pre-heat the mold to a temp near the casting material . Then cut an additional chamber below the part with channels. This should take care of you problems.
Agreed. Hot aluminum, cold mold. No Bueno.
While I will never attempt any of this I still enjoy watching how this is done and what the finished result looks like.
Thank you for showing the process as well as your trials and tribulations with the casting. I’m miles away from the point of casting parts but this video will definitely help when I am ready to try.
As someone who was routinely tearing things apart to see how they worked from the time I was a toddler, got started with model kits at 6 years old, then pursued and obtained an education in Industrial Design a number of years ago, these sorts of videos (parts casting, etc.) are so reminiscent of what my peers and I were learning in our foundation courses, and utilizing in our student projects in our Uni studies to fabricate our conceptual prototypes. I veered off on a (slightly) tangential path after school, and now miss the opportunities I had in being able to have so much hands-on experience with processes like this on a regular basis. I'd love to get back into things like this, but life has thrown some pretty fierce curve balls at me in recent years, preventing me from (re-)equipping myself anywhere close to the level I once took for granted, back in my comparatively more secure "career student" days. With that said, even just viewing your demos on YT has been keeping my mind engaged, and my interest alive. Thank you!
this guy can really speak in such detail. BRAVO!!!
Some notes on alloy, making sure you use an alloy intended for casting, like melting cast parts instead of sheet/plate/rod. Casting alloys have silicon to lower the surface tension that will help the fill a lot. Also, zinc alloys help by lowering surface tension and melting temp, so you can overheat it a little to help with the cooling. Fantastic work regardless!
You are absolutely skilled at casting metal! I need help with a missing plastic part!
Unexpectedly, my fingers are tingling with emotional re-call..its weird remembering all these cars from my childhood..... Cheers,..
You know, I my opinion this is the best Hot Wheels and Matchbox restore channel out there! 👍
Love this channel. I really appreciate your showing the unsuccessful casting as well, really shows how tricky this can be and how much work you put in.
i wonder if people will look up these videos after 20 or 50 years.. when the models will increase in value a lot :D
should be interesting, if i ever get that old, i'll try coming back
It always amazes me how fast metals melt and re-solidify.
Depends on the melting point of specific metals. Aluminum has one of the shortest boiling points of metal.
I gotta say. Im not into restoring toy cars, but I really enjoy your videos. Enjoy what you like, and upload what you like. As long as you are having a good time, it'll be a good video. I love the in depth stuff.
I cast Pewter in sand. Able to get very thin castings without issue. And it melts on a domestic hob. Although it’s a softer metal, it would be fine for this application.
Pouring metal in from one end to a cold mould is probably your problem. Try preheating the mould before pouring or pour from the side through risers and vents you have cut in the sand.
The resources you have are awesome! I’ll never look at Hot Wheels the same again and that’s a good thing lol
Your channel is most excellent. I don't think I would ever cast my own parts or hook up a car battery with hydrochloric acid to clean a Hot Wheels car, but it sure is fun watching you do it! My favorite channel.
These videos are so fun to watch. I’ve been watching aluminum casting videos for years now and I would love to make something but I’m still intimidated by it since day one. One day lol
Great video man! I can’t wait for this restoration video. Thanks.
I used to work at a foundry and if you want some help i would be glad to help you. I think i know how you could cast the part without modifying the part. And there is a danger when casting you missed. Hot liquid aluminum explodes when in contact with moist iron. But that was a realy good video on casting.
+Colin hemligt I would certainly love your help... email me at baremetalhw@gmail.com
The new era of customizing your own HW
Great video. I've cast a lot of aluminum at home. If you want to cast thinner pieces, get it REALLY hot. Like orange liquid magma hot. Should work better for you. Thanks for all the great entertaining videos.
Wow sir. This is a great video. Excellent work. The project, the editing all top notch.
Great video. I don't have the need, time or equipment to do this at home but it's so pleasing seeing it done.
I also have that transporter but it’s in three parts and will require very special fabrication and reassembly. The tractor is separated from the towing part which has been snapped off from the main transporter. The snap happened at the thinnest part of the structure. It’s a long term project as I have other things on at the moment but I have high hopes for a fair restoration. Thanks for sharing yours!
That's brilliant. I would never have thought of metal casting
Thanks for sharing this. I learned a lot about metal casting.
What a video. Wow. Please do more vids like this with detailed walkthroughs of how to do the hands-on stuff, like casting and such. Nice work!
This is crazy. I've never thought a 'homemade' Al casting was possible.
