Foolishly perhaps😊 I said that I would do a follow up video on the calculation of sprue size and taper if enough people commented that they would like to see such a video. The response has been overwhelming and thus, hoist on my own petard as it were, I will do the video. It will take a little time as here is a bit of preparation work to do and I also have other parts of the Making Box Sides " video series to shoot, edit, and publish. If I fail to answer your comments, which are now becoming so numerous that replying is becoming difficult, please forgive me and take this as your reply....Martin PS. Check this video out th-cam.com/video/GwqENPFqPBM/w-d-xo.html it gives some insight into what happens when things are not as they should be compared to how much better things are when things are a bit better hopefully further improvements will show even better results..
Well done Martin! Gave us the basic theory, and a damn fine demonstration. I for one would love to see a vid on "doing it by the numbers" (how to calculate ideal sizing)... you NEVER disappoint
I wish all of the more popular youtubers that cast stuff watched these videos and credited you. Such a wealth of information on casting, Martin! Great job as always
You are a masterful teacher as well as foundry-man and metallurgist! I learned the 'can' method initially, before using a pouring basin, and will never go back. My first casting using a pouring basin, while not great, was such a VAST improvement! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!
The can method is an improper way to add pressure so to speak, but due to the parallel sides you cannot keep it choked (shown in the later half of the video). I think it’s some form of combination between improper riser to prevent shrinkage and a basin to make sure the mold fills all the way up. Two issues alleviated by having good mold design.
Martin, I’d like to see how you calculate the sprue size! I did spot the point where you let the sprue go too low the first time around. Thanks for explaining why the metal speed up during the pour.
Rocking, Yeah, the metal flow is a bit of a trick - initially very fast then quite slow then faster again and finally slows to a stop it takes a little keeping on top of. Calculation video will follow in due course... Martin
Worked 50 yrs as a greensand moulder and never .ever ran a casting straight in like this you need a down sprue and runner into a riser the your Ingatestone into the job this fellas talking bs
👍👍 thanks for the information. I hope your knowledge gets used in trade schools everywhere. I would be instrested in the calculations of the spur taper. Cheers from Melbourne 🇦🇺
Thoroughly enjoyed this and I do like your basin. Looking forward to your next vid. My basin's are similar in cross section with about 1/4" high x 1/4" long ledge before going into the tapered sprue. My employee has a difficult time holding the size of the basin consistant so I think your method would solve our problem. We will try this on the next molds👍
Windy, Cut the basin with a thin walled tube its easiest and quickest way I have found - spoon cut is hopeless too rounded too slow. Lump of sand should come out with tube - to achieve this any sharpening of tube to be on inside and if necessary dint the edge a little inwards. Make sure your ridge is well radiused at sprue junction have a look at the video I mention in my pinned comment to see what happens if the radius is bad look closely until you see the bubbles its fascinating.... Martin
Bravo my Friend- Your lessons are like being out in my gramps shop with him again- getting a lesson with a jolly voice and all the information with the occasional "Right" and a happy "There ya go..." Thank you for the apprenticeship!
@@olfoundryman8418 Its not the years- its the wisdom... I respect that my friend. You teach by doing- and inject theory into the mix at practical points where it is relevant!.
Joyce, Nothing really secret here, its all been known about for well over 70 years. The sad thing is that still all too few foundries use these techniques.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 Thanks again Martin.I was casting arms for my drone.they normally made from carbon fibre and break when you crash but aluminum is more durable.It worked great! Now I am excited about casting.I want to make myself more permanent mold.I was looking at using refractory cement to make a mold.Would the process be the same as making a sit sand mold with a fairly dry mix?
Fans, Yes, you are right but sadly very sadly we need cheap energy to be able to manufacture locally and we all know where our energy prices are going - I weep at every electricity bill. I remember when Nissan set up a casting plant in Dandenong why here in Australia, one reason, cheap electricity back then. We are slipping ever further into the dig it up from or grow it on the ground and sell it cheaply overseas banana republic status.....Martin
Wow... as an experienced foundry guy, my casting tools and methods are based upon much bigger scales and horizontal casting machines. Its not only interesting the proceedure, but the deployment of this video is wonderful. Really seeing the physics here with a great explanation of whys and hows... absolutely great mentorship.
that, I am glad that you liked it. It is particularly (but not only) those involved in the trade that I would like to show this relatively new knowledge to. I am grateful to those who did the research and practical work that led to my discovery of it. In particular the work of Pr. John Campbell has proven to be a real breath of fresh air into the foundry industry. I suggest that you try to get your hands on some of his books and read them - they're real eyeopeners....Martin
Thank you for explaining all the rationales behind your pour choices. It's alot easier to learn than watching over and over again and guessing what and why you do what you do. Spru calculation is requested.👍
Sam, I do not see much point in not bothering to explain why I do what I do as it would seem to be only 1/2 the story. Follow up now in planing but it will take a while.... Martin
Kyle, Really, its only the start of sprue technique. I am glad that you found it useful. I hope one day to amplify the subject with emphasis on shape, size, and degree of taper - and even, hopefully - some fill time required calculations. Martin
I learned more in this 20+ minute video than I have in any casting book or video I've found...and I've watched a lot. It's not just your knowledge, your teaching skills are great and I'm not blowing smoke. There's logic around all of the flows, and in keeping that flow air free and smooth. Thanks for this, and the kindness in sharing all this information. If you are ever looking for ideas on what to go into detail on next, I'd be interested in learning what to look for in riser, gates and runner design...but as I go through the videos you have up I'm sure I'll catch it.
Tom, Thank you for your comment. Feeder, runner, and gate design is a complicated area requiring quite different treatment for different castings - there are some basic rules though that have managed to surface through the still incomplete knowledge of the subject. Health permitting I will try and do something along the lines that you have suggested. To be honest in my own work I usually just eyeball a given casting and based on experience (60 years plus) make an initial guess as to these requirements and then let the first try or two refine my approach. Not the best way to do things perhaps but I do not have the resources to get my hands on casting simulation /calculation software..... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 I can completely understand the eyeball approach. So many things have been designed based on that, and as long as you've been doing this there were no computer simulations for those flows...and even today they are probably quite expensive. What I try to do is learn from the experts in the field such as yourself, and copy, and then adjust a little bit to account for my projects being different. Truly appreciate all that you give to people learning this science/art.
David, Well, its not really a trick it's just what happens the trick I guess is keeping that layer intact and as you can see its not that hard..... Martin
Geoff at VOG said you're the guy, so here I am! Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. I just built my first propane furnace (posted a vid) and I'm going to skip a little trial and error and make your tapered sprue and basin right out of the gate because it makes sense!
Jason, Thanks for the vote of confidence 😊 Indeed it makes perfect sense. If you use the basin and tapered sprue properly as shown in this video you will be well ahead of most other foundries including the professional ones. However be aware that some people try to put their own spin on the basing/sprue design and make a bit of a hash of it - typically they make the basin rounded (cut with a spoon) have the ridge too high and - gasp - use a parallel sprue. I will be watching 😊... Martin
Hi Martin, Excellent stuff, just Excellent. Always more than happy to learn what you have to teach, so yes please on the sprue size calculations. Thanks so much for everything you do and stay safe down in old Vic. :)
Yes please on the follow up video. The skin detail is and making sure it is in tact while controlling the flow rate shows a lot of skill and experience. Thanks for sharing this.
Chris, I will try to get around to doing the follow up, unfortunately my health is such that it is difficult for me to do any video so it may be a while but I will try.... Martin
Steve, A big and complex subject made all the harder by a lack of information that hopefully further research is discovering. Big castings are out of my league and I would not be game to advise on those but I will try and see if I can come up with something to help with smaller work- might take a while though.... Martin
I really appreciate your academic approach to the concepts you demonstrate. Very well done. It seems like there's not a lot of content on TH-cam or elsewhere for anything between uninformed amateur metal casting or footage from professional shops where they don't explain anything. Your videos really hit a sweet spot. You do professional quality work at an achievable scale for a serious metal casting enthusiast.
Borderline, Thank you, I guess I had to get reasonably good at making castings as it was how we survived for 30 or so years. I always tried to do it better each time and I am more than happy to pass what I learned on to anyone interested. It is entirely possible for an amateur to make very good castings - not top of the line aerospace perhaps as you need lots of really good equipment and to be operating at size to do that and few, including most of the commercial foundries, can do it anyway. But, as I show, very good castings can be made with simple equipment providing one cares enough to do it properly..... Martin
My God this is golden information. Godsend. If only 10 human beings were chosen to survive mass extinction, you would definitely have to be one of them. This knowledge can restart civilization back in no time.
