Introduction to delft clay casting -

[@wizarddrongo]

Great work. Experienced delft-clay casting jeweler here (ironically I’m just about to start doing my lost-resin! My kayacast is on order!) You need to pour directly into the feed - on the last pour you can see the metal hitting the sand before it’s going into the spru. It needs to go straight in (tho turbulence can be an issue if it’s a deep pour). Compact the sand a LOT more. It needs to be super hard and firm. Loose sand = low details. You can also make the feed a bit wider. I wouldn’t go lower than 5mm at all. Silver especially cools so quickly you want to get it in asap. Don’t make the top of the feed too much wider than the bottom. You are relying on the pressure/mass of the metal above to push it down into the mould. If you make it too wider at the top the metal is pressing down on the feed not the other metal and you lose pressure so it won’t fill. Extra vents are always a good idea. Angles are critical. If the silver hits a hard angle it stops. Where your spru hits the mould, you have a hard defined line. That’s not good. Smooth that round (a bit like wax sprueing for lost resin) so the metal doesn’t hit a wall and freeze. Maybe switch to a smaller crucible or use more silver - you lost a fair bit on each pour and you want as much mass as possible to get in the feed to push it down. It’s essentially a gravity assisted casting so silver spilling off is silver that’s not pushing down.

[@TalRohan]

useful stuff thanks for this, I havent done much beyond simple casting blanks for lathe or forging work so knowing the extra details is great . much appreciated

[@vogman]

Thanks for the helpful tips. I really appreciate that 😁😁😁

[@rajathpawaskar]

informative,inspiring would love to see more similar videos or related to jewellery manufacturing

[@vogman]

Many thanks 😁

[@tonywharton5220]

Very impressive. I have a decent map gas torch I used to use while plumbing. I'm really looking forward to giving this a go with the dead man hand ring you created ✌️

[@vogman]

It's certainly worth experimenting with this style of casting as it's affordable and forgiving. However, I'm not sure the Dead Man's Hand ring can be cast using this method... it may be a little too complex.

[@tonywharton5220]

@@vogman Very true Mr V. Maybe try something a little simpler for my first go. Great video 👍

[@KimHarderFog]

I made a silver pendant for my wife, by using a small stick I found in the garden as a pattern, with this exact procedure - It went super smooth, and since it had an organic shape with almost no small details, the end result was like a carbon copy of the stick. Super easy to do :)

[@vogman]

A simple but very creative idea! Thanks for sharing 😁

[@HunterValleyDan]

Good video Geoff. I used this method to cast our wedding rings and a couple of medallions. The casting aspect of the process is much quicker, but as you can see, the detail is nothing like investment casting. I think it's a fun way of casting simple items. After a few crappy attempts, I found that having a short pouring sprue is better. As you are working with a relatively small casting, the metal freezes much faster. On larger castings Eg. a plaque, then it pays to have a pouring basin, sprue, spin trap etc. as you are dealing with more metal mass = more heat = more time for the metal to flow. I know the camera can be deceptive, however the sand you are using seems awfully course compared to the red delft clay that I have used in the past. However, after all that (hopefully) constructive criticism, the castings came out looking pretty good. Especially the pendant. So maybe don't take too much notice of my 'advice' 😁.

[@vogman]

All advice are constructive criticism are happily received here, Dan. I can remember you making those rings like it was yesterday. Take care buddy. 👍👍👍

[@christianblack2916]

Good video and I hope it gets more people to try casting. I find there is never enough hydro-static pressure of hot metal in small castings to get force-in good detail with this technique. I have seen people try vacuum-assist, but never tried that myself. The way to get this technique to shine is to do bigger castings - 100 to 500 grams. I make some nice brass door knockers that way.

[@vogman]

I can think of a few possible ways to introduce a vacuum. Perhaps if there's sufficient interest in this topic, I may concoct a few crazy experiments 😁😁😁

[@BrakhianSoldier]

@@vogman I would certainly be interested how budget friendly or even dyi vaccum assist on small cast can be done.

[@christianblack2916]

I thought you might see that as a challenge, Geoff! I am afraid to get sand in my vacc pump.

