Casting brass round stock in a steel mold at home

Will it release or will it be a solid blob of metal ?

[@SeanBZA]

Take the mould and smoke it with a candle flame inside, will release better, plus also heat up the mould as well before pouring, so the cooling rate is a lot slower, and the molten brass can get all the gas out before cooling. Probably also good to add in a bit of zinc more, to handle the loss during melting, and perhaps a bit of scrap aluminium to alloy as well.

[@RickRose]

Ha! Your surprised reaction was priceless. Glad it worked out. Thanks for sharing.

[@tdck2978]

I know a gun range that has 2 years worth of brass on the ground, mainly 22 shells. They have been walked on and worked into the ground. They will have to be washed but they are all mine if I want to put in the work.

[@Xynudu]

Free brass is like gold wherever you find it. Cheers Rob

[@robertbooth833]

Once you have poured the metal in the mould, take the crucible out, put it on its side. Whilst the brass is still molten in the mould quickly put the mould into the furnace. Relight the burner. Get the brass back to molten and keep there for approx. 10 mins ( time depends on quantity of molten metal). The inclusions in the brass will float to the top of the mould. Then cut off that top part. If you have steel ingot moulds the same process of keeping the metal molten again allows the inclusions to float to top surface. Mill that surface off till you see clean metal. Then use those ingots to put into a clean crucible. This way you reduce the amount of inclusions. Don’t stir the molten metal in crucible that adds “bi folds”which are the imperfections that appear in the metal. Apologies for such a lengthy “comment”.

[@Xynudu]

Hi Robert, thanks for the comments. All sounds good. I will try that next time. I'm fresh out of scrap brass, so it may be a while. My brass round stock pile is currently very good, and now has a range of sizes to keep me going. Cheers Rob

[@johnmcgregor6000]

Pity you don't live in Melbourne, Rob. I've around 40 kgs of plumbing fittings, door knobs etc. That I would give happily. They'll probably end up with a scrap merchant.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Outstanding result. Well done. Inspirational work Rob. 👏👏👍😀

[@Xynudu]

Turned out better than I expected Andrew. Cheers Rob

[@jonsworkshop]

Interesting Rob, actually looked like it released easier than the Cast Iron mold. Enjoying your experimentation mate, very educational. Cheers, Jon

[@MattysWorkshop]

Gday Rob, that released from the mould very easily, I honestly thought it would of stuck badly, great job, Cheers

[@Xynudu]

Hi Matty. I was surprised by how easily it separated, considering all the negative comments I've seen about brass sticking to steel. It's got to a point on the Internet where I serious doubt a lot of stuff I read ;) Cheers Rob

[@RetroSteamTech]

Hi Rob. I really thought that was going to stick to the steel, quite amazed that it came out as easy as it did. Even with a few imperfections that could still be used in a model engine as, say a support pillar for example. Cheers, Alan.

[@Xynudu]

Hi Alan. It's usable. You can often work out small imperfections. I'm fresh out of scrap brass and pretty well provisioned on good stuff now, so I may take a break from melting for a while. I will give a progress report on the furnace status next as it's taken a beating from that big burner. It certainly works well though. Cheers Rob

[@markwatters6875]

Well done mate.

[@davebrown4005]

Automotive shock absorbers are a potential source of smooth steel tubing in various sizes.

[@Xynudu]

Good idea.

[@columjevens4612]

Enjoying your brass experiments . The furnace is working great for you . 👍

[@Xynudu]

Hi Colum. The furnace really gets hot. Works well, but is showing some wear and tear from the massive temperatures. I will give a run down on it next video. Cheers Rob

[@columjevens4612]

@@Xynudu yes Rob was wondering how it was taking the heat . I had a fire clay furnace with metal bands that my father used for over 50 years, and he prob got it second hand , he was as cheap as me 😊so it was prob over 80 . Used ceramic crucibles , I think the brand was salamander. But it didn’t survive moving out of his workshop.so that’s why I am enjoying your furnace videos, might have a go at one . I remember seeing one for sale at a show and it had a spiral grove inside to swirl the flame up the furnace . Often wondered if this was a good idea. Cheers Colum