Tu, Thank you very much for saying so but there is nothing new here 😏- the basin dates for the early 1900s and the tapered sprue from at least 1954. The combination of the two is a little younger at around 30 years - its just that the foundry industry is so locked into its 6000 year old technology and so pig headed about it that most do not and will not even try it - convinced that it will not work despite my (and other) videos clearly showing that it does work and work very well indeed. If you use these simple and easy techniques you will be miles ahead of those who don't and that sadly includes most professionals... 😱 Martin PS I am more likely to be one of the FIRST ten chosen to die 😞
Thanks for this video I’ll use this when doing my first casting trying to get the best surface finish I can this makes a lot of sense thanks from New Zealand 👍🏻
This is without doubt the most informative video, you have out out there. I can't sketch either, but these sketchings got the message across perfectly, that is all any draftsman can ever hope to do. I know we have discussed this many times but this really shows the process in a way that even I understood it. I don't understand why everyone does not use this method to maximise the chance of a successful pour. The time invested in creating a pattern and making a mould is so long that I would certainly want to give myself the best possible chance of getting a good casting in return for that time. In cnc speak, it is like creating a program that will sort of get the job done, when a bit more time in writing the code and the job can be perfect.
SCL, Ah yes, nothing like a thumbnail dipped in tar sketch to convey the message. You are right - all that work to make patterns cores moulds prepare sand and melt metal and pour castings too much effort to not give one=self the best chance possible of a good casting.... Martin
Great demonstration, thank you very much. Flowering Elbow sent some of us over, me included. Appreciate your wisdom and the no nonsense way you share it. All makes perfect sense including the inside radii and outside square corners being fine. When practical experience matches hydrodynamic theory :-)
Fredio, Bless flowering elbow. There are times when doing everything exactly right is virtually impossible, particularity when we are working with small moulds. Fortunately the need for perfection is less with smaller work as metal velocities are lower in lower moulds. I guess its a question of knowing which corners can be reasonably cut and which can't. Even so we should strive to get all things as "right" as possible as that gives our castings the best chance..... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 I am very glad that you're still alive. I had seen the last upload time and guessed the worst. I lost a great photography youtuber in the UK a year or so ago and actually cried. The relationships formed "in the comments below" are very real if you let them be and put the work in. Thank you sincerely for your reply and I meant what I said above. Cheers! :-)
fredio, Cry not for me my friend - well, not yet anyway 😊. Ill health does prevent me from making active type videos - nothing terminal, save old age itself of course, just bloody debilitating - very frustrating! I do hope to have a sort of talking head video (without the head) coming out shortly. Its sort of an exposé on faults I have seen in TH-cam casting videos using snapshots and even short excerpts that I have - ahem - acquired from other (unnamed) people's videos. I expect some heated debate so keep your fire extinguisher handy😊 - should be fun!... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 You don't have to be shy about using other's clips like that - that's 110% fair use, journalistic in nature, even, a commentary on what's shown - do it, and do not feel bad save for embarrassing the original uploader :-D If they're good people they'll appreciate the learnings more than hate the shame.
Fredio, While I don't feel bad about taking snapshots etc I do anticipate a bit of a reaction from viewers. I will not be mentioning any names save for three youtubers who I mention as people who have a good idea what they are doing and who are worth watching. I have tried to pick older videos that were not that popular so it would be less likely that viewers would know who the you tuber concerned was - unfortunately this was not always possible so many will realise which video and therefore whose video the various clips came from. Many youtubers have a very loyal fan base and to even hint at criticism is to invite quite a fierce response. I have seen this in the past when one TH-camr had a bit of a go at Myford (justifiably so, I might add) but all hell broke loose. Not only in the comments but also across a forum or two. I have a couple of shots taken from his videos - not easy to recognise as his (hmm, maybe) but no doubt someone wil make the connection so it could be a bumpy ride - Bring it on I say. Its still a few weeks away as it is taking forever to get 70 or so snapshots assembled into a video and then all narrated - Oh, how I hate doing narration! It just takes forever - not to get it right for that is impossible - but just to get it passable.....Martin
From all the years that I have watched of castings, Martin you have wonderfully and informatively produced the only video of the why AND the how. I can now attempt it with the knowledge of knowing why I am doing something; then if something should go wrong I have an understanding of the process and can hopefully remedy it. Bring on the sprue design theory....
David, I hate having to do something without knowing the whys behind the way I had to do it. You are 100% correct - without the knowledge of "why" the solving of problems along the way becomes a very hit miss affair. I guess I have been a bit lucky - my training as a metallurgist gives me an insight into the "whys" and its an insight that I would like to pass along... Martin
Loving al the details, but I would've loved to see the finished product to prove your theories. I'm so new to this ! So I have no clue, but just an observation. THANK YOU for all the information
Greg, Thanks for your comment. You are not the first person to have wished to have seen the actual castings, They can be seen in the fifth video in this series;- see here th-cam.com/video/Lcvew9Wo3Vk/w-d-xo.html Those with this basin and sprue can be seen being poured from 7.00 on, and the resulting castings are broken out and viewed towards the end of this fifth video. Hope this provides you with what you wish to see.... Martin
Thank you for imparting your years of knowledge. Metal casting is something I've wanted to do for years but it's either time - no money or money - no time. Now I'm retired, money is still an issue but grandson is 8 and takes more interest in 'stuff' although probably not ready to 'play with fire' yet.
crazy, Metal casting is a great hobby to get into. There is a bit of a learning curve but you can do such useful stuff with it. I started (on my own) at age 11 - just fishing sinkers in sand moulds lined with cardboard but it was enough to get me drawn in. Encourage the 8 years old's interest in "stuff" - so much better than in Facebook or whatever. Good luck.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418Thank you for reply. My father was repairing a clutch or throttle cable for motorcycle when I was 8 or 9 (1960's) in the living room in front of fire. (mother was out shopping). He had some very old moulds so made some lead soldiers and a dreadnought from WW-I. I got a history lesson as well
I've watched all of your videos from the beginning, some of them more than once. I appreciate your skill and knowledge as a foundryman, but I also observe that your teaching skills have steadily improved throughout as well! This was an outstanding educational video -- thanks for the work you put into it. LOVE the slow-mo. Really, really interesting and enlightening.
Phreadrick, Its interesting actually, at first I was most reluctant about speaking during my videos, I guess and embarrassed shyness might describe my feelings but as time went by I became much more comfortable. Perhaps it is this change that you have picked up on. I always knew that speaking was important because without it one big way of passing knowledge on is missing. At times slow mo is a very good technique. Thank you for your comment and thank you too for the views.... Martin
Such fine detailed info is missing from too many videos for the sake of brevity. Thanks for taking the time to focus on this info. Invaluable. I'd love to see more on the sprue design criteria.
I'm going to start my adventure with casting and I am thankful that I found this channel. Great information on the basics... best regards and waiting for the next films
As always Martin excellent instructional video. You should have known going in we would all want the follow up video who doesn’t want to learn from a master craftsman.
Fantastic tutorial... your tips and tricks are much appreciated.. thanks for passing them on. Setting the sprue near the edge so you can rest the ladle.. so simple and logical, but often missed .. great stuff.
Dennis, You can't always get the basin near the edge but it is a big help when you can - it is as important as placing your moulds so you can get a good pour without working over the same or another mould.... Martin
Gabor, Yes, I am very much a JC devotee. His work is very much a greatly needed breath of fresh air into the staid, old fashioned, rigid, dogmatic, and pig headed foundry industry. My one regret is that I discovered his work too late in my foundry career. I have been using small tapered sprues since the mid 1970s but other of his refinements I have only adopted in the last 5 or 10 years. I would love to sit down with him and/or Bob Puhaka because I have a million questions. I have with varying degrees of success tried to introduce others on UT to his methods but sadly many are just not interested, content instead to bumble on as the foundry industry has done for millennia.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 I've had the chance to meet and talk with JC a few times. He is a real gentleman, really nice and down to earth. Also, he is really helpful and always finds the time to consult with me via e-mail. I think you should try and ask some questions in an e-mail.
mrtynan, Thank you but I am hardly a professional teacher - just someone who has been at foundry for a while and someone who is well pleased if others find the information useful... Martin
I have never cast anything before except for sinkers. After watching yours and others videos I was able to cast some specialised clamps for my round column mill. Worked like a charm, I thank you for your knowledge and time and yes I would like to see how the sprue size is calculated.