[@wizarddrongo]

@@vogmanCraig Dabler the casting guy does a vacuum assisted casting with a vacuum cleaner and a toaster oven to really get the most detail out of delft (he has videos on here) but you don’t need to - I’ve done some highly detailed gold castings before with delft.

[@PBRJOHN684]

It has taken me over a 24 hours to watch this as I in the middle of setting up Made-in-Wales. I started of with delft clay, but use the rectangular style of flask (and yes they don't stay together either, unless you duck tape them together) I'm now using Petrobond like ArtbyAdrock and others and get the same quality out the the pours each time. It takes me an hour to do a full mould making sure everything is right before I consider melting the metal of choice, but I do find slightly over heating the the metal for a good pour. if the Delft clay is not used often the oil can dry out (it's a bit like WD40) and the best thing to revitalise it is by using Two Stroke engine oil and mixing until the right consistency. But yes you can get some nice pendants out sand casting as I have made a load this way for members of my family.

[@vogman]

Thanks for sharing, buddy 😁

[@NymNymO2]

Finally content I have once subscribed for =). More of that please. By the way: use a siev for the first layer of sand that comes into contact with the object you want to cast. A bigger riser wouldn't hurt either. Vents aren't always the solution.

[@vogman]

Well I'm pleased you're pleased, though I have done a fair bit of casting lately. And I know what you mean about the riser... I'm just rusty when it comes to sand. Hopefully I'll get better 😁😁😁

[@christianblack2916]

Riser and vents can be used together - that's what I stubled my way into doing. Delft or petrobond are so cohesive you can poke a neat vent through with a syringe needle to take care of thin or pointy extremities in the mould

[@vogman]

Interesting

[@MrLuvbizwar]

Would definitely like to see a finer sand used with a more detailed piece. Thanks for sharing!

[@zid_just_zid]

Excellent stuff, ive done some pewter casting in oil bond sand, custom pull tabs for my leather jacket and a couple of belt buckles. Heated using a buthane torch looking just like the one shown, used a stainless steel decilitre measuring cup with its handle clamped in vice grips for my crucible. The method is the same other than the melting point of the metal i used being lower.

[@vogman]

I've never tried Petrobond, but I'd imagine it's much the same stuff. Thanks for sharing 😁

[@theghost1920]

That sand reminds me of green sand casting to be honest, I remember having ago at it about 28 years ago, sorting the mould out and an adult delt with the hot metal as i was just a child at the time. It was simple and fun thing to do! Keep the video's coming!

[@vogman]

This stuff is MUCH easier than green sand. I've done a fair bit with GS and it's very fragile. This stuff is surprising. It seems soft, but it really holds its shape well 😁

[@davidkomai]

Very cool video! It makes me very tempted to give it a try and add to the many hobbies I’ve started. 😂

[@vogman]

I'm glad I'm tempting you 😁

[@ShawnTheRazor]

I was just pricing everything out to do sand casting. Thanks for the helpful video.

[@vogman]

Glad to help 😁

[@Wavey75]

@VogMan, how many KWh does your furnace use? or, how long do you preheat it, then how long to melt the metal? I'm trying to figure out how much it will cost in KWh to run, as I'm also in the UK, the world's most expensive electricity lol

[@KumquatChampion]

How would you go about pouring a ring in one of these if there isn't a side hole? How would you situate the ring? Vertically? Sorry, I've been a long time follower and am guilty of buying a cheap Amazon kit but I am struggling to think of a good orientation!

[@CraigLYoung]

If I remember correctly, you used to do sand casting before getting into lost casting. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@vogman]

You're right... I did a little green sand and lost foam casting 😁

[@worshaw]

Try it with a different sand. Let us know what works. I like this option. Especially since I’m broke as a joke.

[@vogman]

To be honest, I enjoyed the technique so much, I've purchased some proper Delft Clay, so I'll be seeing if that makes a difference 😁

[@worshaw]

@@vogman I also appreciate that the process cause minor imperfections. With the right design, this could be a bonus rather than a detriment. Like the Skyrim shield, gives it an old, battle worn look. With less time in cad software to boot.

[@christianblack2916]

Petrobond, all day long

[@vogman]

Most of my castings are like that 😂🤣😂

[@adamrudling1339]

I find genuine delft clay a bit finer in texture than the cheaper petrobond style clays. I do think the sieving helps a bit.