[@Xynudu]

Interesting Colum. I used Perlite and plain builders cement for the paint tin furnace and that slowly wore away, but this new bigger burner really puts some serious stress on the current lining. The refracrory mortar is taking a beating. At least it's cheap to replace, but maybe refractory cement will work better. I see the gas cylinder furnace made by The Hobby Machinist NZ has a better looking initial finish and a really high refractory cement content. How it will stand up to severe heat remains to be seen. The spiral groove sounds novel. So many variables in this project. Cheers Rob

[@SiliconeSword]

I have found that when using steel crucibles it is good to coat the outside with 2000*F paint to improve lifespan, may be worth a go for you.

[@Xynudu]

Thanks for the tip. The crucibles are heavy gauge and are holding up very well. Cheers Rob

[@ryuukake]

I’m trying to cast a complex guard for a dagger, I was thinking I would make a mild steel tang and riccasso to cast around that. My thought was I could coat the steel with liquid paper to reduce sticking

[@kentuckytrapper780]

Excellent job rob,I've found that if you let it cool down slow it come out ok, great video, keep'um coming.

[@Xynudu]

I let it fully air cool. Worked out way better than I expected following all the negative comments I'd read about brass and steel molds. Cheers Rob

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@maxxbear5014]

Turned out great I need to put that chip tray on my lathe

[@Xynudu]

Dead easy to add one using the bolt holes for the travelling steady. You can extend it out to also cover the leadscrew.

[@leerogers6423]

Only guesswork, the narrow lead into the mould made the pour a bit slow? In a lot of YT vids on casting the importance of a good heavy head of molten metal on top is apparent. So a wider lead in ''funnel'' speeds up the pour and gets a bit of weight on top Could the chrome be causing the imperfections ? A quick google says it melts at 1900c ,way above brass at 900c. They are fairly close in density so the chrome may not rise with the dross. The steel mould is an eyeopener , a good point to prove , I though we'd be getting the big hammer out .

[@Xynudu]

Hi Lee. I agree on all points. I actually considered adding a funnel, but as this was only an experiment I went quick and dirty on it. Chrome in the mix is not ideal, but how do you remove the damn stuff ? I've used up all my scrap brass for now, so looks like this will be it for a while. The extreme temperatures have given the furnace and crucible a bit of a beating and that will be the subject of the next video ;) Cheers Rob

[@pedroscifo2580]

Hi Rob: please try the same but with aluminum. A big hug from Argentina!!

[@pedroscifo2580]

Hi Rob: I'm working on the same like u. You cleared up a lot of my doubts with this video. A big hug from Argentina

[@Xynudu]

Hi Pedro, it's all a learning curve. Good to share information. There's a lot of misinformation around about this subject. Cheers from Oz. Rob

[@pedroscifo2580]

Rob please try to use te same pipe with aluminum to see how it unmolds. Thanks in advance. Cheers!!

[@Xynudu]

Hi Pedro, I have been casting aluminium round stock in steel (tube/cylinder) molds for many years. I have done a number of videos on the process. Eg: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYGZm5mhoLOAj9k Cheers Rob

[@MartsGarage]

Hello Rob. An interesting exercise. I too was surprised when it came out so easily. I suppose it illustrates how important flux is when you are brazing! Ok take it easy, all the best, Mart.

[@Xynudu]

Good point Mart. Yes, flux makes a big difference with brazing. Cheers Rob

[@dalemcinnes1834]

Hi Rob , enjoyed the run but really felt watching that the brass was to cold before getting into the mold, Was not to surprised with the imperfections in the brass. Looking forward to further videos on that and upcoming video and glad to see the brass release so easy. Dale in Canada

[@Xynudu]

Hi Dale, yes I have to perfect the process. I should have left the burner on while removing the dross. Next time I will remelt the brass in the mold before letting it finally cool. The theory being that any nasties and inclusions will rise to the top. Just need to source some more brass. Cheers Rob

[@ianlulham]

Great video Rob. Very interesting for a lazy Saturday morning, glad the brass recovery business is coming along. I actually sat in front of my lathe this morning and planed how I was going to make my chip pan and then your video came up, weird??