MIck, Fishing sinkers - be careful! That us how I started out (at age 10) I got hooked (no pun intended) totally addicted in fact.😊 I am very glad that my information was of use... Martin
Thank you for saying so. I think that a decent basin coupled with a correctly sized tapered sprue is absolutely the easiest way to improve castings and it costs nothing....Martin
Jaap, Well, you are not on your own there and if you look at commercial foundries very few of them do it right either! 😱If you do it right you will probably be ahead of 90% of all other foundries.😊.... Martin
Jack, Yes most people (particularly old time foundrymen) look at that small sprue size and exclaim that the casting would never run - WRONG!. But look when they pour - a small stream (just like through my sprue) but down a big hole, flow rate is the same but mine is largely turbulence free. Try it for yourself and see just how fast metal will go down a properly filled small tapered sprue..... Martin
Thank you for this video! I have been casting for 15 years, and i have never made a basin before. I will start doing this. Also i think my sprue is way too big. It is never completely filled when i pour. It's a 3/4 inch tube. I love your cutomized spoon! I use a clam shell 😆 I see your riser vent hole is HUGE! Looks like it's 2 inches! Mine is only about 3/8 inch. So now i hope to find out why so big through your videos.
tracy, My sprue is just 5/16 inch diameter at the bottom and has about a 1.5 degree taper per side so its about 1/2 inch diameter 3 1/2 inches up. The use of a large - and 3/4 inch is large - sprue particularly if it is parallel sided is asking for trouble. It is impossible to fill a parallel sprue. Even if you could pour fast enough to have it seem full it would only be so at the top because as the metal falls it speeds up so the stream gets smaller - look at water falling from a tap. A clam shell - that's a newie on me 😊. That riser vent hole is not a vent or strictly speaking a riser, its a feeder. It is there to provide feed metal to the thick section of the casting. The gate is connected at this point and the feeder is placed on top of the gate. I think it was actually about 1 1/4 or maybe 1 1/2 inches in diameter - definitely not 2 inch! It needs to be a reasonable size so it will stay liquid while the casting is going solid and thus provide feed to it - this avoids shrinkage in this heavy section. 3/8 inch is not big enough to provide any feed as it would go solid before the casting did. A feeder needs to be at least 25% thicker than the casting and preferably 50%.....Martin
Hi, just like to say I have used your sprue design for the first time and I think it's great far better results than with the old bean cans, doe's it work as well with brass casting. Best regards, John.
John, Yes, its surprising how nicely and quietly the metal flows when this is done right. It works with all metals but is of greatest help with metals known to be bad at forming oxide skins - aluminum alloys are bad for this but aluminium bronze is the worst, and brasses containing even small amounts of aluminum (either accidental or on purpose) can be quite bad too. I recommend using this basin and sprue approach as the minimum start to good gating with anything that you cast... Martin
Thanks Martin! Very educational, I watched all your videos through the years and do appreciate them a lot. My plan is to cast something this summer perhaps an intake to my car and this video was perfect preparation. Thanks for all the knowledge and inspiration!
Brilliant video, I will soon be doing my first castings and have been looking around for tips on how to go about it and so many people are getting bad results and you have just explained why. I thought it was just a bit hit and miss but not the way you have shown it should be done makes total sense. Thanks for sharing and can't wait to have a go.
Jeff, "a bit hit and miss" well, that's sort of the way the foundry industry has been for about 6000 years! It has been able to get away with bad techniques because despite them sometimes you can get a good result. So if you ignore the bad results and your customer is prepared to do the same it all goes along sort of ok. However when first starting out and using too many of those bad techniques as copied from the wrong areas of YT, truly good results can be very thin on the ground indeed. Nobody can do it perfectly of course - there are always areas where it could be done better if one had a big enough and expensive enough 24/7 enterprise. None of us do, so the best we can do is eliminate the worst of the bad stuff and from what I know this will be enough to give results of which you can be truly proud...Martin
Martin, As always, WONDERFUL video. It would seem many would be interested in the calculations in developing their sprue and which to use for the pours. I have done some research and found that a 2.4 degree per side draft on the sprue was desirable. Performing some flow simulations on this, it looked like the 2.4 draft angle was sufficient to prevent air entrapment. Still interesting in the knowledge that you can provide to the community.
one other thing of note, in a previous video (dont know which one) you suggest the top of the overflow of the pouring basin should be about 20mm, in this video you state between 5 to 10mm. Is this an approximation, just so long as the overflow is not near the top of the pouring basin / sprue interface?
Braiz, I did some private calculation work on sprues in general some months back as I was looking for the holy grail of a universal taper - it does not exist! The required taper varies from less than 0.5 degree per side to more than 3 (in my series of "what ifs") It varies as the type of sprue round square or slot as the flow rate required as the total height of the sprue and as the ratio of sprue height to pouring basin height. In my follow up I will show the results of this work. The little 8mm exit 1.4 degree per side sprue that I use mostly is what seems to suit most of the work I do
Braiz, This is an area where the has been some confusion and some people have got it the wrong way around - to clarify - if the basin is 30 mm deep in total the ridge is 5 to 10 mm high from the BOTTOM of the basin so when the basin is full there is 20 to 25 mm of metal over the top of the ridge. In the follow up video I will include drawings (proper ones) to illustrate this.... Martin
Makes sense. I have always noticed that castings tend to have a lot of voids from different people pouring molds. I always thought it was because of impurities in the molten metal. I know it does have an affect. A lot of people use those cans and others just pour down a straight sprue hole. Venturi for carbs not castings. That explains a lot. Great video. Continue please.
Very helpful! I admit I’ve seen many on TH-cam use the can and funnel method and have tried it myself and have gotten bad results. I got much better results without the can. I will definitely try the basin and tapered sprew method the next time. Thanks a lot!
Aaron, The can and funnel method seems almost designed to produce poorer quality castings! 😱 I am not surprised that you did better without it. But I am very happy that you did... 😊 Martin
Awsome info, I think my third attempt of casting might now have a fighting chase of being a success. I would have loved to see how you connected the gates.
Matt, If I have helped I am well pleased, How did the third attempt go?. You can see gate etc connections in quite a few of my videos but they do vary with each part. To be honest unless you have an expensive casting computer program gating is a bit of a this is what worked last time sort of thing, but there is a lot of good info in Jophn Campbells books on how to best do this. For small work though you can often get away with simple gating systems... Martin
If you ever have an occasion that the runners freeze up just as the metal is entering the riser, stop pouring in the pouring basin and fill the riser from the top of the opening. That way you will not only put pressure on the molten metal making sure that each and every void is filled but you will put the hottest metal in the riser as it's supposed to be. If you have the hottest metal in the riser the riser will remain molten as the casting is solidifying and that condition will guarantee that the riser is feeding the mold cavity like it's supposed to and will solidify last. fun video.
Sand, What you mention is for me at least a rare event but it has happened when the sprue has been 3/4 blocked with loose sand (which surprisingly perhaps does not seem to wash out) this gives me a much longer fill time than planned. It has been and ever rarer event for the casting to not fill even though a design fill of 10 seconds gets out to 30. Nevertheless I have had to contemplate and actually have done a "down the feeder" Unfortunately there is no guarantee particularly with a top feeder that metal will not plunge right down the feeder and into the casting underneath - momentum from the ladle stream practically guarantees that it will and the hottest metal and a fair bit of oxide etc may well be down in the casting. I think it depends on how full the feeder is before the direct pour - a little top up ok, but a larger fill, eh not so much!.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 , The only time we poured down the riser was after it was at least 25% full and it was essential that the risers had the hottest metal.
Jan, Thank you for your comment. Yes it is amazing what the use of a decent pouring basin atop a small tapered sprue can achieve in improving one's castings, Particularly when it comes to the more difficult alloys like the aluminium bronzes. But there is nothing really new here - the basin owes much of its design to basins used around 1900 and the idea of the tapered sprue was well know and much advocated by the mid 1950s. The problem is of course that the foundry industry is very - ahem - traditional, plain and simple, it is reluctant to accept "new" ideas ... Martin
Thanks for explaining every little thing i really like the details and reason for stuff as i know nothing and it seems obvious now but i wouldn't have thought about that or thought it really made that much of a difference.
Well Martin this provides the information required to make a proper job of my part casting process. I am presently studying the composition of sand for the purpose and have almost got enough idea, to proceed with knowledge of the parts of materials used to make a nice clean mould. Happy to have seen this video before we begin in two days time. I will now dispense, with your guidance, those ideas i had just accepted. Which are wrong. Thank you for the instruction there! There is now a fighting chance of making good, the piece I have to make. I have found the suggestion of talcum powder. Also the suggestion of cornflour, and finally to use powdered graphite as a barrier to prevent the different parts sticking to each other. A barrier dust ? I wonder what your dust is composed of? I praise your teaching here that is supported by the explanation you gave as well. Great show mate.
Jack, Thank you for your rather nice comment. I am glad to have been of some assistance. Re parting powder. Talc is quite commonly used by hobbyists because it is easy to get, provided you don't mind the smell of cheap perfume (baby powder!) However, I do not like talc as it is sometimes associated with asbestos, its true that talc these days is asbestos free but why take the chance. Graphite works well enough but it is so dirty to work with - yuck! Not too sure about corn flour as I suspect it may pick up moisture from the mould and get a bit sticky, but I have never tried it. The parting powder I use is a commercial product but all its just very finely ground calcium carbonate i.e. limestone - note - NOT slaked lime. Its cheap, should be easy to obtain and apparently its safe - good luck and remember if at first you don't succeed (and likely you won't) keep trying.... Martin
That was exceptional. Great information. Any more information you want to provide, about sprue design or anything else, will be as appreciated as all of your other content. Thank you.
Outstanding, absolutely nothing else out there that I have seen that can explain this so well, you have a real knack for teaching. I’d love to see how you calculate your sprue dimensions if you get the chance!
Max, Thank you for saying so but in truth I have never fancied myself as a teacher and the thought of standing in front of a class of sprightly cheeky teenagers for example fills me with dread, follow up coming.... Martin
Amazing video, with explanation. You mentioned a calculation for figuring sprue size (volume?) to regulate metal flow speed. I've never come across any discussion of this in books I've read on subject. Perhaps hidden in an out of print text? I would love to see a video discussing this subject. More science and math and less mysticism are needed in this craft. Thanks for all your help.