[@petercoutu4726]

One experiment that I would like to see you Do is using the burnt sand as a parting compound instead of the baby powder.

[@vogman]

Ahhh... but that wouldn't smell as nice 😂🤣😂

[@neileddy6159]

I wonder if some dnd miniatures would be to detailed for this method, if i ever get to the point of doing metal castings, that is what i would like to do. Nice to see a less expensive system.

[@vogman]

The pose of the mini would have to be very simple I think... no sword waving, etc. But who knows.

[@Annonymous0283745]

When I cast with petrobond I usually just poke a hole through the pattern with a piece of straw from an old broom for a vent. Does delft clay require that much larger of a vent?

[@vogman]

I would imagine these products are all very similar 😁

[@andriosz]

How about some Zamak casting with this method? And maybe electroplating the results with something shinier?

[@vogman]

Many thanks 😁

[@juanofthekind]

Super cool!

[@vogman]

Thanks buddy 😁

[@ausfoodgarden]

Wow! I've always wanted to try this but don't have the dollars for the good gear. Maybe I can make something that works without a big investment. Great video!

[@vogman]

That's the benefit of this method... less financial outlay but still plenty of fun.

[@PrivacyEnt]

I think this also has a use case when you must have to keep the original part!

[@vogman]

Very true! 😁👍

[@JohnDoe-ny1wp]

Thanks for the video. I have been wondering about casting in Delft Clay. There's not too much info on it that I can find. Has anyone else been experiencing crucible failures lately? I know I have.

[@vogman]

There's plenty of videos out there, I'm sure, and probably producing better results than I did here. I approached this as a complete novice so I could share my thoughts / failures / successes. In terms of time and costs, it's a fabulous technique. As for crucibles, ease off the Borax. That stuff seems to eat crucibles 😁😁😁

[@thinge27]

As far as i know the original Delff Clay is red. This is sandcasting. I have experimented with many sorts of this kind of casting. Also Petrobond, which is also in many variations, but the original Delft Clay gives the best (fine details) result. Better is casting in what we in Holland called Brusselse Aarde, but that's lot more difficult because of the drying of that material. But you right Geoff, this is a reasonable result in a few hours.

[@vogman]

Thanks for your input 😁

[@OldManRogers]

What metals do you suggest?

[@vogman]

A cheap and easy metal is bronze. It's a great way to get started 😁 You can buy this as an alloy and mix Aluminum bronze, which is approximately 90% copper and 10% aluminum by weight.

[@OldManRogers]

@@vogman Brill. I used to make miniatures using petwer over the stove and rubber moulds as a child. Model kits/warhammer/etc is a big hobby of mine as well as 3d printing so it seems like a good next step to make something in 3d print then translate to metal

[@Del350K4]

I enjoyed this video and liked the results (well, the successful ones) - yet I can't see how this technique differs from green-sand casting.

[@vogman]

In fairness there's virtually no difference other than the sand. Green sand is a natural product which is believed to "breathe" allowing gasses to pass through. The problem is Green Sand is very fragile and takes considerable skill to truly master. Delft Clay, together with other products like Petrobond, are manmade. These are mixed with chemicals to make the sand bond much better and are much less fragile, allowing mould making to be that much easier. The downside is that gasses cannot pass through this sand, meaning venting becomes much more important. Other than that, Delft Clay is typically thought of in terms of jewellery and the use of small flasks, though of course with a bigger flask and plenty of sand, you could do anything 😁

[@Del350K4]

@@vogman Thank you, Goeff, for your thoughtful reply.

[@drivewithme2657]

You'll definitely see better results with finer sand- try the delft:)

[@vogman]

Many thanks 😁

[@o1ecypher]

try silica sand

[@vogman]

👍

[@klausbrinck2137]

5:12 emperor Hadrian

[@vogman]

I take your word for it 😁😁😁

[@SpentAmbitionDrain]

Nice vid. That flask is seriously bad. The fact that you cant lock it together somehow is honestly baffling.

[@vogman]

You get what you pay for, that's for sure. But it works well enough for me 😁