Casting an Aluminum Souvenir | Scan, Print and Cast Aluminum

[@Vassenden_yt]

When Brian uploads a video, you just know it's gonna be amazing

[@minskmade]

troof.

[@norsebavarian1941]

That’s hands down the best lost PLA cast I’ve ever seen straight out of the mold. I think that was better than most people after sanding and finishing. Well done.

[@Grunblau]

Thanks!

[@thiagoennes]

this guy is a perfectionist. it makes me happy just to watch. Btw, most people don't burn out the plastic properly as he did.

[@AlbosNoggins]

Amazing as ever! The finish straight out of the investment mold was quite stunning. The epoxy-sand base was the perfect finishing touch! Thanks for sharing!

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! I’d like to try ceramic shell investment next as this might have been more appropriate in this case…

[@Sno7373anon]

You're dead on about the base. It really put the finishing touches on the sculpture.

[@davidsnyder2000]

That sculpture came out quite good👍😄

[@Grunblau]

I was surprised! I knew the 3D scan would turn out well, but I wasn’t sure about the investment cast.

[@design8studio]

Excellent. Impressive work!

[@RamsesTorresLifevantageIndDist]

Glad you went black with silver highlights. Fantastic work

[@Grunblau]

I am surprised it wasn’t immediately obvious to me and I spent hours trying to get the silver with black details to look good before I finally painted the entire thing black!

[@SDSBBQs]

Absolutely love your videos!

[@Grunblau]

Thanks!

[@outlawjaw1639]

SO COOL! I used a 3d scanner to scan my wife's hand and then 3d print her a thumb brace, I didn't realize I could make it in metal too!

[@Grunblau]

That sounds like an awesome project! For something small, you can also get printable wax. That way, the burn out is less complicated. Could even pour some silver!

[@BrandonBurns1985]

Glad you're back!

[@yesman.]

Never stop producing high-quality videos

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! I’ll keep going as long as I can!

[@hawkinstracym41]

I should have comment years ago when I found your page. Absolutely awesome. Can't wait until I am able to get all of the necessary tools that you use to get my ideas to a tangible point. Thank you for your page, and your fabrications. Keep on doing what you doing brother HAWK

[@danielbeeson3050]

Just wow!

[@johnathansmith1373]

Well done

[@MakunaRGBIC]

I agree, that is a great sculpture, and your replica came out great!

[@Grunblau]

Thank you!

[@SirRandallDoesStuff]

It's a good day when I see a Brian Oltrogge video in my notifications. Love your work.

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! 👍❤️

[@Pest789]

Wow that really turned out nice

[@inotoff]

Fantastic !

[@bobsadogtoo]

Brilliant

[@truthcam1]

fantastic....

[@christophsuess7646]

Stunning!

[@ShopTherapy623]

So cool! Nice work

[@BenjaminHCrump]

I truly don’t understand why you don’t have millions of folks watching you. Great work as always.

[@Grunblau]

I like you. Thanks! :)

[@kruger12311]

Nice 300zx :) Great work as always ;)

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! She has been sitting there waiting for much too long!

[@What_Other_Hobbies]

Welcome back

[@Sno7373anon]

Love this video! Your work is very inspiring, I can't wait to try this out myself.

[@YuriNGolfeto]

Amazing!

[@Phoeff99]

Incredible execution of an idea. Fantastic job.

[@WreckDiver99]

Used to bike to Cranbrook as a teen...back when 50+ Mile bike days were common for me....not so much anymore. LOL...that was 40 years ago. Always good to see a video from you. Nicely done, and interesting

[@isnie]

amazing work

[@Vikingwerk]

Amazing work as always! I do get strong vibes of that old pre-movie roll about not pirating movies, (if you wouldn’t rob a bank, you wouldn’t download a movie) which someone parodied with a bit that said “you wouldn’t download a car!” Made me think: “You wouldn’t download a sculpture!”

[@Grunblau]

To avoid any grey areas… I wouldn’t sell a sculpture I scanned. I have a hard time believing there would be an issue about a 3D photographs of a public sculpture for personal use. Definitely an interesting moment as digital art is infinitely reproducible. Is the goal truly to bring happiness to as many people as possible through art? I give it a couple more IPhone iterations before this capability is in everyone’s pocket. If you believe in the Metaverse, even more pressure will blur the line between digital and actual. This sculpture will sit on my shelf in both locations!

[@1568903218]

@@Grunblau Brian, I don't think you should apologize in the least. The Arts and Crafts Movement, in part, was an effort to use the new machinery of the Industrial Revolution to bring art to the everyday masses. People like William Morris understood that the Industrial Revolution wasn't going away. Your video demonstrates that today we have better technology and capability at our disposal than Victorian England could dream of. Why aren't we teaching and replicating beauty and making it available to the masses? You are, and I thank you for it. Keep up the great work!

