PLA vs Poly Cast: Which is better for casting metal.

[@klauserichsen9089]

Thank you for the interesting comparison video. Some hints: Use clear, uncolored PLA. Creates much less ash because there is no pigment. Some filament makers seam to "elongate" their material with minerals. I have never found this cost optimisations in clear PLA. To get rid of layer lines you can use clear varnish or Car polish.

[@Mistertbones]

I love how honest your review is, just like Honest Abe.

[@PaulsGarage]

They both look great! Another benefit of polycast, even if you don't burn it out perfectly, you still don't end up with a lot of surface crud. For printing it I noticed a little stringing but it printed fine at 215f and .15mm layer height, but every printer works differently. If you're want great detail and zero layer lines you'll probably need a resin printer, which I highly recommend. They are amazing

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Yeah, you might be right, I think I need a resin printer. I’m just not excited about dealing with the resin. Seems like a mess.

[@mevk1]

The two coolest DIY metal casters on KZbin -NICE! I think maybe VogMan uses resin and gets very good Smaller castings. Years ago, I always sprayed my patterns with auto body primer, then sanded, sprayed, repeat, until I got a mirror finish but most of my patterns were simpler, easier to sand. Lately I have not been able to find a primer that sands as nicely as they once did? Though sanding takes time it is definitely worth it if you want a pattern that will yield many castings, such as an Abe Lincoln master pattern. Very informative and interesting review of Poly Cast that I'm sure will yield many more masterpieces - well done!@@lundgrenbronzestudios

[@noviceartisan]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios I likewise suggest jumping to resin printers but... Only print in regular resins.. Make teh models as a shell mould. That way you can pour in your wax, then split the mould to get a pretty clean wax to cast that can be chased pre investment ;) Or regular resin, then make a multipart silicone or gelcoat resin shell from that. But no real reson to be so advanced unless it's a mega complex piece that just printing a thin shell to pour the wax into won't work just fine for :) I use castable resins, namely Siraya Cast Purple, Siraya Cast True Blue and Bluecast X-One. But typically for one offs and stuff that's too complex to even want to think about moulding for mass production. Otherwise, I'll print a master then make a mould from it, sometimes print the shell. For me I prefer silicone and gelcoat/resins etc to make a mould from a master print, but that's just cos I like making mess and wasting money when I don't need too lol Bad habits for the win! xD

[@dekutree64]

The stuff left from the PLA is pigment. Use clear/natural PLA and it will burn completely.

[@supergiantbubbles]

It's nice to see your casting skill progress. Your editing skills are improving too. I can't tell for sure, but it looks like you didn't de-gas your plaster before pouring it. Might be worth doing. You'll get less rise in your flask when you vacuum it, allowing you to pull deeper, smaller bubbles out. I'd like to remind everyone that wearing fire resistant clothing while pouring hot metal is a good idea. Molten metal on a plastic shoe can lead to painful injuries. Some heavy fire rated chaps is a good idea too. Molten metal has a lot of heat energy. If it get's trapped against your skin you'll regret it. PPE is important. Use it. Also, I'd try blowing out the Polycast. Not blowing it out may have caused those surface defects on the head and shoulders. Your best video to date.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Thank you for that advice. And you have a good eye, you’re right I didn’t de gas the investment before pouring it. That may be a good for me to add though.

[@stuhall1984]

Loving all your videos down here in NZ bro. Super cool

[@HPRaceDevelopment]

ha loved this. The tape mistake is how life goes. Thanks for sharing I really want to tackle some castings and this helps huge

[@robinson-foundry]

Interesting comparison! Thanks for doing it for us. I don't think I'll be using Polycast anymore. I find it difficult to print and difficult to burnout using my method of removing most of it before firing the shells. I'm sure it has its application but not for what I do. The ability to smooth it with alcohol is the the biggest plus but is that worth the price?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

You’ve got the lost PLA casting down to a science. I don’t find it as easy to print with either. So I think I’ll only use it for some projects.

