3D Printing to Metal Casting/Lost PLA Lattice Cube

get in the car drive to lowes go to the plumbing section buy some flux your welcome

Different orientation would result in success

How did you get the plaster out and why plaster/sand versus straight plaster? I've used Investment which dissolves in water but plaster seems to be cheaper except concerns about removal.

I need a 3d printed litesaber handle for a whip project. But casted.

Get a small fan, like one of those 6-10 inch desk fans. Take the motor out and make a bracket with a squeeze clamp on it so you can clamp the motor to the edge of the table the the shaft parallel to the table top. Reattach the fan blade but cut off all but about 1/2 of the blades. If you attach that to the table it will give very steady vibrations without worrying about too much shaking making your tape come loose and if you leave it vibrate for 2 or 3 minutes you will not have any bubbles left unless one is trapped in a void under your piece.
I've got a 20 inch box fan that has a broke blade, completely gone. I tied it to a 12×24 inch piece of particle board that is about 3/4 inch thick. I tied a thin pillow to the bottom so it doesn't jump around and it will vibrate a full size workbench. I've been using it for 10 years and it's still going strong. Cheap little box fan that cost me 14$ at Yeager Hardware store…

Print the eisers directly?

if you preheating the negative, the liquid metal not cooling down before have filled all the empty spaces

How about the stargate, available on thingiverse, print the pieces, attach them together and cast as one piece. Cool

hey chief. Looking at it I'm wondering if heating the hold with a torch would yield a better casting on that lattice cube.

I've seen many video's by car engine companies, they make the blocks for the engines. Also other companies that make parts for edger's etc… The trick is ti fill the voids from bottom up. It isn't as hard as one think, one can construct a "piston" style tube and plunger. After the hot metal is poured into the cylinder the piston is inserted and this forces the metal into ANY CAVITIES as long as there is a way out of the top for venting the hot air and overflow. They also have before the "part one pours" a FILTER that catches some imperfections in the liquid metal. I think for people who are seriously thinking about making metal parts, this can be done. If one has a larger volume of melted metal, one can make a reservoir to the side, that connects the form, from the bottom, but it must be preheated, just like the "piston mechanism" to PUSH enough metal into the form one is pouring, before it hardens!

Nice videos! And your helpful tips and how-2's are great!

you need to thin out the aluminium

I will gladly send you a darth maule lightsaber file to cast? 🙂

have you thought to use acetone to dissolve the plastic than burning it out?

dipping the mold would be better too, instead of encasing the entire thing, gradually adding layers

dipping the mold would be better too, instead of encasing the entire thing, gradually adding layers

would turn out better if you preheated the mold,

a colt 1911 gun slide

you SHOULD get a Sonicator !!! Use the sonicator for both the sand filling part and the metal pouring part. Since you can set a flask directly in the bath bed with no liquid on the bed directly then you should be able to set hardened sand block in the sonicator bed when pouring the molten metal, that should work wonders with your fill !!

i have the most epic challenge for you http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1828359 i found this on thingiveres :O this would be epic and true art if it can be done

If you can vibrate the mold as you are pouring the metal it should help with fill 👍

hon solo blaster. I tried to cast a Ironman helmet (baseball sized) a couple years back with almost success. I know alot more now and plan to try again here soon. keep up the good work!

NIce choice in coffee lol

While doing some lab research I usually work with molten PP and having some oily residue after working at high temperatures it's pretty common. If I'm right Plaster of Paris is hydrated Calcium Sulfate, if you use an acid to clean the polymer residue you may damage your mold. I'll recommend using Ethanol or Acetone to clean it.

Hello! I Just discover you channel and I already love it! I guess you're using molten aluminum for your casts isn't it? Have you tried other metals? Btw have you cast some mechanical part like a gear or smthg else and check if they bend or break under mechanical stress?

I think you are failing because you need to use a better technique to fill the mold. I am not into this, but after watching your video, I got the idea. Make a type of cement/metal chamber or funnel just outside of the filling hole. We should be able to drop about 200% of needed material into this funnel/chamber, we fill it in one single movement, then gravity does the rest. With this, because of the excess needed material and the external chamber, it keeps a high temperature at the center and bottom of the liquid, around the hole, no giving chance to hard stuff. It's not a problem the waste, because it can be recycled, I think the most liquid you use, the better.

I am involved in full-combat medieval re-enactment and I was wondering as to the feasability of printing these (or similar) gauntlets and casting them in their individual parts. I can model them to 16 ga. thickness (1065 mm) and have them printed but I was wanting your opinion as to the castability of it all.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/76/34/48/763448e5749feb40c6ed9acee57af638.jpg

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:218350/#files

its not mine but I would like it and would pay you 20 – 30$ for it

You need to make a large void above the cast, as a well, to create the down-pressure youre looking for, as well as venting from the bottom/sides. It will also aid in shrinkage, as the large well will remain molten longer, and let the cast shrink as it cools and fill itself from the well above. Cheers.

T-Rex skeleton: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:275091

I'm working on casting this in brass. My process will be a little different from yours. I'll use perforated casting flasks, jewelry casting investment, a vacuum chamber to get the bubbles out of the investment, a programmable electric burn out kiln, and a vacuum casting process. The only thing I don't have set up and ready to go yet is the pipes to hold my casting flasks for vacuum casting. I'm getting close though! I just need a few more weeks time.

If you heat the mold with a propane or mapp gas torch right before and during the pour you will likely have better penetration of the molten aluminum.

Is it possible to make the aluminum less viscous? That could help. Idk if that involves just taking it to a higher temperature, or if you need additives of some sort.

can you do a video on a 3D printing on chip clips?

Interesting vids- nice to see your technique evolve as you continue to experiment. +1 for neonboy22's comments and simon rafferty's about increasing head height. I've done quite a lot of aluminium casting and short runs are often only defeated by increasing the pressure regardless of the number of vents and risers. Keep up the good work!

Have you thought of using abs and melting out with acetone

Custom Rc a-arms