Supporting > Casting
First attempt at 3D printed lost wax casting
Mcgyver:
well, really my first attempt at any lost wax casting. Other than a sand cast pulley blank done 30 years ago this is my first casting. I'd bought the equipment ages ago and never got around to trying it. Gotta jump when a good deal presents itself. My youngest, a Vet practicing in Scotland, was home for the holidays and was interested in 3d printing. Recently I'd bought some printable wax in anticipation of some projects, and the idea emerged to print and cast something. Being a Vet, a simple animal curio/paperweight was what we decide on.
Its really neat how good a casting you can end up without the challenges and time of pattern making, and being investment cast, there's no limit to the complexity (free of the cope, drag and core restrictions). Lots of model making potential! The next level to try will be masters made from a high resin printer...but I've not gone there yet as the hi res ones are expensive and there is lots of issues around using resin in ones abode.
Here's a video giving an overview of the process. There was a lot to this, and a lot of new stuff to understand, stuff to make and marshal etc. It took us overall about a week, but having done it and assembled everything, would probably be less than half a days effort next time (not including print time or the burn out cycle). My son did all the video recording.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPiY4VOu9oA
Kim:
Very intersting!
Kim
PS Is there supposed to be any audio with the video?
Mcgyver:
thanks.
No audio. My son recorded a ton of video and I just grabbed pieces of it....so his commentary would be all cut up and not make sense. I had some Roy Hargrove tracks loaded then deleted them considering copyright and utubes ability to auto check....so went with silence is golden :)
Kim:
Ah... makes sense. I just saw him talking during some of the clips but didn't hear any words, and wondered if I was missing some of the intended explanation.
Thanks for posting!
Kim
Vixen:
Hello Mcgyver,
I really appreciate the video you two made. It clearly showed the process every stage from start to finish.
That doggy casting must be the most expensive one ever. That vacuum caster, burnout kiln and melting furness are not exactly inexpensive. I once had ideas to set up a hobby business, offering small scale lost wax and lost pla castings using similar equipment. It did not take me very long to realise the quantity of work I would need to bring in just the repay the cost of the equipment. In the end it was less expensive for me to use a specialist investment casting firm in the Hatton Gardens, jewelry district, London to do the manifold castings for my Bristol Jupiter radial engine.
I hope you will bring us more examples of your great work in the future
Mike :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:
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