Material for Casting Light Metals?

[jemelby]

After reading some of the threads on sandstone and such, I wonder if anyone has dabbeled in cutting molds for low-temp metals like lead or aluminum?

Perhaps something like cement-board would work? Maybe even gypsumboard? It would have to be something heat resistant enough to withstand the temps of the molten metal, and strong enough to last atleast one casting. And of course, something practical for a SB to mill without spending a fortune on cutters.

This would be a nice method for designing small plaques and such.

[bcammack]

Could you make positives out of wood and use those to make sand-cast molds? Or do it as a "lost foam" process the same way.

[Brady Watson]

James,
Brett has the right idea.

Here are some pics that I took when visiting Colombia Falls High School last year. Mark Beckwith was the head instructor there & a SUPER cool guy to work with. I cranked out a fish relief in ArtCAM & we cut it out on his PRT in MDF. Then it was sand casted in aluminum. As Mark would say, "Hot Snot!"


5005

5006

5007

[jhicks]

I have a neighbor who has a glass shop in several nice kilns. He uses a glass molding compound much like plaster and silica mix/slurry to create molds then adds a release and pours molten glass into them.One can get some fine detail with the slurry.
Might want to look into glass molding mix as it would take the heat and you could reuse the positive much like the other techniques by simply pouring the slurry into/onto the mold base until it wears out or breaks but it should last several pours from a single mold.

Nice fish Brady.