[@skyehog]

Thanks for taking the time to review Polycast Lucas. I’ve been looking at it but put off by the price- thinking I may take the plunge now. By the way, I have had success with ash removal during organic (twig) casting by letting the burned out flask cool completely and vacuuming the ash out before bringing the flask back up to casting temperature. I don’t think the investment manufacturers recommend it but using Goldstar it worked fine. Takes away the stress of trying to die-ash a hot flask. Just a thought…great channel BTW

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Yeah that’s might be a good option to try. I never thought about using a vacuum.

[@kslayer0]

quick note about this filament as well is the company says to print between 40-60mm/s which i missed my first couple prints and after i adjusted for that ive gotten amazing results printing with it

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

That’s good to know thanks!

[@Guitarkungfu]

Oss!! Thanks for the polycast review! I was curious about this stuff. I bought some and it's sitting on the shelf.

[@coupdegenie51]

Thank you for all your videos which highlight lost wax casting! 😊For my part, as I don't heat the plaster molds very high, I've already had residues with PLA whereas I've never had any with polycast. To obtain better-defined results, I also use bluecast X one, which is considerably more expensive, and even more expensive VisiJet M2 ICast (MJP) from 3d systèms. It all depends on the purpose of the project. I have an ambitious project to create a version of Notre-Dame de Paris 😅.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I’ve been thinking of getting a resin printer and trying castable resin.

[@TheJohndeere466]

I wonder if you could coat the pla print with some kind of spray wax so when the pla is burned out its not actually touching any of the plaster. Maybe the ash wouldnt get backed on to the plaster this way and fall away better.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Be worth some experimenting.

[@richardrestorations]

I was just looking into using polycast thanks for the comparison

[@chadburud5681]

Nice work as always! What do you have coming up for sale soon? Oh and glad to see your getting more views! Highly deserved!

[@RacknRuinGame]

Have you considered experimenting with different types of patinas? You can do so much with bronze. Even adding a little ferric nitrate on top your liver of sulfur will enhance the golds of your patinas. It would add some more content to the channel and elevate the work to a new level. Great channel, i love all your videos.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

That sounds like a good idea. I don’t know a whole lot about patinas.

[@danieldickson1407]

I was amazed how many patina are available. I wish they showed you what each one looked like before you make the purchase.

[@jamescampbell8380]

Great video! I'm new to casting... How imperative is the kiln? Is it possible to use and oven or something more conventional??

[@Gallardo6669]

Excellent job. Thx for sharing the knowledge!

[@Emcee72]

Fantastic video! I can never seem to get the ash out of my investment molds so I''ll give Polymaker a try!

[@samuelhayes5198]

Could you look into the "light weight PLA"? It's pla that foams when heated and foams more or less depending on the heat. I would think that this foaming pla would be perfect for lost pla casting? Thanks!

[@appatula]

Looks like the profile of a belmont ingot cut in half if I'm remembering my old foundry days correctly! Still use some of my Batchelder aluminum ingots as doorstops.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I get my ingots from Lancaster foundry

[@stevesloan6775]

In Adelaide South Australia, we say “Sleep in your eyes”.

[@chazlabreck]

"You are a peasant" had me laughing so i knew i was going to enjoy this presentation..

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

😆 glad you enjoyed it.

[@jornski8043]

What are some of your book suggestions to learn to start bronze casting?

[@stevesloan6775]

I’m so glad I found this channel. 🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀

[@JonDurf]

What if you made a wax casting from the PLA model and the. Make your mold from there? It would be extra work, but you could smooth out all the flaws in the wax BEFORE you made the final mold. Also you could re use the 3D prints over and over to make wax molds.

[@lukep1461]

Really nice work, perhaps you could minimize the blurring with a vaporization chamber.

[@savinmihaiaureliu9320]

helo, what printing settings do you recommend for the poly cast ? (I am using a bamboo a1)

[@rufustoad1]

Really nice job!! I am looking at casting a few tidbits just to learn. Where do you get your bronze?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Lancaster foundry in Pennsylvania.

