MACHINE SHOP TIPS

[@dalegriggs5392]

Mr. Pete, I like looking at your many different videos you’ve made over the years. This one brings back memories of the hours I spent over a plumber’s pot just like the one you have. This was normally a shop mounted device but my dad made a mounting bracket to put it right on top of a propane tank so we could take it to job sites. I always questioned the safety factor but we never had a tank blow. I spent a lot of time fishing the Illinois river and the sloughs and bar pits around Valley City. A considerable amount of my dad’s plumbing lead were turned into sinkers. I made my own molds and even made weights to put on a couple of gill nets I fished in the river currents. Dale

[@mrpete222]

Yes, I have melted a lot of lead. in my life. I am surprised I am not dead from lead poisoning. And I fished alot in that Illinois River

[@BoffinGrusky]

Keep 'em coming Mr. Pete and ramble as much as you please!! I NEVER miss one of your videos!!!

[@samehimac]

twitter.com/8a3d0d4d623a974fd/status/719079525670395904 toоo get real free gamеs MACHINE SHOP TTIPS 162 Рart 1 MMaking Flywhеels for Model Steam Enginees tubаaalcaaaain

[@idahodad1]

Ramble away, these videos are priceless.

[@gary.solexa]

When I first heard you mention lead flywheels in another video, I found myself turning my nose up. But looking at this I see a wonderful process, great tooling and a superb end result.

[@mrpete222]

🤙

[@MyWillyboi]

I find it hard to believe, that only 2 people in the world that have made their own molds for the flywheels. CNC's are amazing for this type of thing, Molds piece of cake!

[@lestergrenz5002]

Very interesting. I spent 50 years in the printing industry starting at age 13. As a kid I did a lot of casting when hot metal was king in the industry. Thing of the past now.

[@bozkurt158]

I'm sure your students are watching you now, with much love/respect, you really are "one-of-a-kind".

[@craigstorer4673]

Dear mrpete222, I really enjoyed this video. You have a good speaking voice and it is relaxing to listen to and watch this video. I enjoy you rambling on about things or telling your personal viewpoints about things. Watching your videos is like visiting a friend while they are working in their shop on a mutially interesting topic. I haven't seen a plumber's furnace since my father used one for sealing castiron drain piping under a new house in 1965. I think they had to stuff some sort of rope looking material in the joint first. hmmm? I recently melted down a 20oz. fishing sinker in a pan over a single burner camping stove. Doesn't heat the lead up as nicely as those old Plumber's furnaces though. Take care! I will probably cast my own flywheels in the future, but I agree with you, they will be too labor intensive for me to want to sell any of them.

[@JWW922]

Thank you for your time in making these videos, always interesting. I use to pour lead figures and I used rubber molds. The company I bought the molds from recommended and I used graphite powder as a release agent. Dusted the mold and never had a problem. Goes a long way. John

[@lacetmiel]

I always felt that the real "danger" from a linotype machine wass the damned noise. All the old guys in the composing room were deaf from working around a half dozen of those machines going full blast. Of course they have gone the way of the horse and buggy, but they were sure a mechanical marvel.

[@not2fast4u2c]

Those moulds are a work of Art !!!

[@markfryer9880]

I was thinking last night that the large vice might be acting as a heat sink until it warmed up, and when you consider the cold [ambient temperature] out in the garage it would really suck out heat from the aluminium mold. Pre heating or insulating the vice would definitely pay dividends Mr Pete.

[@mrpete222]

You are right!

[@mikeschotte9480]

My Grandfather was a pressman for almost 40 years. You wouldn't believe the thousands of things around the house and garage that he cast from molten lead. I keep finding them where I least expect it.

[@geoffgwyther7269]

Judgeing from the way that the lead flows , I would say having the melt just a little hotter would help. Also you don`t have any vent ways in the moulds. The air in the mould has to come out past the inflowing lead. 2 vents each side , only 1mm sqr cross section would be bound to help. shot gun lead pellets also have antimony in the mix.

[@77goofyguy]

Thank you for posting this. One trick you may consider when casting lead with an aluminum mould is to apply carbon black to your casting surfaces. A kitchen match or two will do a pretty good job of this and it makes your release much nicer.