[@nikroth]

brilliant !!!

[@corymynhier5532]

Even though your videos are sparse, you never fail to impress.

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! I have a few in process… when it is just me, I have to shoot for quality vs quantity. I hope new people get curious and check out my other videos.

[@RyJones]

You’re back!

[@cristian6766]

I don't think you can comprehend the level of respect i have for you! You are amazing and you also have a 300z.

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! I hope to be able to be able to get it back on the road again. It didn’t need anything when I parked it, but now it needs a bit of TLC. Was on its way to stage VI and upgraded turbos when I ran out of $ to throw at it.

[@darren990]

top class

[@DotaBillfuc]

Brilliant as always

[@sixsgma1563]

Just when I thought Brian couldn't get any cooler.. I find out he has a 300zx haha

[@droko9]

This is a fantastic video! Please make more recreations of other sculptures, seeing the different mediums you used throughout this is really inspiring

[@truthbomb4775]

I wish the like button was additive and I could just tap it over and over. Great Job.

[@TimPaddy]

You're going to be in high demand after the zombie apocalypse with the unique things you can create for yourself.

[@Grunblau]

I hope so!

[@TimPaddy]

@@Grunblau lol!

[@PrenticeBoy1688]

One of the absolute best channels on KZbin. You're one of the few KZbinrs of this genre whose work satisfies my OCD tendencies!

[@Grunblau]

Glad you found the channel!

[@tomwagemans1872]

You don't make al lot of videos but when you do, they're top notch! Always interesting and good step by step explanations. Thanks!

[@Rouverius]

Even in aluminum, that's a funky monkey. Great job!

[@Grunblau]

Ha! Thanks for the reference!

[@DamonMcLean1]

Great video! Loved the project. I'm not far from Cranbrook, makes we want to now visit!

[@Grunblau]

Say hi to the monkey for me!

[@b0bl00i]

You're a great artist / maker Brian. Pleasure to watch.

[@ebrahiemmurphy6506]

Lovely work, amazing end result after scanning, thanks for sharing.

[@Grunblau]

Thanks!

[@Frank-bh3cm]

Brilliant as always. Love your attention to details!

[@Grunblau]

Thank you!

[@Crcvmbdfl]

Great video, very good tutorial step by step

[@profmoustache5217]

Just gorgeous!! 🤩 Thanks for sharing your incredible projects and for the quality of your content. 👍👍👍

[@jhvw4741]

Bravo! The end result is spectacular! I love KZbin for exactly these kind of videos🙂

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! I’m glag you enjoyed it!

[@michaelnewsomegreen5500]

This is so amazing. 10/10 for the end product & 11/10 for the execution & inspiration.

[@Grunblau]

Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it!

[@dustinbrosmer6164]

I absolutely love your videos. I wish you would make some videos more often.

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! Me too…

[@MoIntertains-hk1ix]

May god bless your hand.

[@yetidodger6650]

That is an absolute work of art, that moment you put the black on and began to rub it off to reveal the silver highlights was almost heavenly.

[@Grunblau]

I agree it was the right move to go all black with highlights. I almost polished it but it would not have had the same feeling as the original.

[@JustSomeVideos0]

That is just ridiculous levels of skill and craftsmanship. Just amazing, thanks for sharing!

[@klschofield71]

Nice to see you back in action. Seems like a fun project with wonderful results. Gonna have to pick up some of that filament and try for myself.

[@Drillz007]

Absolutely fantastic piece of work

[@christophersmith108]

Great-just when I am about satisfied with my photography rig, now I have the urge to go buy myself a 3D scanner!

[@Grunblau]

Haha! Well, less than the 1/2 the cost of a decent lens….

[@mzimmerman1988]

very nice!

[@Mysterious5tranger]

I love the idea and the result ist absolutely stunning. You can really see the dedication to details in the result

[@Grunblau]

Thank you! Best I could hope for was to accurately capture the original details as best as possible.

[@HP_rep_mek]

That came out looking great!

[@tluanem]

👍👍👍

[@MattTester]

Superb combination of old and new techniques. That little scanner is very impressive.

[@aly-tek7190]

Beautiful work as always Brian. Thanks for bringing us along :)

[@anmafab]

I didn't know 3d scanners had such high fidelity! Great project and really interesting process

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! I have used the Xbox 360 scanner and the Structure scanner and this is the first I have seen with this detail that didn’t cost over $10K

[@Polymaker]

Beautiful project!

[@Grunblau]

Glad you liked it and I think the results speak for themselves regarding your filament!