[@LunarburnStudio]

Nice comparrison and well done video. With the standard investment what temp are you burning out the polycast? same as the PLA? The reason I ask is I think the inclusions in the PC was from not completely burning out.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Yes I did both of them at the same temperature. The kiln holds at about 1,100-1,200°F and that’s where I hold it for about 10ish hours. However I don’t hold to a strict schedule on my burn outs and maybe I should.

[@LunarburnStudio]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios You would think that 10 hours at 1200F would do it. I know that much higher than that for standard investment is a problem. The specs I came across for PC say 1650F/900C which is fine for shells, as that is the temp I vitrify my shells at. My typical burnout is to get it to 1650 quickly then hold for 20-30 min. Your video reminds me that I need to finish up my Polycast experiments and do a video.

[@669neverdone]

What was your burn out time and temps thanks

[@RezaJr-o1s]

Mister kalau sisa lilin nya masih ada di dalam labu Apakan penyebab cairan metal meluap seprti air mendidih ketika di tuang

[@richardjuelfs4502]

Acetone fuming might be worth a try to get rid of the layer lines

[@faramineuzefotos2975]

Works with ABS, not with PLA I'm told.

[@rafaelteixeira1539]

Hi, could you do it with silver or gold?

[@pllagunos]

Earned a suscriber here, really top notch informative and entertaining videos. Have you thought about using resin printers? Those would leave no lines and I think there are some resins on the market that burn as easily as wax

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I just got a resin printer and have some videos in the works.

[@slicktires2011]

How is your PLA burnout process? temp and time? I'm trying to do it, and it always smells badly, at around 350C. It's hard to do a burnout in the garage because of the smell...

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I keep the garage door open. I don’t have an exact time and temp. But I bring it up to about 1400 F over about 5 hours, hold there for about 4 hours or more.

[@slicktires2011]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios Thanks for the answer. What about the smell? Is it strong?

[@wmcrash]

Did you completely give up on trying to find a reusable gasket for the flask? That is my last missing piece as I try to get my setup together.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Yep. I just use the silicone calk each time.

[@trendstrategics]

Why don't you 3d print a gasket with tpu? @@lundgrenbronzestudios

[@soccerpaintball6881]

I have a question about polycast would I be able to destroy it easily if I use it inside a mold and I needed to extract or dig it out it without heat. Would polycast be able to hold its shape under a little bit of pressure. I'm not going to be able to use heat because I'm making my object with carbon fiber resin. I wanted to use water soluble filament but from what I understand I won't be able to get enough detail because it's a messy print.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I’m not sure what you’re going for but it is about as strong as PLA from what I can tell. It feels the same to me.

[@soccerpaintball6881]

@@lundgrenbronzestudiosThank you I was hoping that this stuff would be strong enough to hold its shape but easy enough to break apart and extract out of a molded object

[@austinarreguin1]

Thank you for the info. Great video.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

You’re welcome!

[@3DAstroTC]

Just found your channel, great stuff!!!

[@chrisfab1525]

Great video as ever.

[@sergiolopezmoriano3486]

Can you explain me how you did to vacuum the metal?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

The investment is porous so air is drawn through it.

[@chrisleech1565]

It would be interesting to do a comparison btwn Polycast and other PVB on the market. I have a roll purchased at $27CAD which is about to go thru the temp tower test. Anything to save a few bucks especially when it all gets disposed of during the burn out. But then I am a rank beginner to casting metal, so there is lots to learn :-)

[@redbinary]

What time and cone are you using for burnout in your kiln?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

It’s about 1,100°F for 10 hours.

[@mohamedmm2905]

I have factory and i cast bronze , What type of material burns best after the ceramic , i tried the pla but it doesn’t brurn well so it’s doesn’t come out clean after casting ,, Is there a way to talk privately?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

This poly cast burns out well. And the make castable resin for resin printing that burns out very well. A tip for PLA is to use compressed air to blow out any ash left behind. It will give you much cleaner castings.

[@mohamedmm2905]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios Are there specific types of poly cast suitable? And according to your knowledge, what type of printer is suitable for this work?

