sand casting/aluminum-projects

[Shep1970]

Well, for about a year and a half i've been collecting items needed to try sand/casting-aluminum smelting.
What i found out along the way is i needed to learn about the plastic/rubber hobby as well, and surely i'll be going back and forth between the two. (Jeswinehart is the plastic/rubber king and always will be)....i'm not here to step on anyones toes.
I'm going to be editing this thread during the next hour adding pics or info because i stink at writing...(ok done) i think?

First project i needed a 1/4 inch longer intake for the green framed 200x-my spacer was/is slowly failing. So a 3/8 longer one of plastic was made, so it gave me extra length to clean it up, then a sand core was needed so it would break apart after alum was poured(worked great) the plastic intake (core)needed to be cut in half inable to remove part from the sand mold well it really needed to be three sections because of the undercuts which made it interesting/more difficult!!!
today after pouring and im not a patient guy waiting 5-10 mins to open my new cast part "it was all there..."
Needs a little clean up and some work but its just what i need.
Im loadiing more just gotta find em.. theres more. here's the sand core mold, the sand is mixed with a liquid binder that hardens with co2 gas in sealed container imediatly or after a couple days with the co2 in the air. That was a whole other learning curve...

My propane furnace can handle around 3 lbs of aluminum, so it should get interesting what can be made. Also poured another different part, but it needs more effort (i rushed had to go to inlaws) just give me a few mins i'll share because im very proud of it. Well here's a teaser pic- thats about it for now busy wk/then vacation after that
Thanks for looking,
Shep

[jeswinehart]

You should proud Shep !
I have been privalaged to see some of the background research/work on Shep ideas and gotta say this really puts "How its made" + "Forged in fire" on the back burners so to speak because one of our own is taking the parts reroduction process to a higher level.
We all seen postings "I'm gonna make" and that's where it ends.
Shep is DOING it !
Well done man !
john

[Shep1970]

Thanks john, if you've ever thought about trying it, its really kinda fun. Most of the work is playin in nice soft sand making the molds. The heat- honestly its there but unless you were looking for trouble it would be hard to get burned. A average campfire burns at 1100 degrees give or take, i had this up to about 1500 its not bad at all only directly above the furnace not around it at all. But anyway have a safe trip...

Shep

[Ghostv2]

This is the kinda stuff that keeps the market alive. Keep it up my man. It's a great start.

Is that a front fork brace?

[Shep1970]

Fork brace yup, i kinda showed it to soon. (Still have some things to figure out) The part came out fine just a little flak(extra alum) stuck to it, i didnt know how hard to pack the sand and some came loose. Gotta fill lines w/clay too so u dont see the joints that would be cut later.
I may drive the truck over this one to see how it holds up. here's another shot of it-
Starting to clean up the intake now- its getting there i'll prob make a couple/few intakes not sure of a demand for them? Only a 1/4 inch longer so could used on a stock bike.
Shep

Edit: the stock intake is a two piece unit with like a bakelight material attaching the halves. So my question is did honda do them that way so intake halves could be used on bikes with diff- angles? Or from engine heat getting to carb? I could cast a new one w/fins if thats the case, hope this makes sense. Anyone?

[RubberSalt]

Awesome job on this! Sand casting has been an interest of mine, but I've never made it to the point of building a functional furnace. One of the things that has peaked my interest is lost PLA casting. The principal is the same as lost wax with one exception. You use a 3D printed model made of PLA opposed to wax. To make things more appealing, PLA is one of the low end plastics almost every 3D printer can use

[Shep1970]

Awesome job on this! Sand casting has been an interest of mine, but I've never made it to the point of building a functional furnace. One of the things that has peaked my interest is lost PLA casting. The principal is the same as lost wax with one exception. You use a 3D printed model made of PLA opposed to wax. To make things more appealing, PLA is one of the low end plastics almost every 3D printer can use

I actually started this thinking i was going to do the lost wax casting- but by the time i bought the ceramic slurry/a kiln and or a hot box to melt the wax out and harden the shell things were adding up $$$. Started in a different direction i guess to get the same result. I even went as far as making a few machinable wax cores-machinable wax has a lot higher melting point that is/was needed so the part didn't warp or slump i guess are the words.--but now won't be used at all. (wax/plastic pellets melt at 375 i think it was)

3d printing would/should be great but the investment unless u already have one could be costly? Computers/programs to run it would definetly be outa (my) vision. I have enough trouble just messin on this site- ha
I gotta say watching liquid molten alum is a great sight very cool.....

