Great explaination of what is going on when you use a offset pouring basin. I think this is a clear demonstration of how to keep air out of your part... Thank you for teaching this to this want a be... Much appreciated, be well...
Another excellent video! I watch your videos at 1.75X speed because I can't wait to learn what you are demonstrating. At 2X, I can't understand them, but maybe I have slow ears. Anyway, I watch them multiple times. These videos, combined with Andrew Martin's glass fronted pours are the most informative videos that are available on the casting process.
Thanks bud. I saw another channel reviewing that printer you just did as well. I'm not sure which way to go . For a few $ more I can do the ender-3... If only I had an endless supply of money 😄
I wasnt really a fan of your original videos, but I really appreciate your time taken to show and explain these parts of casting..... you have a new dedicated subscriber.
Thanks bud. Even if they "paper" shots were out of focus? I shot them this morning before work and just didn't have it in me to shoot them again when I saw them in the edit.
Nice video. Love the frame by frame approach. You've come a long way since you poured the hammer head that ended up with a hole in it. You should point out that using a steel cope allows you to rest the crucible on the edge without it catching on fire. A very nice feature. Good work! Cheers from Juneau Alaska, Greg Chaney
HI Greg Yeah I felt like I had come far enough that I needed to correct some of the stuff I did in my early videos. I cringe when people ask me questions from those pours as they remind me that they're still out there. I thought about the fact that my flasks don't catch fire after I uploaded. Good point.
So the basin is like a regulating buffer to allow for variable flow down the sprue. Steam locomotives were designed (towards the end of their development) to have very large steam pipes to the cylinders. The large volume of reserve steam in the pipe formed a buffered supply so that when the piston valve opened, the cylinder could fill quickly with high pressure steam and not run dry (or low on pressure).
Well before I get yelled at for spewing inaccuracies it also is useful as a place to allow any air bubbles to rise to the surface and not get sucked down the sprue. It also has the effect of flowing the metal as it is poured . Although given the height of my crucible above the basin it can’t be slowing it that much. The big reason is to prevent air from getting sucked down the sprue
From a control point of view, I'm thinking that there should be a weir on the back side of the sprue, leading to catchment. This would allow continuous pouring to ensure the sprue is always full. And it would avoid the puddle of aluminum on the top of the flask (which starts a fire if the flask is wood!).
nice one Perry! i'd love to see the air rushing out of a vent during a pour....hmm i'm going to investigate, maybe it'll get me out in the shed :p really awesome video mate!
Wish my uncle was still alive he would be glad I was getting in to this plus he could’ve guided me as this is what he did for a living for over 20 years he’ll he lost a finger doing foundry work
swdweeb I’m trying I visited the foundry when I was about 12-14 it was super cool to see I have a knife he made out of a broken band saw blade 2.5’ and poured a aluminum handle with hunting dogs around it I’m 54 now lol that was a long time ago
@@edgotbait How fun. What a great memory. Poured a handle around a forged blade last year. I was amazed how nice it turned out. One with ornamentation like you describe would be really cool
Love the frame by frame pouring, looks great. Positioning the pouring basin near the side, I’m sure reduces the inclusion of air, but after Martin told me to my accuracy and control has improved immensely. Thanks for the videos. Cheers Peter
I'm hoping we have fall here this year. We went from 94F to snow overnight this week. Almost 60 degree drop in temp in a few hours. I hope it motivates you as well. It's a fun hobby and we all need a little joy in our lives 😀
Well Mark that would imply that I actually get around to making flasks of varying size 😀😀 You're right though for a talk flask my table height would start to be problematic.
Great video AGAIN perry.... your one of the only stand outs on youtube always trying new things win lose or draw. Always winning though , thats my 2 cents anyway. Keep up the great work . Oh how many times ha e you had to re build or build a new furnace in the last 30 melts? Curious lol mine is always falling apart and needing TLC .
Hi J, I thought I had replied earlier but it doesn't look like I did. I've only relined my furnace once since I built it. I used a refractory cement to line it. The walls are doing well but the lid is in need of some love. I'm actually... all thought you'd never know it to look at it... building a new larger one. It will be similar in design with firebrick and a refractory cement. The only difference is I'll be adding kao wool to the walls as well. So from the outside in, sheet metal, fire brick, kao wool, refractory cement. I'm contemplating building it with a second burner option in the event I want to try cast iron again... I swore I never wood but it keeps nagging at me.
Great videos. Very informative.. However I've noticed that up to now you haven't mentioned 'feeders' ( the additional void that fills with metal to keep the casting supplied with molten metal as it cools preventing shrinkage) I can see that there is in effect a bit of a one on top of the spin trap, but I'd have thought much too small to feed that large block of casting. The spin trap/feeder ( ? ) would have solidified well before the centre of the large casting. I'm really surprised that it appeared so good and no shrinkage or signs of deforming.