Mr, Sadly the industry is overrun with "were good enough for my father and his father before him be good enough for me" 6000 year old technology.... Martin
I love to see this sort of collaboration, where the strengths of others unselfishly magnify the effectiveness of the final result. I often wonder what the electricity world would look like if truly altruistic contemporaries of Nikolai Tesla had helped him, instead of the grabbing bankers who drove him to his paranoic secrecy.
Pirate, Thank you for saying so. I just wish that I was well enough to put out more videos like this. I have a lot more in mind but doing them is for me all but impossible....Martin
Hey Mark, did I ever send you a rapping tool? If you would like one, send your address to sandrammer@aol.com so I can. I'm getting ready to make a few and want you to have one. Just ask olfoundryman if the tool helps.
Sh, A big subject, much of which I am still developing my methods/ideas on, partly because there are a lot of unknowns - science still has us in the dark here a bit. But perhaps at a somewhat later date I may be able to put something together on at least part of this subject.... Martin
Cole, You are not the first person who has expressed the wish to have seen the resulting castings. I did not show them because they were just more moulding box sides and I had already shown these in an earlier video. Whilst bad, the exposed sprue in mid pour was not too bad as the metal level did not fall very far down the sprue and metal velocities with this sort or low mould height are low, thus air aspiration would have been, at worst, minor. The casting concerned certainly came out looking ok but this is an important point that allows a lot of people who use bad sprueing techniques (tin can mould height extensions and parallel sprues for example) to fool themselves into thinking that they have made a good casting. The results of air aspiration are not always seen naked eye visually in a casting. The results are the production of vastly more oxide films (sadly some are almost always present). Their presence is revealed in poorer mechanical properties - particular ductility rather than in casting visual appearance…. Martin
Excellent explaination why to do it right and how to do it right. As a hobbiest who adopted the 20mm parallel prue and bean can extension for "head presure" out of ignorance, I really appreciate this video. Now I need to get my by butt and make a tapered sprue and basin cutter before the next casting session. Often I keep doing the wrong things, by being too lazy to prepare the right thing in advance. I just watched your modular flask video 5, and with the two longest parts, which you poured first, you also added sprue and riser extensions. Could you please also give us your thoughts about when this is advantageous?
Rotary, The problem is that many of the older books and most of the YT crowd use the 20 mm sprue and many the bean can too. I don't blame you for taking these things up its what was in front of you and it seems to work - although I note that we often do not get a good enough look at a casting on YT to know how well it worked. It was as a reaction to what I see as bad info and bad example that I started my YT journey - basically I am trying to counteract the bad by presenting what science has shown to be a better alternative. The two longest parts were in moulds where the cope box was on the thin side at just 60 mm high. This meant that the feeder was just 60 mm high too, I was concerned that it would not contain enough feed metal to provide for the casting so using some standard extensions that I have (for just such occasions) I increased the height. These are 30 mm high and I filled them to about 25 mm so giving a total feeder height of 85 mm this is the same height as the other copes in this pour. While extra height is not always a good idea here it was for the good cause of providing enough feed. Of course 25 mm is a long way short of the horrendous 100 mm plus bean can....Martin
Thanks for the tips! I am guilty of using the bean can approach but no more. I’ve been getting gas bubbles in my castings so I’m hoping this will fix it.
Love the video! Great easy to understand instructions. I'll be following this for my next pour. Question: How do you heat the aluminum in the ladle? I have a starter set with a furnace and a crucible, but I like the ladle idea.
Sven, I don't actually heat the metal in the ladle. My furnace is large by hobby standards and I melt in an A90 crucible this will hold about 32 Kg of aluminium. I use the steel ladle as a dipper - like a soup spoon from a big pot of soup...Martin
12 hours after posting, and from 100 odd comments it looks like 50 comments asking for the sprue calculation video, and 50 responses from Martin saying, "OK, OK I'll do it." Probably while thinking, "What have I gotten myself into now?" Anyway, I'll add my voice(?) to the chorus. It will be interesting and informative, entertaining and educational. After all, I never thought I'd sit there and watch a slow motion replay of some bloke pouring liquid into a hole, let alone watch in 4 times (with expert commentary). But I did, and it was fantastic.
dfross, You are a mind reader - yep, just what have I got myself into - hoist on my own petard! But I figured this likely and went into it with open eyes (perhaps not open enough?)🙄 😏... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 Martin, you should know by now. If you ask, "Would you like me to do a video on [some topic[?", the answer will always be, "Hell yes!"
Would love to see the calculation video!!!! Might be an idea to put a link to your pouring basin .stl file in the description of this video. I found actually having an example there in my hand to copy provided a world of help. (Thank you again for that Martin) Great to see you pushing out more videos, I'm hungry for more, almost watched the lot so far and am rewatching many of them too. So much info, not just in the videos, but there are endless gems in the comments. Hope your health is impoving sir. Cheers mate Jaime
Jamie, I agree that one in the hand makes it easier to see what needs to be done and we could (should) put a link to the STL files but unfortunately I have discovered a fault in those files in that the radii on the ridge are not all they should be. Even so I guess they do give the general idea.The friend who did the file work and then the drawing and printing had a lot of trouble with it in getting things to blend well I am not sure that I am game to ask him to give it another go with more correct radii but I might put it too him and see if he explodes or not 😊. Health is at least stable and thnk you for asking.... Martin
Foolishly perhaps😊 I said that I would do a follow up video on the calculation of sprue size and taper if enough people commented that they would like to see such a video. The response has been overwhelming and thus, hoist on my own petard as it were, I will do the video. It will take a little time as here is a bit of preparation work to do and I also have other parts of the Making Box Sides " video series to shoot, edit, and publish. If I fail to answer your comments, which are now becoming so numerous that replying is becoming difficult, please forgive me and take this as your reply....Martin
PS. Check this video out th-cam.com/video/GwqENPFqPBM/w-d-xo.html it gives some insight into what happens when things are not as they should be compared to how much better things are when things are a bit better hopefully further improvements will show even better results..
Thx. Must watch out for those firecrackers hoisting you.
I have missed you. How have you been? I hope all is well. Your work is fascinating and I enjoy the quality or your work
Good to see you back. Please do the follow up video on the calculation of sprue size and taper that you had previously discussed.
Well done Martin! Gave us the basic theory, and a damn fine demonstration. I for one would love to see a vid on "doing it by the numbers" (how to calculate ideal sizing)... you NEVER disappoint
ludditeneanderthal , go to the videos on that subject on my channel. Two vids cover how we Molders in the Navy made gating systems. Enjoy
I wish all of the more popular youtubers that cast stuff watched these videos and credited you. Such a wealth of information on casting, Martin! Great job as always
You are a masterful teacher as well as foundry-man and metallurgist! I learned the 'can' method initially, before using a pouring basin, and will never go back. My first casting using a pouring basin, while not great, was such a VAST improvement! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!
Eclectic, Sadly, many learn the bean can method but your comment gives me great hope - thank you for it
Wonderfully explained, clear and interesting. Seen the "can method" so much around, never even knew. Thank You
gafrers, Sadly the can method is all too common.... Martin
The can method is an improper way to add pressure so to speak, but due to the parallel sides you cannot keep it choked (shown in the later half of the video).
I think it’s some form of combination between improper riser to prevent shrinkage and a basin to make sure the mold fills all the way up. Two issues alleviated by having good mold design.
Thanks again Martin for a great tutorial! Looking forward to the follow up video.
Martin, I’d like to see how you calculate the sprue size! I did spot the point where you let the sprue go too low the first time around. Thanks for explaining why the metal speed up during the pour.
Rocking, Yeah, the metal flow is a bit of a trick - initially very fast then quite slow then faster again and finally slows to a stop it takes a little keeping on top of. Calculation video will follow in due course... Martin
Worked 50 yrs as a greensand moulder and never .ever ran a casting straight in like this you need a down sprue and runner into a riser the your Ingatestone into the job this fellas talking bs
👍👍 thanks for the information. I hope your knowledge gets used in trade schools everywhere. I would be instrested in the calculations of the spur taper. Cheers from Melbourne 🇦🇺
Sly, Follow up now in planing but it will take a while.... Martin
Martin, I will watch anything you wish to teach. Your experience is invaluable. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.
Tyler, Oh how I wish there were more like you 😊.... Martin
Thoroughly enjoyed this and I do like your basin. Looking forward to your next vid. My basin's are similar in cross section with about 1/4" high x 1/4" long ledge before going into the tapered sprue. My employee has a difficult time holding the size of the basin consistant so I think your method would solve our problem. We will try this on the next molds👍
Windy, Cut the basin with a thin walled tube its easiest and quickest way I have found - spoon cut is hopeless too rounded too slow. Lump of sand should come out with tube - to achieve this any sharpening of tube to be on inside and if necessary dint the edge a little inwards. Make sure your ridge is well radiused at sprue junction have a look at the video I mention in my pinned comment to see what happens if the radius is bad look closely until you see the bubbles its fascinating.... Martin
Bravo my Friend- Your lessons are like being out in my gramps shop with him again- getting a lesson with a jolly voice and all the information with the occasional "Right" and a happy "There ya go..." Thank you for the apprenticeship!