[@leoparcoeur]

Thanks

[@Gertjan1975]

As always, a fantastic video I like the way you dit do it vérry mutch

[@RainyDayForge]

Im attempting to burnout the PLA from a sand cast. 🤷🏽‍♂️ It’s in the kiln right now…

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Hmmm. Interesting method. Hope it works out.

[@RainyDayForge]

It worked. I’ll post a community post or what ever they’re called.

[@cindylundgren1924]

Another wonderful and interesting video. It would be fun to "shadow" you sometime to see you in action!

[@henrikstenlund5385]

The layer lines must be gotten rid of. Maybe the pattern can be treated with ethyl a few times. Then some plastic pattern catching to restore details in the pattern.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Or it’s time to go to a resin printer.

[@alastairohara7265]

i think on the yoda your getting blistering its from copper tin. been to hot u can over heat the temps have to be spot on

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

The Yoda isn’t the only example. And it’s not the only metal I’ve used. It works better to blow out the mold.

[@GameArtsCafe]

Have you tried printing with metal filament then sinter it? All detail should remain. Maybe all the cleanup and casting steps can be avoided although id like to make reusable molds for non fully rounded pieces.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I don’t think regular people print with metal filament. Those are incredibly expensive specialist type machines.

[@GameArtsCafe]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios Are you kidding? There are a few makers of Metal filled filament mixed with PLA. one maker is protopasta , another is Bronze Filamet™ You don't need any specialized 3D Printer, but it does require filawarmer to help get the filament to and pass through the extruder. Virtual Foundry has helpful instructions.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

@@GameArtsCafe oh ok. that’s still plastic filament. It just has metal in it. I thought you were talking about metal 3D printing which is a whole other thing. No I have never tried using this type of filament.

[@GameArtsCafe]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios with the metal filament method, you sinter it to burn off the plastic to get 100% metal end product. I suspect you'd have to pack it in sand, maybe with pressure to maintain shape. I'm working towards setting this all up. Just got a kiln, and a k1 max printer but i need a few more supplies/tools. I thought you might have tried this and I wanted to know what you'd prefer between the methods.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

@@GameArtsCafe interesting. You should send me a picture of how it works for you. I’d be interested in seeing the end results.

[@slidingcylinder2strokeengi848]

My 2 rolls of polycast both, at around 65% used, the filament stuck together on the roll and couldn't be used and were thrown out. An expensive exercise.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I had the same thing happen.

[@robertroberts2795]

I always use natural. I find colors leave residue .

[@mensahniikweikwuma-ss1qs]

Nice

[@Lionstarr86]

Why dont Print this in Wachs Resin?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Because not everyone has a resin printer.

[@shawnieleaf2277]

Ah fuck! Why couldn’t KZbin have shown me this video before painstakingly sanding 20 3d figurines

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

😆 I think I’m just going to get a resin printer come Black Friday.

[@robertrobertsroberthembree]

the little holes looks porosity

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I believe that is the definition of porosity. Tiny holes.

[@robertrobertsroberthembree]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios maybe I should been mores specific, Gas porosity. Spinne Cast. Smart Ass

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

@@robertrobertsroberthembree how am I supposed to know what you mean.

[@TurdFergusen]

Perfect timing got my first roll of polycast yesterday and it gave me my first mid print failure :|

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

So what’s your initial opinion of it? You think you will like using it?

[@TurdFergusen]

@@lundgrenbronzestudiosNot sure yet… Im going to try some more prints tonight with your 205 deg suggestion wish me luck!

[@Rattus79]

Aussie here, they're called "eye boogers".

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

😆

[@kristiancolley8290]

I call them Eye boogies 😂

[@alastairohara7265]

use washing up liqid be for u por the ivestment plaster let it dry no bubels

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

By washing up liquid, do you mean dish soap? Like dawn dish soap?