If you keep going, you'll get there. Feeders are actually the last video in the series. th-cam.com/video/_3lwlBx6-YA/w-d-xo.html I will tell you I wasn't very happy with the experiment results I did in that video. There is another that is somewhat related but not really th-cam.com/video/pSgF7B55Fas/w-d-xo.html
@@swdweeb Yes have seen your really good video on feeders, that's why I was rather surprised that there wasn't a substantial one placed adjacent to that huge cube in the molding. Despite this the resulting casting looked surprisingly good from where I was looking.. Anyway, at the moment I'm just an armchair foundryman ! I've had to stop work due to ill health so I've been binge watching casting videos.. My other fields of armchair 'expertise' include : * Arc, MIG ,TIG welding & related metalworking and tools. * Woodworking & related tools. * Small generator service and repair. All very well, but not much use to me till I get back on my feet ! 😁
It's amazing how long i've been using it and never thought about what its doing and how it really works. Every day that I'm vertical is a great day . 😄
I used the knowledge from these videos while casting my tapered sprue last weekend. I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong with my green sand though. Thanks for these tips
@@toomanyhobbies2874 I just replied to a guy about how much water I put in my sand. It was only a week or two ago. I'll see if I can find it. I measured it and everything :-D
Found it. Here's what I told him I have settled on a ratio of about 2 liters of sand and 36ish ml of water for my ratio. I have a cup that holds about 400ml of sand and a little cap that holds about 6ml of water. I mix five cups of sand with 6 caps of water.
11:15 Pour posture, instead of poor posture 😉. I imagine larger castings needing higher dams because the crucible will be larger and more likely poured from higher. The metal velocity will be higher and stream will be larger. There's a larger volume of metal to be poured before it cools. Watching the pour, it seemed like the metal was more viscus at first and as the mold warmed, flow sped up. At the same time a siphon developed and the level dramatically lowered. Very curious stuff
There does seem to be an almost siphoning effect that happens. I'll have to ask my foundry friend about metal flowing faster after the pour has run for a short time.
@@swdweeb totally agree, also the mass of the metal makes this more apparant, in my bronze stuff, once i finish pouring i usually get a bouncing back and forth wave as the bronze looses it's inertia, it's quite dramatic untill everything settles. I'm sure it happens with aluminium too just less so i suppose
In a downward passage, during a rush caused by siphon, there may be an opportunity to gather air voids. Consider how a sink drain slurps & gurgles when the siphon effect draws so strong on the turbulent liquid going down the center of the pipe, that air gets sucked in past the resistive laminar flow liquid at the walls of the pipe.
@Greg Feneis So siphon is probably the wrong word. When I pour metal using the offset basin and sprue I never see the effect that you're describing. The top of the sprue never exhibits the rotation you're describing from a sink. I've read in the Campbell's book that that was a consideration in square versus round sprues but he stated in the book that they don't see it in round sprues either.
@@swdweeb Agreed. I was careful not to imply that was happening in your case, just that the opportunity exists for siphon effect to do this on downward passages. All of the things you're doing appear to avoid this
Awesome demonstration - I sure appreciate all the effort your are putting into these videos. We are all learning a ton. One of your earlier videos mentioned Dr Campbell's Mini Casting Handbook. I searched and apparently they are no longer available. I did find a used on Amazon for $76 😱😱😱😱. Any idea if they will be in print again?
If a reprint isn't planned, maybe you could ask him if a PDF. could be up for sale online ? Great vid as always, I dont mind it being 17-20 minutes long at all ...
@@mortenchristensrn2487 The version of the book that I have is in PDF format. The place I bought it from went away shortly after I bought it. So... it has been out there at least once as a PDF.
I found the "Complete" book on Amazon for $127 new and the American Foundry Society carries the "Mini" book for $30 hub.afsinc.org/NC__Product?id=a2Z1a000000YgfHEAS
Thank you so much for the link. I’m glad I asked. I just registered with AFS and ordered a copy of the Mini Casting Handbook. Only disappointment was AFS wanted $14 for shipping, but the total was still half price of the Amazon gouging affiliate for the used copy. Also ordered a new copy of the Naval Foundry Manual from Amazon. Received that late yesterday and am looking forward to paging through it. Joel.....
@@swdweeb I think you could manage it My dream is to cast aluminum bronze cannon. Just small ones, maybe swivel gun size. Boring the barrel is the hitch. I would try to cast them with an undersized barrel, but it would still have to be reamed to size. I may try to do a hand gonne first, and see how that goes. The problem that I foresee is that aluminum bronze is reputed to be very hard to machine (which I would have to farm out.)