Well i've got the intake done(im not to worried about the sand pock marks on this im done sanding!!) my neighbor is a retired machinist with all the toys, says he'll show me how to do an oring grove the easy way so we shall see.
Shep

[Dirtcrasher]

3D printers have become an affordable tool for many "fix it yourself" kind of guys....

I think Dremel has one for under 1000$ these days that were 2500$ years past.

Now you need a mill and lathe too but it's all looking great!!

[Shep1970]

Had a little time today, im just experimenting with going thin... I'm pretty sure this piece will have flaws but its kind of a learn as you go process. Theres only so much you can get out of a book. I'll add a couple more pics of this within the hour.
Here you go-
Not planning on making these its just a thin part and if your an 86/87 200x owner you know i had to try!!!
Thanx for looking

Shep

[jeswinehart]

Tee Totally fascinating !
You had asked if the "Bakelite" spacer was a heat sync or spacer for different models.
From past experience (like when I was 14) I removed that spacer and carb would boil the gas after bike I was riding came up to operating temp. I don't honestly believe you could add enough fins to keep carb from vapor locking IMO.
As far as a adapter for different angles/different machines while using same intake,,, mighty good question Shep .

john

[Shep1970]

Ok well i think i screwed myself, it came out great just one small spot didnt fill, if only i put a vent there!!! A little clean up though. Now i'll need to do the other side i think so its not alone. (Maybe)
Pics-

steve(dirtcrasher) i gotta get you over here so you can do some pouring. Think you'd like it.
Shep

[Billy Golightly]

This is neat as - I have been wanting to tinker around with sand casting for years. Figured I could recycle some old junk engine cases, cylinders, heads, side cases, etc. that were beyond welding or not worth selling (like 110 stuff...)

[Shep1970]

This is neat as - I have been wanting to tinker around with sand casting for years. Figured I could recycle some old junk engine cases, cylinders, heads, side cases, etc. that were beyond welding or not worth selling (like 110 stuff...)

I'll tell you its a very rewarding feeling to open up a sand mold and find a part that is made. I'm just getting into it but at this point i'd would recommend (almost) anyone to give it a shot. (My wife says its a mid life thing but i still have a couple more yrs for that!!) i've been wanting to try this for yrs but the thought of the high heat i always veered away, now kicking myself for not getting into it sooner.
I bought my first 15lbs of alum already fluxed and drossed once so its very clean, once melted i only need to skim the top, it was only $3 a pound so not to bad cost wise.
My furnace is a 4kg so it can handle about 4lbs of aluminum/ if i was to buy another it would be a 10kg, the only drawback of melting more is u have to lift out that much more weight.
Mine can handle this

So anyone else reading this dont throw any broken cases or heads in the trash/ pistons not so much i've read many times over that there not the right alloy to use (not sure why).
Ok thats it i have to open my new box of petrobond casting sand.

Shep

[83ATC185]

This is too cool!

Do you need a sprocket cover to experiment with?

[Shep1970]

This is too cool! Is there any special thing you need to do to the aluminum before you melt it down?

Do you need a sprocket cover to experiment with?

I tell you, theres so many different things i want to try to do. So i "may" remember u said that in the near future, i'm still in the long lurning curve.

Honestly i really want to try to make trizinger tripples so crf50 forks will be an easy swap. Probably getting to far ahead of myself though......but the idea has been floating around big time. I believe all the or most of the suspended atc's have sand cast alum tripples. All the zinger forks are almost all junk and nothing to rebuild em' with..i have read the yamaha bw80 will work but pricey and unubtainable. So we shall see but no promises things change quickly. Ok sorry for rambling....
Edit- if its more that 3-4mm's thick and can be made of clay or plastic (or original part) it can be made in alum- but size matters the alum will thicken if a part is to big- no pressure casting here to much $
Shep


No theres nothing that needs to be done to the alum before melting, i throw a little flux in so the metal will flow better thats all. If scrap parts are melted the paint and any burnt oil will be the dross that is taken off before the pour. But you do loose some alum with it so its better to clean what u can first.