1969yuri1969 anything can be cast , as a kid I would melt aluminum foil and pour it into dirt imprints of toy soldiers
I've been watching lots of blacksmithing videos lately, this combines two new interests in one!
brings a new meaning to "hot" wheels
VG03 yea...but this car was a machbox...nice try...
I used to do lost wax casting, where the mold is fully contained and heated before casting. Though it is more complicated that sand casting.
For everyone's information.
It involves making a silicone mold impression using the original part and then making a wax replica inside the silicone. We would then remove the wax replica from the silicone mold and set it on a wax base that forms the funnel for the molten metal. Then a metal enclosure is placed around . Liquid plaster of Paris is slowly poured around the inverted wax piece helping to avoid bubbles developing and leaving the wax base showing at the top. Then the whole thing would go in a small vacuum chamber for about 20 mins or more to, hopefully, remove any remaining bubbles. After allowing the plaster to fully dry (several hours or even over night) the whole mold will be heated up using a gas torch at the same time as the metal in it's crucible. Once the correct temperatures were achieved, the metal can be poured.
I was working for a manufacturing jeweller at the time and we had a sprung loaded centrifuge, where the hot mold with metal poured in would be spun around a few turns, inside it's safety cabinet! The spin helps the molten metal to settle fully into the mold.
It was definitely fun to do, but i was 16 at the time and late too often for my employer's liking. :¬/
Oh yes, and my mother grew up in Farnborough 80 years ago. It's a town in South England in the county of Hampshire. Plus, I aquired this same model from a car boot sale a couple of years ago for £4.
It wouldn't be metal, but if you upload a drawing with the critical dimensions and a few photos from different angles, i'd be happy to model and 3D print you a replacement in solid ABS. It'd have much finer detail and with some primer you'd be able to paint it as normal
Critters, yay tech!
Yea, I first thought 3D printing, but it would not have the 'feel' or mass of metal...
That's serious commitment. I'd have tracked another transporter on eBay. More power to you for going back to basics.
Hi in the early 1960's i worked at a light engineering firm on a injection plastic moulding machine, they did have a zinc diecast machine. I didn't get to work on that but i know enough to tell you it used molten zinc as you did, but it was forced into the dies by air pressure pushing a ram and it was water cooled. The dies had to be brushed free of any zinc debris between each and every casting.
I was going to ask you if you ever restor the larger cars and so on, you have answered that, look forward to seeing the video
Brilliant video! Your quality is really going up now.
I know this may be two years too late, but have you tried adding silicon to your casting metal? Aluminum castings, from what I remember of my college days, greatly benefit from silicon being added to the mix as it can drive down the melting temp, improve fluidity, and reduces shrinkage.
I found your video quite interesting as I had been toying with the idea of casting toy parts with low temp metals for some time. However, since many of the toys I have considered casting for restoration or customization have been made by the tens of thousands by the manufacturers, it is much easier to go on line to find beaters to get replacement parts. Case in point, the car carrier you needed the ramp for, I just bought 2 of, in the same auction for less than $10 for the 2 of them. While both are missing wheels, paint and on is missing the windows, they both have the ramp that you attempted to reproduce.
Awesome Video! I love using petrobond sand. I make jewelry with it. Once I dropped a crucible of molten copper, it splashed on my foot and burned me pretty bad. I watch all your vids so keep up the good work.
John Sellers - oooooouch!!!
After removing your pattern, reapply talc powder to your mold. Helps fill in the grains of Petrobond and gives a smoother finish. Ref. olfoundryman
+AshesMardiGra great idea... thanks...
You have mentioned that you make other things out of metal. It would be fun to see a quick video of your skills in another area other than diecast. A knife for example.
Amazing work. Something to consider for future metal projects: if you know how to do a little basic 3d modeling, there’s a website called shapeways where you can have parts 3d printed in metal. Something worth considering for future restorations, perhaps.
You're a class act bmHW. While the lower skill mods and restorations are more my speed, i'd love to see you do some crazy modification with these techniques in the future!
Hey, if you don’t want a second yellow one, my dad has one and his has the orange wheels, and a light mid blue metallic cab and orange trailer
Nice vid! Really enjoy your vids, and wish I could give more than one thumb up! Thanks for all the effort and time you put into producing them!
Most impressive! I have wanted do try sand casting for a long time now. I bet it was fun!
Try preheating the mold for 6 minutes under direct heat. Even placing it above the kiln will do.
'Measham Car Auction' is such a thing. One of the biggest car auctions in the UK.