S Dunca "Gramps shop" yeah, well I guess I am about that old😊... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 Its not the years- its the wisdom... I respect that my friend. You teach by doing- and inject theory into the mix at practical points where it is relevant!.
Very informative. All makes complete sense. Thank you for sharing important trade secrets!
Joyce, Nothing really secret here, its all been known about for well over 70 years. The sad thing is that still all too few foundries use these techniques.... Martin
Did my first cast today! Your videos helped me tremendously !
dieter, I am very glad to have been of assistance.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 Thanks again Martin.I was casting arms for my drone.they normally made from carbon fibre and break when you crash but aluminum is more durable.It worked great! Now I am excited about casting.I want to make myself more permanent mold.I was looking at using refractory cement to make a mold.Would the process be the same as making a sit sand mold with a fairly dry mix?
I hope this is the first of many, detailing the finer points of molding and casting.
Tinkers, Perhaps?😊.... Martin
Thank you for the explanation sir. The knowledge lost to sending our manufacturing overseas is crazy! Thank you for making a very useful reference!
Fans, Yes, you are right but sadly very sadly we need cheap energy to be able to manufacture locally and we all know where our energy prices are going - I weep at every electricity bill. I remember when Nissan set up a casting plant in Dandenong why here in Australia, one reason, cheap electricity back then. We are slipping ever further into the dig it up from or grow it on the ground and sell it cheaply overseas banana republic status.....Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 seems as if greed is killing everything!
Wow... as an experienced foundry guy, my casting tools and methods are based upon much bigger scales and horizontal casting machines. Its not only interesting the proceedure, but the deployment of this video is wonderful. Really seeing the physics here with a great explanation of whys and hows... absolutely great mentorship.
that, I am glad that you liked it. It is particularly (but not only) those involved in the trade that I would like to show this relatively new knowledge to. I am grateful to those who did the research and practical work that led to my discovery of it. In particular the work of Pr. John Campbell has proven to be a real breath of fresh air into the foundry industry. I suggest that you try to get your hands on some of his books and read them - they're real eyeopeners....Martin
Thank you for explaining all the rationales behind your pour choices. It's alot easier to learn than watching over and over again and guessing what and why you do what you do. Spru calculation is requested.👍
Sam, I do not see much point in not bothering to explain why I do what I do as it would seem to be only 1/2 the story. Follow up now in planing but it will take a while.... Martin
Thankyou sir! Featured on the metalcasting subreddit and it's fantastic to have such a thorough coverage of sprue technique
Kyle, Really, its only the start of sprue technique. I am glad that you found it useful. I hope one day to amplify the subject with emphasis on shape, size, and degree of taper - and even, hopefully - some fill time required calculations. Martin
Thanks so much for this Martin. Please carry on with the sprue and runner calculation video. I hope you are feeling better soon.
forgediron, I will do the sprue calculation video as soon as I know what direction my health is heading in. Thank you for your good wishes.... Martin
Very good informative video. Could you add a picture of the casting so we can see the shape of the finished sprue and pouring basin please.
Gaye, Will include a photo in video on sprue sizing... Martin
I learned more in this 20+ minute video than I have in any casting book or video I've found...and I've watched a lot. It's not just your knowledge, your teaching skills are great and I'm not blowing smoke. There's logic around all of the flows, and in keeping that flow air free and smooth. Thanks for this, and the kindness in sharing all this information. If you are ever looking for ideas on what to go into detail on next, I'd be interested in learning what to look for in riser, gates and runner design...but as I go through the videos you have up I'm sure I'll catch it.
Tom, Thank you for your comment. Feeder, runner, and gate design is a complicated area requiring quite different treatment for different castings - there are some basic rules though that have managed to surface through the still incomplete knowledge of the subject. Health permitting I will try and do something along the lines that you have suggested. To be honest in my own work I usually just eyeball a given casting and based on experience (60 years plus) make an initial guess as to these requirements and then let the first try or two refine my approach. Not the best way to do things perhaps but I do not have the resources to get my hands on casting simulation /calculation software..... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 I can completely understand the eyeball approach. So many things have been designed based on that, and as long as you've been doing this there were no computer simulations for those flows...and even today they are probably quite expensive. What I try to do is learn from the experts in the field such as yourself, and copy, and then adjust a little bit to account for my projects being different. Truly appreciate all that you give to people learning this science/art.
Yes please, Fascinating stuff, please keep this knowledge alive!
That trick with hiding the flow under the oxide layer is brilliant. Lookign forward to the follow up video, if you get chance :)
David, Well, its not really a trick it's just what happens the trick I guess is keeping that layer intact and as you can see its not that hard..... Martin
Geoff at VOG said you're the guy, so here I am! Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. I just built my first propane furnace (posted a vid) and I'm going to skip a little trial and error and make your tapered sprue and basin right out of the gate because it makes sense!
Jason, Thanks for the vote of confidence 😊 Indeed it makes perfect sense. If you use the basin and tapered sprue properly as shown in this video you will be well ahead of most other foundries including the professional ones. However be aware that some people try to put their own spin on the basing/sprue design and make a bit of a hash of it - typically they make the basin rounded (cut with a spoon) have the ridge too high and - gasp - use a parallel sprue. I will be watching 😊... Martin
Thanks for sharing! Please do the follow up on calculating sprue size, stay healthy!
Hi Martin, Excellent stuff, just Excellent. Always more than happy to learn what you have to teach, so yes please on the sprue size calculations.
Thanks so much for everything you do and stay safe down in old Vic. :)
Jack, Stay safe? Fat chance with our "illustrious" leader at it. Follow up now in planing but it will take a while.... Martin
Yes please on the follow up video. The skin detail is and making sure it is in tact while controlling the flow rate shows a lot of skill and experience. Thanks for sharing this.
Chris, I will try to get around to doing the follow up, unfortunately my health is such that it is difficult for me to do any video so it may be a while but I will try.... Martin
Very good,please share a video on gating small and large castings. Thanks from Nebraska, USA.
Steve, A big and complex subject made all the harder by a lack of information that hopefully further research is discovering. Big castings are out of my league and I would not be game to advise on those but I will try and see if I can come up with something to help with smaller work- might take a while though.... Martin
Happened upon your videos through the facebook page "Ingot Casting and Metal Recycling" and I really must say you're a fantastic inspiration.
Geir, Thank you... Martin
I really appreciate your academic approach to the concepts you demonstrate.
Very well done.
It seems like there's not a lot of content on TH-cam or elsewhere for anything between uninformed amateur metal casting or footage from professional shops where they don't explain anything.
Your videos really hit a sweet spot.
You do professional quality work at an achievable scale for a serious metal casting enthusiast.
Borderline, Thank you, I guess I had to get reasonably good at making castings as it was how we survived for 30 or so years. I always tried to do it better each time and I am more than happy to pass what I learned on to anyone interested. It is entirely possible for an amateur to make very good castings - not top of the line aerospace perhaps as you need lots of really good equipment and to be operating at size to do that and few, including most of the commercial foundries, can do it anyway. But, as I show, very good castings can be made with simple equipment providing one cares enough to do it properly..... Martin
My God this is golden information. Godsend. If only 10 human beings were chosen to survive mass extinction, you would definitely have to be one of them. This knowledge can restart civilization back in no time.
Tu, Thank you very much for saying so but there is nothing new here 😏- the basin dates for the early 1900s and the tapered sprue from at least 1954. The combination of the two is a little younger at around 30 years - its just that the foundry industry is so locked into its 6000 year old technology and so pig headed about it that most do not and will not even try it - convinced that it will not work despite my (and other) videos clearly showing that it does work and work very well indeed. If you use these simple and easy techniques you will be miles ahead of those who don't and that sadly includes most professionals... 😱 Martin
PS I am more likely to be one of the FIRST ten chosen to die 😞
Thanks for this video I’ll use this when doing my first casting trying to get the best surface finish I can this makes a lot of sense thanks from New Zealand 👍🏻
Jimi, Greetings from across the ditch. This technique when done right is well worth while using...... Martin
This is without doubt the most informative video, you have out out there. I can't sketch either, but these sketchings got the message across perfectly, that is all any draftsman can ever hope to do. I know we have discussed this many times but this really shows the process in a way that even I understood it. I don't understand why everyone does not use this method to maximise the chance of a successful pour. The time invested in creating a pattern and making a mould is so long that I would certainly want to give myself the best possible chance of getting a good casting in return for that time. In cnc speak, it is like creating a program that will sort of get the job done, when a bit more time in writing the code and the job can be perfect.