@@carlericvonkleistiii2188 I expect Al Bronze is hard to machine. It appears to be very hard. I've seen people use a piece of steel pipe as the bore and simple cast bronze around it. Don't have any idea how that works but might make machining easier. Another option is to try and build a core inside the barrel to reduce the amount of boring work that needs to be done to get it to the right size and smoothness. I know Julian HG talked about casting a small cannon several months ago. He showed the pattern he was planning to use. You might reach out to him to see if he's had further thoughts. I've thought about it too. My problem is getting up the courage to fire it. Because... well... you have to fire it. 😀 Will it blow up? Will the ball simply roll out the end? 😀
@@carlericvonkleistiii2188 Al bronze isn't just hard to machine, it's really hard to machine. if the alloy composition is off it's very brittle. It's an alloy which quickly work hardens. Depending on the alloy, machinability ratings vary between 0.20 to 0.60 Aluminum Bronze alloys can produce a curled swarf chip which can jam tooling and cause surface imperfections. Particularly when machining bores. not saying don't do it, just be aware it's something that's going to be very challenging.
@@askquestionstrythings Yes, these are the things I have heard about it. My thought was to cast around a carefully sized core, and then try to use sandpaper around a mandrel to hone the bore to size, but that doesn't sound like it would be conducive to any degree of precision. Casting around a steel liner would probably be better. Or, just using a traditional bronze.
Hi Mark. Thanks. There are two different books. The first is titled "Complete Casting Handbook Metal Casting Processes, Metallurgy, Techniques and Design" and has the ISBN of 978-0-444-63509-9 It is 1015 pages long. The second is titled "Mini Casting Handbook" with the ISBN 978-1-912078-74-5. IT is 95 pages long.
Hey, Perry, just a question from a begginer that know nothing... so take it as it is :-). Have you ever tried to push the molten metal from the bottom through some kind of a channel/tube with a piston or something? Just a thought to solve the problem of the air that get caught while the metal is going down. Is it just easier pouring it from the top?
I thought about that a while ago as I was trying to figure out this bottom filling stuff. I suppose it is possible to use some sort of piston but that seems like it would be a mess to clean up. How to get the cold metal out of the thing afterward. Professor Campbell talks about something called a contact pouring basin being the best. It is essentially a ladle full of metal that sits on top of the sprue. There is a hole in the bottom of the ladle that can be opened and the metal flows air-free completely filling the sprue as soon as it does. They use various filters and gates to control the flow o the metal into the part. So, it appears to me that they are still using gravity to fill the mold. Now of course your method may be out there in every foundry and I just haven't heard about it. Maybe I should get out more 😀
@@swdweeb mrpete22 has a friend trainman4602 who does brass investment casting. Don't recall if Dave [trainman4602] used spinning to 'force' the metal into the mold. Old mind does not remember the specifics as awell as last century. I bet Martinn will chime in too.
Hi Perry, had already subscribed to your channel, but your friend BigStackD, let me know about it for some of the things I am interested in doing. Cheers Danny.
@@swdweeb Don't worry I will be asking heaps of questions when I am set up. Though your video's on "how to cast" will be watch again as very good, as not filled with self righteous techno crap. Cheers Danny
Hi swdweeb; In your video of the water hitting the sink floor and rising to a higher level is technically called a "Hydraulic JUMP". So the Weir height needs to be a bit higher so the metal can't jump over uncontrollably. Look up examples on TH-cam for Hydraulic Jumps and Dams. redrok
Interesting. I’m on my phone and will have too at this further. Hydronic jumps use turbulence to expend energy and thus cause calmness downstream. Am I reading that right?
swdweeb The jump often is quite turbulent but not always. The critical thing is the jump is moving much slower resulting in an increase in height. Of course the volume flow is the same as before the jump. I.e speed * height is the same before and after the jump. redrok
Hi Perry, thanks for all the video's you are making! I think I almost watched them all !! Last weekend I melted a lot of brass, but did not think it through. The crucible was far to heavy for my home made tools. Is it possible to go more in to the making of your own tools als well as the metal cope and drag? Also when I try to pour something it seems that my brussels earth is maybe to wet. How much water should I add ? Thanks again for all the teaching! kind regards Bauke (The Netherlands)
Hello Bauke. Thank you. That is a great idea on the tools. I need to make new ones and doing a video on that seems like a good idea. I made a video a long time ago about the crucible tongs that I use. I used to lift and pour with the same tool. I admit that wasnt the best idea... it did work though. I can say that the "shank" that I use now is much safer and is able to handle much heavier loads. It is a simple ring made of metal that is about 3mm x 25mm and welded to a steel pipe. It is not very round though and I need to figure out a way to make a better one. Probably pay someone to do it is the best 😀😀
@@swdweeb I'm looking forward to the new video's ! Funny note, I'm working in the IT and closely working with HPE. I was watching some recordings and there you where, same voice other information. Easy to listen to ! :-)
I am still casting when I have time. The last year and a half were a little rough but I'm better now. Too much other stuff that has to get done before play time. Thanks for checking on me
Let's be honest, we men have horrible aim! I always figured the height of that ridge would have to do with the size of the sprue to some extent. Don't want it too tall, but the whole height of the water imagery helped for sure!