InnaSoulSounds so like the Barrett Jackson of the UK?
Nowhere near as big and prestigeous but similar kind of thing.
InnaSoulSounds ohh that makes sense considering UK is much smaller than US
Cast my own parts? Well now I need a set-up for this.
Great video. I remember this model of transporter
Super awesome video learned quite a bit. You should make a modification to any car and cast your own version of a car and get someone to make cardboard and bubble put it out there. I’ll pick one up for sure :)
Could you put the mold in the oven to get it up to 400 or so degrees? That would decrease the cooling speed of the metal.
Really nice video. Lot's of fun to watch.
Very cool.
Have you considered 3D Metal Printing?
Nice demo, will you be restoring both toys at the same time?
I hope you get cranking with a Patreon or something and go crazy and cast a vehicle out of gold. I'm sure it's been done before, but with your video style it would be a great event to watch!
Not that I ever tried but I think putting your mold in an oven at maximum temp for an hour or so before casting could help with the 'too thin' issue.
Pretty awesome. Nicely done video.
Don't you preheat the mold in these cases?
You must heat the mold before the pour.
You do any moldings for plastic? I have the Corgi Batmobile windshields in mind.
I’m guessing you’re aware already but if not might I recommend you check out the table top game, Gaslands. It’s a post apocalyptic mad max style game that uses modified hot wheels as the components. Some of your builds are already perfect for it.
Heat the mold before pouring, to make sure there's no moisture in it. Molten metal will flash heat any water it contacts and if there's too much moisture, the steam pressure can squirt liquid metal back up at you. Not fun, and it spoils the casting.
amazing as usual, you are the best, please do a video how clone or duplicate windshields, regards my friend
That was very interesting. Did you consider trying a 'Lost Wax' casting?
I know that this is step by step instructions already. Put it into practice is always a catch to it.
Pre-heat the mold. A toaster oven could heat it to about 425F-450F. You could also make flower pot/bucket kiln and use that to heat the mold.
show the failures.. those are really interesting
Awesome video!!
How about casting the piece width ways with another sprue coming off the top left corner to help fill the mould. or using lost wax to cast. would make an interesting video.
God damn. You are hardcore.
One question, wouldn´t it be easier to cast it in pewter? You would also have no need to change the part for the casting to work and the surface will be nearly the same.
Thanks for the vid really cool stuff dude.
Can't believe you cut the good one
What metals do you recommend for casting smaller parts like 1/64 size hoods and doors?
Very informative. Thanks very much.
If you heat the mold before you pour, you should be able to get the thin part done. Bring it up to temp in the oven. It won't be as warm as the molten aluminum, but it will wick heat out of the poured metal slower, allowing the part to fill. If the results are stil marginal, heat it, and point a third torch in the area that's voiding and it should get it over the hump.
It's a realy good idea and video
Love the ending...so satisfying :-)
Melt old junk die cast cars I find that they pour alot better than aluminum
gotta do that outside, zinc oxides are no joke
Can we do it with Engine part of Hotwheels too? I like to try casting my Loco Motorin engine part to be a metal. since major part in this diecast is plastic
My buddy had a rig like yours, but used acetylene torches in hopes of making a knife forge, it worked, just not too well haha
Great work
This is great stuff👍👍
One of my favorite video
That’s pretty cool man
Yeh, I guess they used pressure die cast. I’ve seen the aluminium ones and it would be a hell of a thing to make at home :o) plus, they were artists at using the absolute least amount of metal they could get away with.
I had something like that whe I was a kid... the memories :)
That really cool.
You might want to upgrade from propane to MAP gas. Should get the aluminum hot enough to cast such a thin part. I don't think you can pre-heat that sand, but maybe you'd have better luck with a lost wax mold with plaster of paris and sand. you should be able to heat it up with propane enough to make it work.
Gr8 vid mate. Could u use old diecast cars to melt down cheers Graham
you should create a hole in the section the mold doesn't get filled......later you just need to cut the tube you will get and use the dremel or sandpaper to flat that surface
this is what we called "foundry engineering"
nice casting work...
Brilliant job
How about casting the entire model mister ?! I am thinking about creating dupplicates by using these techniques,but not just the parts but an entire models
do you do commissions on cars? I have one from childhood i would love to see restored to it's former glory
When ever I see videos where manhole covers, boat anchors or engine blocks are manufactured, they always preheat the sand mold to get the best flow of molten metal through it.
Any chance we will see the car hauler restoration video soon?
Shouldn't you remove the slag first before pouring ? Maybe that was the issue