SCL, Ah yes, nothing like a thumbnail dipped in tar sketch to convey the message. You are right - all that work to make patterns cores moulds prepare sand and melt metal and pour castings too much effort to not give one=self the best chance possible of a good casting.... Martin
Took me a while to find this video, but this is just excellent! Big thanks for the sharing of knowledge!
andrea, I enjoy sharing and Iam glad that you liked it.... Martin
Great demonstration, thank you very much. Flowering Elbow sent some of us over, me included. Appreciate your wisdom and the no nonsense way you share it. All makes perfect sense including the inside radii and outside square corners being fine. When practical experience matches hydrodynamic theory :-)
Fredio, Bless flowering elbow. There are times when doing everything exactly right is virtually impossible, particularity when we are working with small moulds. Fortunately the need for perfection is less with smaller work as metal velocities are lower in lower moulds. I guess its a question of knowing which corners can be reasonably cut and which can't. Even so we should strive to get all things as "right" as possible as that gives our castings the best chance..... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 I am very glad that you're still alive. I had seen the last upload time and guessed the worst. I lost a great photography youtuber in the UK a year or so ago and actually cried. The relationships formed "in the comments below" are very real if you let them be and put the work in. Thank you sincerely for your reply and I meant what I said above. Cheers! :-)
fredio, Cry not for me my friend - well, not yet anyway 😊. Ill health does prevent me from making active type videos - nothing terminal, save old age itself of course, just bloody debilitating - very frustrating! I do hope to have a sort of talking head video (without the head) coming out shortly. Its sort of an exposé on faults I have seen in TH-cam casting videos using snapshots and even short excerpts that I have - ahem - acquired from other (unnamed) people's videos. I expect some heated debate so keep your fire extinguisher handy😊 - should be fun!... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 You don't have to be shy about using other's clips like that - that's 110% fair use, journalistic in nature, even, a commentary on what's shown - do it, and do not feel bad save for embarrassing the original uploader :-D If they're good people they'll appreciate the learnings more than hate the shame.
Fredio, While I don't feel bad about taking snapshots etc I do anticipate a bit of a reaction from viewers. I will not be mentioning any names save for three youtubers who I mention as people who have a good idea what they are doing and who are worth watching. I have tried to pick older videos that were not that popular so it would be less likely that viewers would know who the you tuber concerned was - unfortunately this was not always possible so many will realise which video and therefore whose video the various clips came from. Many youtubers have a very loyal fan base and to even hint at criticism is to invite quite a fierce response. I have seen this in the past when one TH-camr had a bit of a go at Myford (justifiably so, I might add) but all hell broke loose. Not only in the comments but also across a forum or two. I have a couple of shots taken from his videos - not easy to recognise as his (hmm, maybe) but no doubt someone wil make the connection so it could be a bumpy ride - Bring it on I say. Its still a few weeks away as it is taking forever to get 70 or so snapshots assembled into a video and then all narrated - Oh, how I hate doing narration! It just takes forever - not to get it right for that is impossible - but just to get it passable.....Martin
From all the years that I have watched of castings, Martin you have wonderfully and informatively produced the only video of the why AND the how. I can now attempt it with the knowledge of knowing why I am doing something; then if something should go wrong I have an understanding of the process and can hopefully remedy it. Bring on the sprue design theory....
David, I hate having to do something without knowing the whys behind the way I had to do it. You are 100% correct - without the knowledge of "why" the solving of problems along the way becomes a very hit miss affair. I guess I have been a bit lucky - my training as a metallurgist gives me an insight into the "whys" and its an insight that I would like to pass along... Martin
Martin,
Thank you for making these videos! Very educational and VERY well done! Great, detailed explanations!
- Jimmy
Jimmy, You are most welcome.... Martin
Loving al the details, but I would've loved to see the finished product to prove your theories. I'm so new to this ! So I have no clue, but just an observation. THANK YOU for all the information
Greg, Thanks for your comment. You are not the first person to have wished to have seen the actual castings, They can be seen in the fifth video in this series;- see here th-cam.com/video/Lcvew9Wo3Vk/w-d-xo.html Those with this basin and sprue can be seen being poured from 7.00 on, and the resulting castings are broken out and viewed towards the end of this fifth video. Hope this provides you with what you wish to see.... Martin
Great examples, thanks. A video about how you calculate the sizes of your sprues, runners and gates would be really helpful too.
I really thank you for spending the time and making these videos. It's awesome to see a master caster at work! ;)
William, Thank you for saying so.... Martin
Thank you for imparting your years of knowledge.
Metal casting is something I've wanted to do for years but it's either time - no money or money - no time.
Now I'm retired, money is still an issue but grandson is 8 and takes more interest in 'stuff' although probably not ready to 'play with fire' yet.
crazy, Metal casting is a great hobby to get into. There is a bit of a learning curve but you can do such useful stuff with it. I started (on my own) at age 11 - just fishing sinkers in sand moulds lined with cardboard but it was enough to get me drawn in. Encourage the 8 years old's interest in "stuff" - so much better than in Facebook or whatever. Good luck.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418Thank you for reply. My father was repairing a clutch or throttle cable for motorcycle when I was 8 or 9 (1960's) in the living room in front of fire. (mother was out shopping).
He had some very old moulds so made some lead soldiers and a dreadnought from WW-I.
I got a history lesson as well
Yes, please show us how we can calculate the sprue profile. I really appreciate you making these videos for us to learn from.
I've watched all of your videos from the beginning, some of them more than once. I appreciate your skill and knowledge as a foundryman, but I also observe that your teaching skills have steadily improved throughout as well! This was an outstanding educational video -- thanks for the work you put into it.
LOVE the slow-mo. Really, really interesting and enlightening.
Phreadrick, Its interesting actually, at first I was most reluctant about speaking during my videos, I guess and embarrassed shyness might describe my feelings but as time went by I became much more comfortable. Perhaps it is this change that you have picked up on. I always knew that speaking was important because without it one big way of passing knowledge on is missing. At times slow mo is a very good technique. Thank you for your comment and thank you too for the views.... Martin
Such fine detailed info is missing from too many videos for the sake of brevity. Thanks for taking the time to focus on this info. Invaluable. I'd love to see more on the sprue design criteria.
This is the most helpful video I've seen with regarding perfect pours. Thank you very much.
Simon, Thank you very much for saying so..... Martin
I'm going to start my adventure with casting and I am thankful that I found this channel. Great information on the basics... best regards and waiting for the next films
Rafal, I will be doing more videos as soon as my health improves enough. Thank you for your comment.... Martin
Excellent content. I also would like to see some numbers in sprue sizing. Thanks for sharing.
As always Martin excellent instructional video. You should have known going in we would all want the follow up video who doesn’t want to learn from a master craftsman.
Fantastic tutorial... your tips and tricks are much appreciated.. thanks for passing them on. Setting the sprue near the edge so you can rest the ladle.. so simple and logical, but often missed .. great stuff.
Dennis, You can't always get the basin near the edge but it is a big help when you can - it is as important as placing your moulds so you can get a good pour without working over the same or another mould.... Martin
Great video! Finally someone is using the guidelines of prof. Campbell on youtube.
Gabor, Yes, I am very much a JC devotee. His work is very much a greatly needed breath of fresh air into the staid, old fashioned, rigid, dogmatic, and pig headed foundry industry. My one regret is that I discovered his work too late in my foundry career. I have been using small tapered sprues since the mid 1970s but other of his refinements I have only adopted in the last 5 or 10 years. I would love to sit down with him and/or Bob Puhaka because I have a million questions. I have with varying degrees of success tried to introduce others on UT to his methods but sadly many are just not interested, content instead to bumble on as the foundry industry has done for millennia.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 I've had the chance to meet and talk with JC a few times. He is a real gentleman, really nice and down to earth. Also, he is really helpful and always finds the time to consult with me via e-mail. I think you should try and ask some questions in an e-mail.
Thanks for this - it's so great to have access to professional level instruction for those of us who are doing this as home gamers.
mrtynan, Thank you but I am hardly a professional teacher - just someone who has been at foundry for a while and someone who is well pleased if others find the information useful... Martin
I have never cast anything before except for sinkers. After watching yours and others videos I was able to cast some specialised clamps for my round column mill. Worked like a charm, I thank you for your knowledge and time and yes I would like to see how the sprue size is calculated.
MIck, Fishing sinkers - be careful! That us how I started out (at age 10) I got hooked (no pun intended) totally addicted in fact.😊 I am very glad that my information was of use... Martin
Thanks for this exelent video. I will make sure to use a decent pouring bassin the next time I attempt casting my inlets.
You are a great inspiration!
Thank you for saying so. I think that a decent basin coupled with a correctly sized tapered sprue is absolutely the easiest way to improve castings and it costs nothing....Martin
I dit it wrong for years. Tanks for scharing your experians in this verry clear and detaild video.
Jaap, Well, you are not on your own there and if you look at commercial foundries very few of them do it right either! 😱If you do it right you will probably be ahead of 90% of all other foundries.😊.... Martin
Very interesting, thankyou for explaining all of that. Definitely surprised by the small sprue size, will have to look to that.