Ha! I'm sure my wife would agree 😀 I think the basin size and ridge height can work with the size of the sprue. A larger sprue seems it would need a larger basin. Having plenty of head room (lower ridge) seems that it would be beneficial in keeping the sprue full.
Too low of a ridge and the metal isn't slowed. Too high and it becomes increasingly harder to keep the sprue filled. Looking at the sink example 4:42 there's two heights to consider, 1) is the first flat where the water first hits the sink and flattens out and 2) after the water flattens out it then rises to a second higher height before slowing and then flattening out again. So on the minimum side for the ridge, we should take into account this second higher height. On the maximum side for the ridge, we want to be less than 50% (maybe less than 30%) of the total basin depth to avoid choking the metal too much and making it difficult to keep the sprue filled.
I'm not sure I agree with the "second height" requirement but I won;t die on that hill. I've been wrong plenty of times in the past and will likely be wrong again. In my conversation with Professor Campbell it is that initial height that we need to be concerned with stopping. The intent is to stop the horizontal movement and redirect it to an upward movement. Now in theoretical terms that probably means a few millimetres. In practical terns for the guy standing in his garage cutting these things with a sawed-off spoon that probably means something in the realm of 10mm +-5mm. A taller ridge gives the monkey (me) pouring the metal time to adjust the rate coming our of the crucible to be sufficient to fill the sprue. I have in the past run a ridge that was 20mm of the bottom of a 30mm basin and kept the sprue full the entire time. It just takes practice. On the flip side, a lower ridge gives me the opportunity to compensate for my pour rate inconsistencies. Bottom line, use a ridge that is tall enough to stop the horizontal flow and redirect it upward and more importantly keep the sprue full.
Possibly. I used it in the tapered sprue video. The only reason, and it is minor in my tiny molds, is the clean junction with the mostly-square runner that I use.
@@smallcnclathes Ha, no. In his books, Campbell talks about square sprues being use with square runners to make sure there are no offsets in the junction. I just wanted to give it a try.
But you are still pouring at waist height on a table that won't prevent splashing on your feet! As much as I am interested in the information, I always worry about accidents.
If you're referring to a purpose of teh basin, I can see this in a large pour with a large crucible or ladle (think industrial foundry) but I'm not sure with the height that I pour it's really slowing it all that much. The height of my crucible lip is very near the same height as the top of my mold and hence sprue height.
Good job showing the how and why of a proper basin and sprue . Thanks Perry
Thanks boss... Are we going to see a casting video from you at some point? 😀
@@swdweeb Quick answer is yes, I'm getting over a kidney stone removal today. But I will start building my furnish soon.
Very informative video. I have watched several of your videos and enjoy watching your new ones. Keep it up!
Glad you like them
Great explaination of what is going on when you use a offset pouring basin. I think this is a clear demonstration of how to keep air out of your part... Thank you for teaching this to this want a be... Much appreciated, be well...
Glad it was helpful!
Another excellent video!
I watch your videos at 1.75X speed because I can't wait to learn what you are demonstrating. At 2X, I can't understand them, but maybe I have slow ears. Anyway, I watch them multiple times.
These videos, combined with Andrew Martin's glass fronted pours are the most informative videos that are available on the casting process.
Thank you Carl. I thought you were going to say you listen to them that fast just so you’d get to the good parts 😆
@@swdweeb They are all good parts, so yes! 😆
BigstackD sent me. You are a fantastic teacher. I am so glad these videos are in the world. Thank you!
Thank you for your kind comment. I really appreciate it.
Great vid buddy! You explained it perfectly. 👍🏻
Thanks bud. I saw another channel reviewing that printer you just did as well. I'm not sure which way to go . For a few $ more I can do the ender-3... If only I had an endless supply of money 😄
I wasnt really a fan of your original videos, but I really appreciate your time taken to show and explain these parts of casting..... you have a new dedicated subscriber.
You weren't alone. 😀 Thanks.
Great visuals and explanation!
Thanks bud. Even if they "paper" shots were out of focus? I shot them this morning before work and just didn't have it in me to shoot them again when I saw them in the edit.
@@swdweeb I didn't even notice, maybe because I watched it on my phone...