[@Xynudu]

Hi Ian. Life is full of surprises and bordering on weird at times. Pays not to take it too seriously. Cheers Rob

[@Man-in-da-shed]

I did expect you would have to split the outer steel casing, saying you would have machined it off surprised me, but different thought processes I guess

[@Xynudu]

Hi Ian, I fully expected the steel outer would have to be cut away. I was all prepared to simply turn it off. That way you are least likely to damage the brass core. The way it slid off surprised me, after all the negative comments I've seen about brass sticking to steel. It's got to a point on the Internet where I serious doubt a lot of stuff I read ;) Cheers Rob

[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

Hello Rob, The experimenting continues... Looks like a very good result to me... Take care. Paul,,

[@Xynudu]

Hi Paul. It was OK, but it can be better. Cheers Rob

[@bill4639]

Looks great from here mate. Thank’s for advice on molds. Using steel for molds has a lot of utility. Perhaps do a video on aluminium in steel molds or try more complex molds. I’ll be watching.

[@Xynudu]

Hi Bill, I have been casting aluminium round stock in steel (tube/cylinder) molds for many years. I have done a number of videos on the process. Eg: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYGZm5mhoLOAj9k Cheers Rob

[@headstocktailstock]

Hi Rob, interesting that it doesn't bond to the tube, well done, I never ever re-melt brass turnings re-melting brass loses zinc & doesn't come out well, also I've got plenty of scrap brass !! [lucky me!!] over the years folk get to know you & brass comes in from all over the place especially when you do the odd machining job for folk.keep up the vid's Graham.

[@Xynudu]

It may bond to the tube if you added flux, but the heat oxide prevents it as is. It works well with cast iron and steel pipe molds. Any zinc loss would be relatively minor provided you don't prolong the melt process. The brass I've re-melted turned up fine, as seen in the video. Cheers Rob

[@ianbertenshaw4350]

G'day Rob , Fantastic video mate ! I wonder if instead of using a crucible to melt the brass and then pouring into a steel mold you could use the mold itself as the crucible and just keep feeding in small chunks of brass until it is full then remove it from the furnace and let it cool ? If you made a mold with the end blanked off with some steel flat bar you could drill a hole in the end after it has cooled down to allow a pin punch or some steel rod to be used to drive the ingot out of the tube and to re use just weld up the hole . Might be worth a try and maybe it will work on Aluminium as well , i used to do this when i made anodes for the Hardchrome company i used to work at years ago but i was casting lead . Another source of tube is old bottle jacks and shock absorbers .

[@Xynudu]

Hi Ian, good idea. Cutting it up would waste a lot, so maybe do the pour into the mold and then cook it for a while to get the same effect. I will try that next. Cheers Rob

[@howardosborne8647]

Hi,Rob. Not too bad an outcome considering the low quality of the initial melt stock. I wonder if sooting the inside of the tube might improve matters by isolating the molten pour from the inner steel tube face. I have deliberately saved some offcuts of drawn steam tubing to try out as moulding cylinders as it is very smooth inside and has good internal dimensional tolerances.

[@Xynudu]

Hi Howard. There was no extraction problem with the pour, so sooting doesn't seem necessary. I expect the tube will get an oxide or rust coating over time which will do the same thing. Cheers Rob

[@nicholasviney5975]

That worked a treat, you just need to score some more scrap brass and find out what works best for you.

[@Xynudu]

Yes, my scrap pile for brass is now zero. Sounds like remelting the initial core in the mould may eliminate those small inclusions. Well that's the theory. Cheers Rob

[@iancraig1951]

Just a thought Rob, while it was liquid in the mold, ram or compress it a bit, or put mold and all in the furnace for a minute or two..Idle thoughts..What you are doing is interesting to me.