[@chiraz111]

Great video! Now I HAVE to go to Cranbrook to see the original!

[@thecalvaro]

What a masterpiece and combination of techniques and technology 🤩

[@phugoidoscillations]

Thank you for the terrific video. It wasn’t until very recently that I learned that Rodin’s Thinker was originally a figure in his Gates of Hell piece.

[@Grunblau]

Huh, today I learned… thanks!

[@jorgeconcheyro]

3d scanner in your phone... science fiction, still can't believe how amazing that device is... I mean, you're using your phone!!!! hahahaha. Your job, awesome, as usual. Cheers from Buenos Aires ;)

[@nunyabusiness3612]

You are such an amazingly hardworking and talented artist/designer/Engineer Brian. Always such a delight to watch you create and work 🙏🏾

[@Grunblau]

Thank you. I am glad you found the videos!

[@danielsilvabrum7583]

Acompanho esse canal faz vários anos, sempre aprendendo mais sobre qualidade de fundição e materiais, parabéns !

[@michaelcoffin4364]

This gives me so many ideas. Can't wait for my 3d printer to come in. Love your work.

[@Martin3559]

How fun!

[@Grunblau]

Glad you liked it!

[@ShadowVipers]

At first I didn't think I was ever going to get a 3D scanner, but seeing this video makes me want to get one for my trip to Europe next year.

[@Grunblau]

Daniela and I took a 3D scanner to Dresden a couple years ago. It was a lot of fun scanning details on old doors, etc…

[@ShadowVipers]

@@Grunblau The 3D scanner that you used in the video seems nice, although, I'm a bit surprised that it didn't stitch the scans together automatically rather than having to assemble them post-process to get the final model. In terms of your experience goes with 3D scanners (since I'm getting the impression this isn't the first time you've used one), is such a feature a reasonable expectation for scanners under 1000$ (Q1)? Also, a bit of a side question if you have time for it, but when looking at purchasing a scanner is there any metric by which you can get an idea of the resolution of the scanner (Q2)? Now I'll probably find the answer to this question whenever I do my own research on the products on the market, although, I'd still like to get your opinion on the matter if you have one.

[@TracyNorrell]

Excellent!

[@tobus71]

Always amazing!

[@Grunblau]

Thanks!

[@RoboCNCnl]

Awesome work as always buddy. Love your little 3D scanner !

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! 👍

[@rolanddube2169]

You do such amazing work!

[@oldmatebattle2905]

Awesome video of something I’ve never seen in detail like this. I’m now going to be looking for the filament that you burnt away. Thanks

[@Grunblau]

Thank you. It was my first attempt too! I think I might try UV investment resin soon.

[@alexmoore5454]

You content and production quality are incredible!

[@Grunblau]

Thank you. Try to improve with every video!

[@Tinyairtime]

informative, fun and great attention to detail, as usual. great video Brian!

[@makingwithsteve]

Very cool! Ive wanted to get more into 3d scanning in order to replicate parts and/or model parts to fit another object. You make it look incredibly easy haha. The lost filament casting process is super cool, hope you do more!

[@12345.......]

I bought a anycubic mono x. With 2 kg of resin, $450 right now. Large build plate and great definition

[@The.Talent]

I was watching Jeremy Makes Things yesterday and he was having a lot of struggles with his casting process. You instantly came to mind. I know it’s a vast topic and you’ve already got some great info on your channel, but it would be amazing if you could do a video on your process for setting up a mould and why you make the choices in sprue and riser placement and sizing as you do, and what your total process is. I know YT is not your day job but your skill is just so awesome. Please teach us, O great master.

[@Grunblau]

Everything is really just ‘seat of the pants’ guestimation. As far as the sprue size goes, this could have been bigger. This way, I might not have felt it necessary to torch the top of the pouring cup. There is actually a lot of olde timey knowledge out there and likely formulas for everything.

[@The.Talent]

@@Grunblau I think newton formalised a formula for cooling materials and I just had a look at one of my text books from university that had a whole chapter on casting, but couldn’t really find any clear guidelines. This book was more about selecting the manufacturing process to suit the objective, and not so much an instruction on how to do it. I’ll have to have a deeper dig.

[@garethdavies3220]

“The Old Foundryman” on youtube has recently done a video on sprue sizes .

[@12345.......]

I have referred channels that have trouble to Brian's channel since he makes it look so easy

[@Hyjaxe]

Great video! But came to say awesome 300zx! Looks likes its been sitting awhile.

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! She has been parked for almost 10 years at this point. Didn’t really need anything when parked, but now it will require some TLC to get back on the road (Drain the gas, etc…). Has 78K miles and lots of upgrades.