@@tobhomott Hopefully everyone did/does 😀
Loving the series
Thanks. I am too actually 😄
Nice video. Love the frame by frame approach. You've come a long way since you poured the hammer head that ended up with a hole in it. You should point out that using a steel cope allows you to rest the crucible on the edge without it catching on fire. A very nice feature. Good work!
Cheers from Juneau Alaska,
Greg Chaney
HI Greg
Yeah I felt like I had come far enough that I needed to correct some of the stuff I did in my early videos. I cringe when people ask me questions from those pours as they remind me that they're still out there.
I thought about the fact that my flasks don't catch fire after I uploaded. Good point.
So the basin is like a regulating buffer to allow for variable flow down the sprue. Steam locomotives were designed (towards the end of their development) to have very large steam pipes to the cylinders. The large volume of reserve steam in the pipe formed a buffered supply so that when the piston valve opened, the cylinder could fill quickly with high pressure steam and not run dry (or low on pressure).
Well before I get yelled at for spewing inaccuracies it also is useful as a place to allow any air bubbles to rise to the surface and not get sucked down the sprue. It also has the effect of flowing the metal as it is poured . Although given the height of my crucible above the basin it can’t be slowing it that much.
The big reason is to prevent air from getting sucked down the sprue
From a control point of view, I'm thinking that there should be a weir on the back side of the sprue, leading to catchment. This would allow continuous pouring to ensure the sprue is always full. And it would avoid the puddle of aluminum on the top of the flask (which starts a fire if the flask is wood!).
nice one Perry! i'd love to see the air rushing out of a vent during a pour....hmm i'm going to investigate, maybe it'll get me out in the shed :p really awesome video mate!
Perhaps fill the vent with some parting dust??
Bet Green Woodpecker feather facing East corner of the mold would honor the casting gods to ensure perfect castings. Just Saying.
Wish my uncle was still alive he would be glad I was getting in to this plus he could’ve guided me as this is what he did for a living for over 20 years he’ll he lost a finger doing foundry work
I’m sure he would have been. Do him proud.
swdweeb
I’m trying
I visited the foundry when I was about 12-14 it was super cool to see
I have a knife he made out of a broken band saw blade 2.5’ and poured a aluminum handle with hunting dogs around it
I’m 54 now lol that was a long time ago
@@edgotbait How fun. What a great memory. Poured a handle around a forged blade last year. I was amazed how nice it turned out. One with ornamentation like you describe would be really cool
Really wonderful job on the explanation and videography there.
Thanks John
Love the frame by frame pouring, looks great. Positioning the pouring basin near the side, I’m sure reduces the inclusion of air, but after Martin told me to my accuracy and control has improved immensely. Thanks for the videos. Cheers Peter
Good point, getting the basin near the side of the mold does help in hitting the target
Very nice. A wealth of info. Will be incorporating your methods
Glad it was helpful. Don't hesitate to reach out of you have questions
Thank you Perry for this series. I am hoping to get back into casting this fall and your videos are really motivating me to get back out there.
I'm hoping we have fall here this year. We went from 94F to snow overnight this week. Almost 60 degree drop in temp in a few hours.
I hope it motivates you as well. It's a fun hobby and we all need a little joy in our lives 😀
Very informative, thank you.
Thanks!
As always well explained so even I can understand the process. Thanks again for the insights as to why this works.
Thanks. I'm like a broken record, I repeat myself over and over and over and... 😂😂
You might want to consider some sort of lift table. That way you can adjust the table to be at the proper pouring height independent of mold height.
Well Mark that would imply that I actually get around to making flasks of varying size 😀😀 You're right though for a talk flask my table height would start to be problematic.
Great demo. Thanks.
Thanks Ron
I learnt heaps - Thank You
Great. Thanks for letting me know 😀
Great video AGAIN perry.... your one of the only stand outs on youtube always trying new things win lose or draw. Always winning though , thats my 2 cents anyway. Keep up the great work . Oh how many times ha e you had to re build or build a new furnace in the last 30 melts? Curious lol mine is always falling apart and needing TLC .
Hi J, I thought I had replied earlier but it doesn't look like I did. I've only relined my furnace once since I built it. I used a refractory cement to line it. The walls are doing well but the lid is in need of some love. I'm actually... all thought you'd never know it to look at it... building a new larger one. It will be similar in design with firebrick and a refractory cement. The only difference is I'll be adding kao wool to the walls as well. So from the outside in, sheet metal, fire brick, kao wool, refractory cement.
I'm contemplating building it with a second burner option in the event I want to try cast iron again... I swore I never wood but it keeps nagging at me.
