Aluminum Casting with Plaster and Sand Molds

This video shows and describes what I learned during the process of casting two missing aluminum Xylophone key-bars to complete the instrument for use. In the process, I learned the following:
1) aluminum shrinks about 2-5% when it solidifies, so make your pattern larger,
2) xylophone bar keys can be cast from plain aluminum,
3) a bare wood pattern can be made to swell up in water before making the mold, then allow it to shrink after the plaster dries for easy removal
4) it takes a lot of filing!.

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So glad to see this process done - I've been thinking about it but haven't seen many "attempts" ig