Jack, Yes most people (particularly old time foundrymen) look at that small sprue size and exclaim that the casting would never run - WRONG!. But look when they pour - a small stream (just like through my sprue) but down a big hole, flow rate is the same but mine is largely turbulence free. Try it for yourself and see just how fast metal will go down a properly filled small tapered sprue..... Martin
Thank you for this video! I have been casting for 15 years, and i have never made a basin before. I will start doing this. Also i think my sprue is way too big. It is never completely filled when i pour. It's a 3/4 inch tube. I love your cutomized spoon! I use a clam shell 😆
I see your riser vent hole is HUGE! Looks like it's 2 inches! Mine is only about 3/8 inch. So now i hope to find out why so big through your videos.
tracy, My sprue is just 5/16 inch diameter at the bottom and has about a 1.5 degree taper per side so its about 1/2 inch diameter 3 1/2 inches up. The use of a large - and 3/4 inch is large - sprue particularly if it is parallel sided is asking for trouble. It is impossible to fill a parallel sprue. Even if you could pour fast enough to have it seem full it would only be so at the top because as the metal falls it speeds up so the stream gets smaller - look at water falling from a tap. A clam shell - that's a newie on me 😊. That riser vent hole is not a vent or strictly speaking a riser, its a feeder. It is there to provide feed metal to the thick section of the casting. The gate is connected at this point and the feeder is placed on top of the gate. I think it was actually about 1 1/4 or maybe 1 1/2 inches in diameter - definitely not 2 inch! It needs to be a reasonable size so it will stay liquid while the casting is going solid and thus provide feed to it - this avoids shrinkage in this heavy section. 3/8 inch is not big enough to provide any feed as it would go solid before the casting did. A feeder needs to be at least 25% thicker than the casting and preferably 50%.....Martin
Yes please. Intrigued to know. Thanks for the video very interesting and informative.
John, Glad the video was of use, Follow up now in planing but it will take a while.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 Look forward to seeing it Martin. I'm a good way off doing my own casting yet anyway.
Hi, just like to say I have used your sprue design for the first time and I think it's great far better results than with the old bean cans, doe's it work as well with brass casting. Best regards, John.
John, Yes, its surprising how nicely and quietly the metal flows when this is done right. It works with all metals but is of greatest help with metals known to be bad at forming oxide skins - aluminum alloys are bad for this but aluminium bronze is the worst, and brasses containing even small amounts of aluminum (either accidental or on purpose) can be quite bad too. I recommend using this basin and sprue approach as the minimum start to good gating with anything that you cast... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 Thanks Martin, that's good to know. Best regards, John.
Thanks Martin! Very educational, I watched all your videos through the years and do appreciate them a lot. My plan is to cast something this summer perhaps an intake to my car and this video was perfect preparation. Thanks for all the knowledge and inspiration!
Karl, Intake manifolds are not exactly easy, perhaps try something a little easier first like a small plaque and work up to the manifold... Martin
Brilliant video, I will soon be doing my first castings and have been looking around for tips on how to go about it and so many people are getting bad results and you have just explained why. I thought it was just a bit hit and miss but not the way you have shown it should be done makes total sense. Thanks for sharing and can't wait to have a go.
Jeff, "a bit hit and miss" well, that's sort of the way the foundry industry has been for about 6000 years! It has been able to get away with bad techniques because despite them sometimes you can get a good result. So if you ignore the bad results and your customer is prepared to do the same it all goes along sort of ok. However when first starting out and using too many of those bad techniques as copied from the wrong areas of YT, truly good results can be very thin on the ground indeed. Nobody can do it perfectly of course - there are always areas where it could be done better if one had a big enough and expensive enough 24/7 enterprise. None of us do, so the best we can do is eliminate the worst of the bad stuff and from what I know this will be enough to give results of which you can be truly proud...Martin
Martin very informative and interesting I would be in favour of a follow up video on calculating the sprue size Keith
Martin, As always, WONDERFUL video.
It would seem many would be interested in the calculations in developing their sprue and which to use for the pours. I have done some research and found that a 2.4 degree per side draft on the sprue was desirable. Performing some flow simulations on this, it looked like the 2.4 draft angle was sufficient to prevent air entrapment.
Still interesting in the knowledge that you can provide to the community.
one other thing of note, in a previous video (dont know which one) you suggest the top of the overflow of the pouring basin should be about 20mm, in this video you state between 5 to 10mm. Is this an approximation, just so long as the overflow is not near the top of the pouring basin / sprue interface?
Braiz, I did some private calculation work on sprues in general some months back as I was looking for the holy grail of a universal taper - it does not exist! The required taper varies from less than 0.5 degree per side to more than 3 (in my series of "what ifs") It varies as the type of sprue round square or slot as the flow rate required as the total height of the sprue and as the ratio of sprue height to pouring basin height. In my follow up I will show the results of this work. The little 8mm exit 1.4 degree per side sprue that I use mostly is what seems to suit most of the work I do
Braiz, This is an area where the has been some confusion and some people have got it the wrong way around - to clarify - if the basin is 30 mm deep in total the ridge is 5 to 10 mm high from the BOTTOM of the basin so when the basin is full there is 20 to 25 mm of metal over the top of the ridge. In the follow up video I will include drawings (proper ones) to illustrate this.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 I read that! LOL
Is this specific to metal that is being poured?
Makes sense. I have always noticed that castings tend to have a lot of voids from different people pouring molds. I always thought it was because of impurities in the molten metal. I know it does have an affect. A lot of people use those cans and others just pour down a straight sprue hole. Venturi for carbs not castings. That explains a lot. Great video. Continue please.
Fred, Got it in one, will continue.... Martin
Yes please …….. a sprue calculation video and maybe the theory / theories behind runner design too.
Very helpful! I admit I’ve seen many on TH-cam use the can and funnel method and have tried it myself and have gotten bad results. I got much better results without the can. I will definitely try the basin and tapered sprew method the next time. Thanks a lot!
Aaron, The can and funnel method seems almost designed to produce poorer quality castings! 😱 I am not surprised that you did better without it. But I am very happy that you did... 😊 Martin
Awsome info, I think my third attempt of casting might now have a fighting chase of being a success. I would have loved to see how you connected the gates.
Matt, If I have helped I am well pleased, How did the third attempt go?. You can see gate etc connections in quite a few of my videos but they do vary with each part. To be honest unless you have an expensive casting computer program gating is a bit of a this is what worked last time sort of thing, but there is a lot of good info in Jophn Campbells books on how to best do this. For small work though you can often get away with simple gating systems... Martin
Brilliant application of good common sense!! Subscribed!
Mortimer, Thank you.... Martin
If you ever have an occasion that the runners freeze up just as the metal is entering the riser, stop pouring in the pouring basin and fill the riser from the top of the opening. That way you will not only put pressure on the molten metal making sure that each and every void is filled but you will put the hottest metal in the riser as it's supposed to be. If you have the hottest metal in the riser the riser will remain molten as the casting is solidifying and that condition will guarantee that the riser is feeding the mold cavity like it's supposed to and will solidify last. fun video.
Sand, What you mention is for me at least a rare event but it has happened when the sprue has been 3/4 blocked with loose sand (which surprisingly perhaps does not seem to wash out) this gives me a much longer fill time than planned. It has been and ever rarer event for the casting to not fill even though a design fill of 10 seconds gets out to 30. Nevertheless I have had to contemplate and actually have done a "down the feeder" Unfortunately there is no guarantee particularly with a top feeder that metal will not plunge right down the feeder and into the casting underneath - momentum from the ladle stream practically guarantees that it will and the hottest metal and a fair bit of oxide etc may well be down in the casting. I think it depends on how full the feeder is before the direct pour - a little top up ok, but a larger fill, eh not so much!.... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 , The only time we poured down the riser was after it was at least 25% full and it was essential that the risers had the hottest metal.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. An amazing trick I never have seen before.
Jan, Thank you for your comment. Yes it is amazing what the use of a decent pouring basin atop a small tapered sprue can achieve in improving one's castings, Particularly when it comes to the more difficult alloys like the aluminium bronzes. But there is nothing really new here - the basin owes much of its design to basins used around 1900 and the idea of the tapered sprue was well know and much advocated by the mid 1950s. The problem is of course that the foundry industry is very - ahem - traditional, plain and simple, it is reluctant to accept "new" ideas ... Martin
Thanks for explaining every little thing i really like the details and reason for stuff as i know nothing and it seems obvious now but i wouldn't have thought about that or thought it really made that much of a difference.
Spikes, Thanks for you comment... Martin
Thankyou so much for this video. It has really helped with my castings. I am getting much less porosity and a much better surface finish.
Peter, I am very glad that it has helped you and thank you for saying so. I only wish more people would try it....Martin
You are an excellent teacher. Love your videos.
David, Thank you... Martin
Well Martin this provides the information required to make a proper job of my part casting process. I am presently studying the composition of sand for the purpose and have almost got enough idea, to proceed with knowledge of the parts of materials used to make a nice clean mould. Happy to have seen this video before we begin in two days time. I will now dispense, with your guidance, those ideas i had just accepted. Which are wrong. Thank you for the instruction there! There is now a fighting chance of making good, the piece I have to make. I have found the suggestion of talcum powder. Also the suggestion of cornflour, and finally to use powdered graphite as a barrier to prevent the different parts sticking to each other. A barrier dust ? I wonder what your dust is composed of? I praise your teaching here that is supported by the explanation you gave as well. Great show mate.