[@Xynudu]

Hi Ian. I'd be reluctant to do that as it would spread the core and reduce the shrinkage gap. Cheers Rob

[@dalemcinnes1834]

There is only one way to find out Rob, Dale in Canada

[@jusb1066]

Now can you go even longer and thinner?

[@en2oh]

Any thoughts on casting thick wall brass pipe? Would a vacuum casting method be useful here?

[@Xynudu]

Never considered it.

[@Zakardis]

I think the pros use spray graphite for mold release on stuff that might stick.

[@Xynudu]

Sounds like a good idea Tim. I'm not a pro ;) Cheers Rob

[@testyourdesign233]

Was that the bearings making noise on your lathe? Sounded a little different than usual.

[@Xynudu]

No. I fitted a new drive belt and it's slightly wider than previously and the edge is rubbing on another pully side. Just have to wait for it to wear back a bit. Does sound like a bearing. Cheers Rob

[@bilbo_gamers6417]

hey, i am an aspiring machinist and id like to ask : for ideal grain density, brass workers a long time ago would hammer brass to about one third of its original thicknes. do you think this is important to do, for the sake of making the ideally durable product?

[@Xynudu]

I have not heard of that and can't comment.

[@billbaggins]

"That's fuckin brilliant" 🤣👍 Like others I was surprised it didn't stick. I'm gunna guess that the smoothness of the inside surface had a lot to do with it?

[@Xynudu]

Hi Bill, He He, gotta swear occasionally to show your inner self ;) I was expecting it to stick from all the comments I'd read, but didn't happen. Maybe it was the smoothness, as there was no oxide or rust coating to inhibit it. Maybe it's like brazing, you need flux to make it happen. The pearlite lining is taking a real beating from that big gas torch. I will do a video update on that next. Let's say it has a limited life expectancy ;) Cheers Rob

[@robertstewart1464]

Hard to hide the joy when it all works out "thats fuckin brilliant" 😆 when I get my first lathe my first idea is to cast and machine my own brass shotgun cartridges

[@Xynudu]

Wow, that will be a tricky project Robert. Cheers Rob.

[@manitobaman5588]

New sub from western Canada. I have had brass braze weld, itself to a heavy steel crucible bottom. Does anyone know about the effect of losing zinc in the melting process. The fumes can't be graet for one but what about the quality of the brass?

[@Xynudu]

The fumes are toxic, so take precautions. The brass seems to be non the worse for any zinc loss from a single melt - machines fine. I have never had an issue with the brass bonding to my steel crucible or molds. Make sure the surfaces are well oxidised and this should prevent it happening. Cheers Rob

[@catwrangler3429]

Did you say Fn?

[@craigmunday3707]

Degassing?

[@Xynudu]

Not an issue from what I've read.

[@gordonquigley2267]

Hey Rob, love your videos however please don't bend to the USA and use their adulterated English language, it is mould in Aussie. Cheers

[@Xynudu]

Hi Gordon. Your comment made me smile. I'd thought about this very issue when posting the video as it's not clear cut. Mould is a fungus that can grow on your walls, as is mold. I think the same scenario applies to it's grammarly association with a casting vessel. I generally try to keep to Oz english in my videos. Cheers Rob

[@johnmcgregor6000]

@@Xynudu mould |məʊld| (US mold) noun 1 a hollow container used to give shape to molten or hot liquid material when it cools and hardens: the smith would pour the molten metal into the shaped mould | a jelly mould.

[@Xynudu]

It all depends upon which description you read and where it was written. Cheers Rob

[@djpaulk]

There is nothing molten or hot liquid about plaster paris.. Perhaps Rob should keep to Aussie adulterated English, instead of US version? Personally i don't care what language he uses, as long as its not Mandarin and he keeps posting vids.