Long ago I told you guys that I would take an intake manifold from a diesel engine to cast into a product that would increase the scrap value from $0.70 Lb to $20.00 Lb or more.
Anyhow it didn't come about, you know a fellow gets busy then sidetracked forgetting to come back to the original plan.
If I had good physical health I would never have left my home foundry which was a licence to print money, yes of all the things I have done in the past the home foundry was a real money maker.
Both of the moulds below take less than an hour to cast, this includes packing and tamping the sand in the flask, heating and pouring the melt then removing the finished product and trimming off the sprue.
These moulds weigh less than 5 pounds and sold in the $100.00 range, and they were cast from automotive scrap aluminium., bocks. heads, transmission cases and rims.
Some guys like to cast an inventory of ingots, I advise against this practice, for the reason each time you melt an alloy you stand a chance of degrading it. When I use scrap it is a one time melt and do not reuse any left overs. Sell your left overs from a melt to the scrap yard.
The handles on the one mould were made from the sprue that was cut free from the casting. The swirls were put on with a wooden dowel in the drill press using valve grinding compound then over lapping each swirl to make the design. Serves no practicable purpose other than cosmetic.
If your wondering where I obtained the patterns for these castings, I'll give you this, if you make a copy from the original you lose about 2 percent of the original size such as it is would be negligible in a weight mould. I spend a few hours refining the finish of the new mould that I have obtained making adjustments to the draft optimally 3 percent on the sides will release from the sand.
For polishing your basically just sanding of the rough from a previous sand casting, makes it easier to remove the pattern from the sand then also you get a much nicer finish on your casting.
Body filler and glazing putty to fill in imperfections when ever I use plaster to fill in voids I'll paint over the plaster to protect it.
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