Great videos. Very informative.. However I've noticed that up to now you haven't mentioned 'feeders' ( the additional void that fills with metal to keep the casting supplied with molten metal as it cools preventing shrinkage) I can see that there is in effect a bit of a one on top of the spin trap, but I'd have thought much too small to feed that large block of casting. The spin trap/feeder ( ? ) would have solidified well before the centre of the large casting. I'm really surprised that it appeared so good and no shrinkage or signs of deforming.
If you keep going, you'll get there. Feeders are actually the last video in the series. th-cam.com/video/_3lwlBx6-YA/w-d-xo.html I will tell you I wasn't very happy with the experiment results I did in that video. There is another that is somewhat related but not really th-cam.com/video/pSgF7B55Fas/w-d-xo.html
@@swdweeb Yes have seen your really good video on feeders, that's why I was rather surprised that there wasn't a substantial one placed adjacent to that huge cube in the molding. Despite this the resulting casting looked surprisingly good from where I was looking..
Anyway, at the moment I'm just an armchair foundryman ! I've had to stop work due to ill health so I've been binge watching casting videos.. My other fields of armchair 'expertise' include :
* Arc, MIG ,TIG welding & related metalworking and tools.
* Woodworking & related tools.
* Small generator service and repair.
All very well, but not much use to me till I get back on my feet !
😁
Great way to explain it, thanks. And you have a great day as well!
It's amazing how long i've been using it and never thought about what its doing and how it really works. Every day that I'm vertical is a great day . 😄
@@swdweeb LOL, same here. And yes it is a great system.
Good stuff Perry, thank you
No, thank you 😀😀
Well done you casting champion! I enjoyed that! And that cube looks great... but where’s the “feeder” 🤣 I like the long pour! 👊🏼
You mean riser? I thought we used risers to feed parts 😄. The part was about 1/2” from the top of the mold. No room for a feeder
Great stuff!
Thanks 😄
I used the knowledge from these videos while casting my tapered sprue last weekend. I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong with my green sand though. Thanks for these tips
Is it too wet?
@@swdweeb actually looking at your video this week, I think it's too dry and not packing well.
@@toomanyhobbies2874 I just replied to a guy about how much water I put in my sand. It was only a week or two ago. I'll see if I can find it. I measured it and everything :-D
Found it. Here's what I told him
I have settled on a ratio of about 2 liters of sand and 36ish ml of water for my ratio. I have a cup that holds about 400ml of sand and a little cap that holds about 6ml of water. I mix five cups of sand with 6 caps of water.
@@swdweeb this is awesome thanks. I think I'll give it a try this weekend
11:15 Pour posture, instead of poor posture 😉.
I imagine larger castings needing higher dams because the crucible will be larger and more likely poured from higher. The metal velocity will be higher and stream will be larger. There's a larger volume of metal to be poured before it cools.
Watching the pour, it seemed like the metal was more viscus at first and as the mold warmed, flow sped up. At the same time a siphon developed and the level dramatically lowered. Very curious stuff
There does seem to be an almost siphoning effect that happens. I'll have to ask my foundry friend about metal flowing faster after the pour has run for a short time.
@@swdweeb totally agree, also the mass of the metal makes this more apparant, in my bronze stuff, once i finish pouring i usually get a bouncing back and forth wave as the bronze looses it's inertia, it's quite dramatic untill everything settles. I'm sure it happens with aluminium too just less so i suppose
In a downward passage, during a rush caused by siphon, there may be an opportunity to gather air voids. Consider how a sink drain slurps & gurgles when the siphon effect draws so strong on the turbulent liquid going down the center of the pipe, that air gets sucked in past the resistive laminar flow liquid at the walls of the pipe.
@Greg Feneis So siphon is probably the wrong word. When I pour metal using the offset basin and sprue I never see the effect that you're describing. The top of the sprue never exhibits the rotation you're describing from a sink. I've read in the Campbell's book that that was a consideration in square versus round sprues but he stated in the book that they don't see it in round sprues either.
@@swdweeb Agreed. I was careful not to imply that was happening in your case, just that the opportunity exists for siphon effect to do this on downward passages. All of the things you're doing appear to avoid this
Awesome demonstration - I sure appreciate all the effort your are putting into these videos. We are all learning a ton. One of your earlier videos mentioned Dr Campbell's Mini Casting Handbook. I searched and apparently they are no longer available. I did find a used on Amazon for $76 😱😱😱😱. Any idea if they will be in print again?
That’s crazy. My copy says 15 British pounds for the price. I’ll ask professor Campbell if he knows if there is a reprint planned
If a reprint isn't planned, maybe you could ask him if a PDF. could be up for sale online ?
Great vid as always, I dont mind it being 17-20 minutes long at all ...
@@mortenchristensrn2487 The version of the book that I have is in PDF format. The place I bought it from went away shortly after I bought it. So... it has been out there at least once as a PDF.