[@alastairohara7265]

yes liguid most shops well do and when u por in to your ivestment por it like your drinking a can of soder you get les bubbels think your temp is rong i do 4 hours at 170 then over 3 hours to 750 for 4 hours .but saying that i did a fast bern out and didt have as meny lines in the cast but still getting blisters may be doing a cast with a big opening to see in side as to why its doing it @@lundgrenbronzestudios

[@robertroberts2795]

I have used polycast. I dont like it as well as pla.

[@jackwilliamson1929]

Have you seen those Hobo nickels and quarters where they alter the face on the coin, usually into a skull, well I bet you could do that to your 3d Abe guy maybe with a sodering iron or wood burning iron or just a qtip and alcohol to sculpt the resin after you print him. Then cast em. The thing with 3d prints are they're someone else's ideas. If you have an Idea it takes alot of time to model it in the software, if you can even pull that off then all the supplies and failed prints so it just seems like original ideas, unless you just want other people's stuff, come to fruition faster and less expensive by modeling them in clay but then again what the hell do I know. Great video though I enjoy your mistakes as much as your successes. They say an expert is someone who has made every possible mistake in their field of expertise.

[@yousefashry2897]

please try casting a turbocharger compressor wheel and turbine wheel :D

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Sounds precise.

[@HarrisonDavies]

I’d invest in a multi material 3d printer. That way you can print parts of the model in pla and others in poly cast. You can paint which sections in your slicer and assuming they will stick together you maintain definition in some critical parts and smoother finish in others.

[@jackfntwist]

Nice. Look forward to a lot more cool castings on ebay. i liked the bugs. And would love a horse. Abe's a little boring. Maybe I'll hold out till you start the nudes phase of your work. Lol. jk

[@GreenFox1505]

It's kinda weird to open your video with "I tried to get bribed to make this video, but instead I'm going to be honest"

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

You apparently haven’t watch many videos of creators saying “hey this company sent me this stuff but trust me anyway”.

[@cokecamilo]

​@@lundgrenbronzestudiosI haven't seen any of your other videos, so I'm with the original comment

[@cokecamilo]

Guess I can at least trust this video lmao

[@Stuff_happens]

I didn’t get my bad vibes from that. What’s wrong with getting supplies from manufacturers for a review?

[@canadiangemstones7636]

@@Stuff_happens If you accept a gift, you are biased, and your video becomes a commercial, not an honest review.

[@alastairohara7265]

1 to 1

[@odinata]

Duck butter

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Ok.

[@waliza001]

Switch to the resin printing

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Do they make a resin for metal casting?

[@MadMatMetals]

I use Siraya Tech Cast 3D Printer Resin purple. The purple was made for beginners not sure what that means, it’s easy to add wax to the prints but you can’t melt away stuff. It sands an files great. The True Blue I think acts more like wax and it’s what most jewelry guys use. The KZbinr VOG man has a bunch of reviews and how twos. BTW I got the Lincoln bust yesterday and I LOVE IT, thanks!

[@danieldickson1407]

Gunkers=eye snot, haha

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

😆

[@avgjoeshow4208]

So you pretty much admitted that if they sponsored your video we wouldn’t have gotten a totally honest review?? Nice. Know who not to trust their word of.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

No. Not at all what that means. I used the word “brutally honest” not “totally honest”, I said nothing that would indicate I would be anything other completely honest, but whatever. Please do not subscribe.

[@avgjoeshow4208]

Pretty sure the very first thing you said was “I emailed Polycast to see if they wanted to sponsor this video, they didn’t respond, so this is going to be a brutally honest review” that’s exactly what that sounds like.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

@@avgjoeshow4208 yes and maybe English is not your first language but you should look up the meaning of brutal. It does not have anything to do with honesty or not. I would never be anything but honest and I only said that to highlight the honesty of my review. But again, please do not subscribe to my channel.

[@4DRC_]

It’s called a joke

[@JonDurf]

What if you made a wax casting from the PLA model and the. Make your mold from there? It would be extra work, but you could smooth out all the flaws in the wax BEFORE you made the final mold. Also you could re use the 3D prints over and over to make wax molds.

[@masterblaster7879]

you dip it in what type of liquid and brand? thanks