Jack, Thank you for your rather nice comment. I am glad to have been of some assistance. Re parting powder. Talc is quite commonly used by hobbyists because it is easy to get, provided you don't mind the smell of cheap perfume (baby powder!) However, I do not like talc as it is sometimes associated with asbestos, its true that talc these days is asbestos free but why take the chance. Graphite works well enough but it is so dirty to work with - yuck! Not too sure about corn flour as I suspect it may pick up moisture from the mould and get a bit sticky, but I have never tried it. The parting powder I use is a commercial product but all its just very finely ground calcium carbonate i.e. limestone - note - NOT slaked lime. Its cheap, should be easy to obtain and apparently its safe - good luck and remember if at first you don't succeed (and likely you won't) keep trying.... Martin
Can't wait for the follow up video! Thank you Martin!
Mart, Follow up now in planing but it will take a while.... Martin
That was exceptional. Great information. Any more information you want to provide, about sprue design or anything else, will be as appreciated as all of your other content. Thank you.
Nice video Martin, thanks for sharing your experience.
Jasopn, My pleasure... Martin
Outstanding, absolutely nothing else out there that I have seen that can explain this so well, you have a real knack for teaching. I’d love to see how you calculate your sprue dimensions if you get the chance!
Max, Thank you for saying so but in truth I have never fancied myself as a teacher and the thought of standing in front of a class of sprightly cheeky teenagers for example fills me with dread, follow up coming.... Martin
Olfoundryman yes I can understand that! Looking forward to the follow up.
Amazing video, with explanation. You mentioned a calculation for figuring sprue size (volume?) to regulate metal flow speed. I've never come across any discussion of this in books I've read on subject. Perhaps hidden in an out of print text? I would love to see a video discussing this subject. More science and math and less mysticism are needed in this craft. Thanks for all your help.
Mr, Sadly the industry is overrun with "were good enough for my father and his father before him be good enough for me" 6000 year old technology.... Martin
Yes I'm interested in the follow up video. Thanks for all you do
Love your honesty like the part about the cans 😁
Frikkie, I hate cans - more castings less than they could be because of this bad technique than any other.... Martin
Oh dear, have you seen the numbers wanting the follow up video? I think some drawings will be required, I have not much else to do at the moment!
I love to see this sort of collaboration, where the strengths of others unselfishly magnify the effectiveness of the final result.
I often wonder what the electricity world would look like if truly altruistic contemporaries of Nikolai Tesla had helped him, instead of the grabbing bankers who drove him to his paranoic secrecy.
SCL, Yes I have - guess I stuck my neck out and got what I asked for? What is it they say in the army "never volunteer"... Martin
great explanation! Thank you for taking the time to archive this knowledge.
Pirate, Thank you for saying so. I just wish that I was well enough to put out more videos like this. I have a lot more in mind but doing them is for me all but impossible....Martin
Excellent video Martin, I for one would appreciate the calcs for sprue sizing. Cheers
Well said Martin
That was an excellent tutorial Martin. I'd like to see a follow up video please!
Great video Martin. The multi camera angles and slomo footage helps big time. Let's hope I get it right next time.
Regards,
Mark
Hey Mark, did I ever send you a rapping tool? If you would like one, send your address to sandrammer@aol.com so I can. I'm getting ready to make a few and want you to have one. Just ask olfoundryman if the tool helps.
Mark, Practice makes perfect.😊.. Martin
I love your channel, can you make a video on gating design, and riser too ? Thanks
Sh, A big subject, much of which I am still developing my methods/ideas on, partly because there are a lot of unknowns - science still has us in the dark here a bit. But perhaps at a somewhat later date I may be able to put something together on at least part of this subject.... Martin
Awesome video! Would have been nice to see what the results were, especially the one that had the sprue exposed mid pour. But still great to learn
Cole, You are not the first person who has expressed the wish to have seen the resulting castings. I did not show them because they were just more moulding box sides and I had already shown these in an earlier video. Whilst bad, the exposed sprue in mid pour was not too bad as the metal level did not fall very far down the sprue and metal velocities with this sort or low mould height are low, thus air aspiration would have been, at worst, minor. The casting concerned certainly came out looking ok but this is an important point that allows a lot of people who use bad sprueing techniques (tin can mould height extensions and parallel sprues for example) to fool themselves into thinking that they have made a good casting. The results of air aspiration are not always seen naked eye visually in a casting. The results are the production of vastly more oxide films (sadly some are almost always present). Their presence is revealed in poorer mechanical properties - particular ductility rather than in casting visual appearance…. Martin
Very good martin. Thanks for the video. Hope you are well.
Excellent video! Would love to see a video on sizing the sprue.
Excellent explaination why to do it right and how to do it right. As a hobbiest who adopted the 20mm parallel prue and bean can extension for "head presure" out of ignorance, I really appreciate this video. Now I need to get my by butt and make a tapered sprue and basin cutter before the next casting session. Often I keep doing the wrong things, by being too lazy to prepare the right thing in advance.
I just watched your modular flask video 5, and with the two longest parts, which you poured first, you also added sprue and riser extensions. Could you please also give us your thoughts about when this is advantageous?
Rotary, The problem is that many of the older books and most of the YT crowd use the 20 mm sprue and many the bean can too. I don't blame you for taking these things up its what was in front of you and it seems to work - although I note that we often do not get a good enough look at a casting on YT to know how well it worked. It was as a reaction to what I see as bad info and bad example that I started my YT journey - basically I am trying to counteract the bad by presenting what science has shown to be a better alternative.
The two longest parts were in moulds where the cope box was on the thin side at just 60 mm high. This meant that the feeder was just 60 mm high too, I was concerned that it would not contain enough feed metal to provide for the casting so using some standard extensions that I have (for just such occasions) I increased the height. These are 30 mm high and I filled them to about 25 mm so giving a total feeder height of 85 mm this is the same height as the other copes in this pour. While extra height is not always a good idea here it was for the good cause of providing enough feed. Of course 25 mm is a long way short of the horrendous 100 mm plus bean can....Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 Thanks for your detailed response Martin.
Mark
Thanks for the tips! I am guilty of using the bean can approach but no more. I’ve been getting gas bubbles in my castings so I’m hoping this will fix it.
Land, It certainly will be the best possible start to fixing it - please let me know how you get on.... Martin
Love the video! Great easy to understand instructions. I'll be following this for my next pour. Question: How do you heat the aluminum in the ladle? I have a starter set with a furnace and a crucible, but I like the ladle idea.
Sven, I don't actually heat the metal in the ladle. My furnace is large by hobby standards and I melt in an A90 crucible this will hold about 32 Kg of aluminium. I use the steel ladle as a dipper - like a soup spoon from a big pot of soup...Martin
Another great video. Keep them coming. Thank you very much.
Ronnie, Thank you for your comment. Sadly, ill health is slowing me down but I do intend to get more videos out.... Martin
12 hours after posting, and from 100 odd comments it looks like 50 comments asking for the sprue calculation video, and 50 responses from Martin saying, "OK, OK I'll do it." Probably while thinking, "What have I gotten myself into now?"
Anyway, I'll add my voice(?) to the chorus. It will be interesting and informative, entertaining and educational. After all, I never thought I'd sit there and watch a slow motion replay of some bloke pouring liquid into a hole, let alone watch in 4 times (with expert commentary). But I did, and it was fantastic.
dfross, You are a mind reader - yep, just what have I got myself into - hoist on my own petard! But I figured this likely and went into it with open eyes (perhaps not open enough?)🙄 😏... Martin
@@olfoundryman8418 Martin, you should know by now. If you ask, "Would you like me to do a video on [some topic[?", the answer will always be, "Hell yes!"
Excellent, informative tutorial Martin.thankyou.
Would love to see the calculation video!!!!
Might be an idea to put a link to your pouring basin .stl file in the description of this video.
I found actually having an example there in my hand to copy provided a world of help.
(Thank you again for that Martin)
Great to see you pushing out more videos, I'm hungry for more, almost watched the lot so far and am rewatching many of them too. So much info, not just in the videos, but there are endless gems in the comments.
Hope your health is impoving sir.
Cheers mate
Jaime
Jamie, I agree that one in the hand makes it easier to see what needs to be done and we could (should) put a link to the STL files but unfortunately I have discovered a fault in those files in that the radii on the ridge are not all they should be. Even so I guess they do give the general idea.The friend who did the file work and then the drawing and printing had a lot of trouble with it in getting things to blend well I am not sure that I am game to ask him to give it another go with more correct radii but I might put it too him and see if he explodes or not 😊. Health is at least stable and thnk you for asking.... Martin
Great explanation and showing your process.
What an amazing video, Martin. Thank you so much.
Mister, My pleasure... Martin
Great content as always Martin thank you.
Old Iron. I am glad that you liked it... Martin
Dang! You're still alive?