I found the "Complete" book on Amazon for $127 new and the American Foundry Society carries the "Mini" book for $30 hub.afsinc.org/NC__Product?id=a2Z1a000000YgfHEAS
Thank you so much for the link. I’m glad I asked. I just registered with AFS and ordered a copy of the Mini Casting Handbook. Only disappointment was AFS wanted $14 for shipping, but the total was still half price of the Amazon gouging affiliate for the used copy. Also ordered a new copy of the Naval Foundry Manual from Amazon. Received that late yesterday and am looking forward to paging through it. Joel.....
buen video, valio la pena ver los 17 minutos
17 minutes you will never get back :-D
"I had never cast a casting that was several tons...". 😆😆🤣🤣🤣
One can always dream 😂
@@swdweeb I think you could manage it
My dream is to cast aluminum bronze cannon. Just small ones, maybe swivel gun size. Boring the barrel is the hitch. I would try to cast them with an undersized barrel, but it would still have to be reamed to size. I may try to do a hand gonne first, and see how that goes. The problem that I foresee is that aluminum bronze is reputed to be very hard to machine (which I would have to farm out.)
@@carlericvonkleistiii2188 I expect Al Bronze is hard to machine. It appears to be very hard.
I've seen people use a piece of steel pipe as the bore and simple cast bronze around it. Don't have any idea how that works but might make machining easier. Another option is to try and build a core inside the barrel to reduce the amount of boring work that needs to be done to get it to the right size and smoothness.
I know Julian HG talked about casting a small cannon several months ago. He showed the pattern he was planning to use. You might reach out to him to see if he's had further thoughts.
I've thought about it too. My problem is getting up the courage to fire it. Because... well... you have to fire it. 😀 Will it blow up? Will the ball simply roll out the end? 😀
@@carlericvonkleistiii2188 Al bronze isn't just hard to machine, it's really hard to machine. if the alloy composition is off it's very brittle. It's an alloy which quickly work hardens. Depending on the alloy, machinability ratings vary between 0.20 to 0.60 Aluminum Bronze alloys can produce a curled swarf chip which can jam tooling and cause surface imperfections. Particularly when machining bores. not saying don't do it, just be aware it's something that's going to be very challenging.
@@askquestionstrythings Yes, these are the things I have heard about it. My thought was to cast around a carefully sized core, and then try to use sandpaper around a mandrel to hone the bore to size, but that doesn't sound like it would be conducive to any degree of precision. Casting around a steel liner would probably be better. Or, just using a traditional bronze.
is shrinkage prevention in your list of videos? Loving the Mojo my friend keep it up I'm learning
You mean like how to stay out of cold water??😂😂
Hi Perry, yet another great video. Do you have the details of the Professor's book? Or are there two? Long and short?
Hi Mark. Thanks. There are two different books.
The first is titled "Complete Casting Handbook Metal Casting Processes, Metallurgy, Techniques and Design" and has the ISBN of 978-0-444-63509-9 It is 1015 pages long.
The second is titled "Mini Casting Handbook" with the ISBN 978-1-912078-74-5. IT is 95 pages long.
Hey, Perry, just a question from a begginer that know nothing... so take it as it is :-).
Have you ever tried to push the molten metal from the bottom through some kind of a channel/tube with a piston or something?
Just a thought to solve the problem of the air that get caught while the metal is going down.
Is it just easier pouring it from the top?
I thought about that a while ago as I was trying to figure out this bottom filling stuff. I suppose it is possible to use some sort of piston but that seems like it would be a mess to clean up. How to get the cold metal out of the thing afterward.
Professor Campbell talks about something called a contact pouring basin being the best. It is essentially a ladle full of metal that sits on top of the sprue. There is a hole in the bottom of the ladle that can be opened and the metal flows air-free completely filling the sprue as soon as it does. They use various filters and gates to control the flow o the metal into the part.
So, it appears to me that they are still using gravity to fill the mold. Now of course your method may be out there in every foundry and I just haven't heard about it. Maybe I should get out more 😀
@@swdweeb mrpete22 has a friend trainman4602 who does brass investment casting. Don't recall if Dave [trainman4602] used spinning to 'force' the metal into the mold. Old mind does not remember the specifics as awell as last century.
I bet Martinn will chime in too.
Hi Perry, had already subscribed to your channel, but your friend BigStackD, let me know about it for some of the things I am interested in doing. Cheers Danny.