[@mikeblocker5720]

This is a fantastic job. Attention to detail is top tier. I would be very interested in watching you try ceramic shell. Although, seeing how perfect your raw casting came out of the plaster, I'm not sure you need it 👍

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! I will be trying ceramic shell at some point…. Possibly with UV Resin prints.

[@mikeblocker5720]

@@Grunblau I have yet to do any resin prints. Everything I find myself wanting to cast is too large for any reasonably priced resin printer. Although outsourcing is getting more affordable. Sure would save a lot of pattern prep time. Which would be nice. Especially when you're watching all of your hard work melt away in the kiln 😁

[@mattiasfagerlund]

Awesome result and a gorgeous sculpture! Any chance you could make a digital copy available? I'd like to try to cast a concrete version....

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

This seems to be someone's art -- perhaps making a digital copy publicly available isn't properly ethical, without permission from whoever owns it now. I think it's fine to scan something displayed in public and make a copy for personal use, however.

[@gordon6029]

What a fantastic video! It has inspired me to get going on my setup. I have all the investment casting equipment and a pop 2 but I have been working so much I just don’t have the time when I’m home. Really have to reevaluate my present job as it is cutting into my play time. I just love every video you put out, just wish you had more time to produce content. Thank you.

[@Grunblau]

Thank you for the comment! I hope to source a Kaya Cast machine in the future! I wish I had more time to work on projects as well, but for two years I had zero time and had to stop putting out videos. Now I have a much better balance and am much happier!

[@ConnorHolland]

Excellent quality as always, the resin/sand casting looks nice and crisp too. Regarding 3D tourism, in the future it will likely be possible to quickly scan/film a whole area/walking route with a small autonomous drone, for viewing later in VR. Popular tourist spots could even have 'Live recording' areas for virtual tourists to move around in

[@Grunblau]

Exactly. We already have drones/RCs that can record the environment/mine shafts, etc…. Obviously no substitute for actually being there, but for those that can’t travel it could be amazing especially if the 4th dimension could be recorded like a waterfall or waves crashing on the beach.

[@ConnorHolland]

@@Grunblau If highly detailed 3D recordings are stored and preserved, it will also allow people even further in the future to 'time travel' back to the original date of recording

[@PatrickCordaneReeves]

Outstanding work, Brian! Could you possibly explain in brief what you're using to de-gas the molten aluminum?

[@Grunblau]

Thanks! I use washing soda (borax). I don’t mention it anymore because fist fights would break out in the comments as to whether it is necessary…. Works for me!

[@joshmyer9]

I'm going to assert that "Aluminum Ape" was the Weird Al parody version. (And if you're old enough to get the reference, you were probably also amused to see that handheld scanners are back, just in 3d now. I was. Can't wait for the flatbed equivalent to be cheap enough to plug into a parallel port!)

[@Grunblau]

Thanks for getting the reference 😉👍

[@digitalbase9396]

Great video, the epoxy sand is a new concept to me and looks awesome. can you please share the 3D STL file of the sculpture.

[@Shadismic]

Love it! Why didn’t you cast another one for me?

[@iteerrex8166]

3D CAD, 3D scanners, and C&C additive and subtractive tools, in the recent years have all added a lot to manufacturing, especially to personal projects. As always a nicely polished video.

[@Sno7373anon]

What is a good 3d scanner for a beginner in this hobby?

[@jknigga]

Great stuff! Though - I want to know more about that Z you have in your garage!

[@brukernavnfettsjit]

This turns the I can just "save a copy" NFT discussion on it's head. Lol. A physical object can be copied into digital and physical form both. There will be copyright discussions. But then again, we had this discussion ever since VCR'r and cassette tapes.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

IMO it's on display and I didn't see anyone request him not to scan it. I do think it wouldn't be right to release the scan publicly without permission, however.

[@sierraecho884]

Hey everyone, you can do that with your smartphone and some free or paid software too. I get very precise awesome full color scans with mine.

[@Grunblau]

Some day we will be able to reinhabit our vacation ‘photos’!

[@sierraecho884]

@@Grunblau I sure hope so! I can scan and place that stuff into Virtual Reality which I then walk thorugh via my VR HMD. Now there is an even simplier way to do that via Nvideas AI.

[@SmithDrewSmith]

I wonder if you could use the same epoxy technique but with granite powder to cast the sculpture, replicating the original material there too?

[@Grunblau]

Interesting… probably. I think a silicone mold could do it pretty easily… otherwise, finding the parting lines for a rigid mold would take some effort.

[@christophercook8]

Every one of your videos is inspiring. I want to try everything that you do.

[@geodezix]

make a bronze sculpture next time