Post by 1dave on Sept 6, 2020 16:18:47 GMT -7
Steam Casting is in my opinion the cheapest and easiest way to do Lost Wax casting.
Thanks for providing this (@gemfeller ) Rick! Steam Casting - an easy start for beginners!
As water turns to steam it can expand up to 2,000 times it's original volume, easily producing enough pressure to force the metal down into your mold.
Building The Caster
1. Cut a 6 inch piece off an old broom handle or any other old round handle that you might have around the house, or buy a 1 inch diameter dowel rod from the hardware store and cut off 6 inches of that. This is the handle for your steam caster.
2. Drill a small 1/8 inch hole in the center of the cut (flat) end. Be careful drilling this hole. The use of a vise to hold the handle would be good, but if you do not have a vise use a c-clamp to hold it down to a table while you drill it. If you do not have a c-clamp, have a real trusting friend (and I find that getting them drunk first is helpful) to hold it for you. Really, it is not that dangerous, but caution should be used so that the dowel does not begin spinning during the drilling process.
3. Drill or punch a hole into the center of the empty tuna can bottom. Put the #10 by one inch sheet metal screw through this hole so that it is sticking out the bottom of the can. The head of the screw is in the can.
4. Screw the can on to the end of the dowel. The hole that you drilled into the handle will keep it from splitting. Be sure to tighten the screw.
5. Tear up three paper towels into approximately 2 inch pieces. Soak these in water and pack them into the can. Pack them in as tightly as possible. (You can even use another can that is slightly smaller than the tuna can to help you pack it tightly. Just pack the paper towels in to the tuna can, then turn it over and press it down on the smaller can until no more water can be squeezed out.) It is important that no more water can drip out of the caster.
The paper towels should be damp now, not soaked and dripping.
1. Cut a 6 inch piece off an old broom handle or any other old round handle that you might have around the house, or buy a 1 inch diameter dowel rod from the hardware store and cut off 6 inches of that. This is the handle for your steam caster.
2. Drill a small 1/8 inch hole in the center of the cut (flat) end. Be careful drilling this hole. The use of a vise to hold the handle would be good, but if you do not have a vise use a c-clamp to hold it down to a table while you drill it. If you do not have a c-clamp, have a real trusting friend (and I find that getting them drunk first is helpful) to hold it for you. Really, it is not that dangerous, but caution should be used so that the dowel does not begin spinning during the drilling process.
3. Drill or punch a hole into the center of the empty tuna can bottom. Put the #10 by one inch sheet metal screw through this hole so that it is sticking out the bottom of the can. The head of the screw is in the can.
4. Screw the can on to the end of the dowel. The hole that you drilled into the handle will keep it from splitting. Be sure to tighten the screw.
5. Tear up three paper towels into approximately 2 inch pieces. Soak these in water and pack them into the can. Pack them in as tightly as possible. (You can even use another can that is slightly smaller than the tuna can to help you pack it tightly. Just pack the paper towels in to the tuna can, then turn it over and press it down on the smaller can until no more water can be squeezed out.) It is important that no more water can drip out of the caster.
The paper towels should be damp now, not soaked and dripping.
Feb 28, 2014 20:14:17 GMT -7 @gemfeller said:
Has anyone posted about steam casting? I seem to recall a discussion about it somewhere but I can't find it here. It's a cheap method of learning precious metals casting and good results can be obtained with it. I cast this gold ring with steam:
My equipment consisted of a short piece of broom handle, a big jar lid, wet newspaper, a terra-cotta flower pot, aluminum foil, modeling clay, an old electric hotplate, a sturdy tin can, some specially-shaped wax sprues, a commercial wax pattern, casting investment powder and of course the metal and a torch to melt it with.
Here's a great, detailed tutorial by Don Norris:
www.myheap.com/chapter-10-steam-casting/steam-casting-lessons.html?showall=1