Hi Danny, Thanks for letting me know. Don't hesitate to ask if you have questions. 😄
@@swdweeb Don't worry I will be asking heaps of questions when I am set up. Though your video's on "how to cast" will be watch again as very good, as not filled with self righteous techno crap. Cheers Danny
Hi swdweeb;
In your video of the water hitting the sink floor and rising to a higher level is technically called a "Hydraulic JUMP". So the Weir height needs to be a bit higher so the metal can't jump over uncontrollably. Look up examples on TH-cam for Hydraulic Jumps and Dams.
redrok
Interesting. I’m on my phone and will have too at this further. Hydronic jumps use turbulence to expend energy and thus cause calmness downstream. Am I reading that right?
swdweeb
The jump often is quite turbulent but not always.
The critical thing is the jump is moving much slower resulting in an increase in height. Of course the volume flow is the same as before the jump. I.e speed * height is the same before and after the jump.
redrok
Hi Perry, thanks for all the video's you are making! I think I almost watched them all !! Last weekend I melted a lot of brass, but did not think it through. The crucible was far to heavy for my home made tools. Is it possible to go more in to the making of your own tools als well as the metal cope and drag? Also when I try to pour something it seems that my brussels earth is maybe to wet. How much water should I add ?
Thanks again for all the teaching!
kind regards
Bauke (The Netherlands)
Hello Bauke. Thank you. That is a great idea on the tools. I need to make new ones and doing a video on that seems like a good idea. I made a video a long time ago about the crucible tongs that I use. I used to lift and pour with the same tool. I admit that wasnt the best idea... it did work though. I can say that the "shank" that I use now is much safer and is able to handle much heavier loads. It is a simple ring made of metal that is about 3mm x 25mm and welded to a steel pipe. It is not very round though and I need to figure out a way to make a better one. Probably pay someone to do it is the best 😀😀
@@swdweeb I'm looking forward to the new video's ! Funny note, I'm working in the IT and closely working with HPE. I was watching some recordings and there you where, same voice other information. Easy to listen to ! :-)
@@baukeplugge1980 How funny. Ransomware?
@@swdweeb not sure anymore.
Hey perry mate how's things going. Hope you and your family well.. still casting?
I am still casting when I have time. The last year and a half were a little rough but I'm better now. Too much other stuff that has to get done before play time. Thanks for checking on me
Let's be honest, we men have horrible aim! I always figured the height of that ridge would have to do with the size of the sprue to some extent. Don't want it too tall, but the whole height of the water imagery helped for sure!
Ha! I'm sure my wife would agree 😀 I think the basin size and ridge height can work with the size of the sprue. A larger sprue seems it would need a larger basin. Having plenty of head room (lower ridge) seems that it would be beneficial in keeping the sprue full.
Too low of a ridge and the metal isn't slowed. Too high and it becomes increasingly harder to keep the sprue filled.
Looking at the sink example 4:42 there's two heights to consider, 1) is the first flat where the water first hits the sink and flattens out and 2) after the water flattens out it then rises to a second higher height before slowing and then flattening out again.
So on the minimum side for the ridge, we should take into account this second higher height.
On the maximum side for the ridge, we want to be less than 50% (maybe less than 30%) of the total basin depth to avoid choking the metal too much and making it difficult to keep the sprue filled.
I'm not sure I agree with the "second height" requirement but I won;t die on that hill. I've been wrong plenty of times in the past and will likely be wrong again.
In my conversation with Professor Campbell it is that initial height that we need to be concerned with stopping. The intent is to stop the horizontal movement and redirect it to an upward movement. Now in theoretical terms that probably means a few millimetres. In practical terns for the guy standing in his garage cutting these things with a sawed-off spoon that probably means something in the realm of 10mm +-5mm.
A taller ridge gives the monkey (me) pouring the metal time to adjust the rate coming our of the crucible to be sufficient to fill the sprue. I have in the past run a ridge that was 20mm of the bottom of a 30mm basin and kept the sprue full the entire time. It just takes practice.
On the flip side, a lower ridge gives me the opportunity to compensate for my pour rate inconsistencies.
Bottom line, use a ridge that is tall enough to stop the horizontal flow and redirect it upward and more importantly keep the sprue full.
Did I miss why a square sprue and basin? I see no reason for it.
Possibly. I used it in the tapered sprue video. The only reason, and it is minor in my tiny molds, is the clean junction with the mostly-square runner that I use.
@@swdweeb Thank You, so it was not to do with the casting being squarish?
@@smallcnclathes Ha, no.
In his books, Campbell talks about square sprues being use with square runners to make sure there are no offsets in the junction. I just wanted to give it a try.
But you are still pouring at waist height on a table that won't prevent splashing on your feet! As much as I am interested in the information, I always worry about accidents.
True enough. I probably should build a false top that would catch any spills.
Slow the flow of metal.
If you're referring to a purpose of teh basin, I can see this in a large pour with a large crucible or ladle (think industrial foundry) but I'm not sure with the height that I pour it's really slowing it all that much. The height of my crucible lip is very near the same height as the top of my mold and hence sprue height.