[@lingcod91]

mrpete- in video 162 you gave a rant about lead, also a pet peeve of mine. I had a Stained Glass business, plus did years of electronic work . . . No apparent health issues. Granted it is a danger but it's believed you fall over dead after a single encounter with it. In Portland Oregon, a bridge was due for repainting. When it was discovered that the original primer was red lead the city went nuts. (Wasn't flaking off) Gotta' Come Off--Deadly Chemical--Hazardous Material. What did they do . . . sandblasted the whole bridge . . . into the Willamette River below . . . then safely proceeded. They created more problems than if they'd left it alone. I now work with oil painting, and can say there is nothing as good as white lead for a primer. It's how the Old Masters produced such brilliant paintings. A toddler would have to eat an entire Rocking Horse to have a problem with lead in paint.

[@TexasDellDude]

Thank you Mr Pete. I think I'll try lead and make something like your flywheels before moving up the temperature scale and trying aluminum. Awesome videos, keep 'em coming!

[@74KU]

On the topic of the magic marker inside your mold, heating it actually bakes it one somewhat and makes it harder (but still reasonably easy to remove with spirits)

[@oldSawyer]

Guess I shouldn't have scrapped my bucket of wheel weights last year...... Great video as always. Keep them coming.

[@jasonsytsma9367]

love watching your videos. the do it yourself style and older way of thinking matches my own. i cast a bit of lead here and there and find that dipping the mold in the pot brings the mold up to temp quicker. works great on bullets although you might need three arms . cheers

[@wisprngwind]

Great video I enjoy watching other craftsmen doing what they do for themselves. Our attitudes are also very much in sink.

[@jimjoyce7191]

Mr. Pete that is a very informative video. I cast my own bullets and find that if you flux the molten metal in the pot by dropping a small chunk of bullet lube or beeswax in the pot and stir with your ladel or other piece of metal. That will make your alloy more consistent especially with wheel weights. Also purifies the metal and then can skim the dross off and have much cleaner castings. Keep up the videos I like them.

[@martinwalters1954]

Nice work! So you build steam engines. Interesting. I'll be looking at the rest of your videos. I'm interested in steam machines. Speaking of which, imagine what those guys went through casting giant steel wheels for steam locomotives. Holy moly. And then machining them. That stuff blows my mind.

[@mrpete222]

+Martin Walters Thanks

[@garygsp3]

Mr. Pete, haven't I seen your Grandson Jordon use a non contact temperature probe while your playing with the steam engines to take the temperature of the boilers? Have you ever thought of using that to take the temperature of the mold when everything is pouring good? That way you know what your mold target temperature needs to be for the next time you pour.

[@rysammy]

Milling .0005" deep vent slots, to let the gases escape, will help with your short shots. I am not sure what the flash point is on your material, but I am almost sure you can mill the vent slots a little deeper. Great videos by the way! I am now an Industrial engineer, but I was a plastic injection mold maker, for 12 years, before finishing my engineering degree.

[@mrpete222]

+rysammy Thanks for watching!--I need to try that

[@mattstevens4667]

Your 'gate' where your molten aluminium flows should be slightly offset from the point where you physically pour...i.e. you should have a sort of pond that overflows down into the gate. This helps prevent hot spots in certain places and also helps prevent turbulance which can lead to porosity amongst other things. Interesting video ...

[@mrpete222]

Thanks

[@fall22123]

REALLY enjoyed the videos. I wanted to mention, in case anyone was interested in making something similar to your molds, that I've made something similar to that on the lathe. It involved some form tool grinding but it can be done. After that, you could cut the spokes on a mill. I've never cast anything they way you did but you might want to try experimenting with some venting sometime. I have a few bullet molds and I've noticed some of them have shallow grooves cut across the faces. I always assumed they are vents.

[@morg52]

I wonder if you insulated the jaws of the vice and maybe vibrated the molds as you poured them, perhaps you could get a more consistent result.

[@eliduttman315]

I think the typemetal slug you showed was made by Ludlow, not Linotype. Notice that the printing surface is larger than the support below it. Also, notice the marks on the support. Ludlow used individual character molds and a special composing stick. The stick had clamping features. The character molds would be hand stacked, clamped, and the slug cast. Eli D.

[@skoue4165]

I have actually used a Linotype machine! Linotype metal is a mix of a bunch of metals so it will set fast and be hard. Linotype alloy consists of 4% tin, 12% antimony and 84% lead

[@mrpete222]

I had much linotype metal and type metal that I use years ago from the school print shop. It is very hard lead.

[@gvet47]

You really need to smoke the mold to make it easier to release the part. By holding the mold in your vise it is sucking the heat from the lower part of the mold so hard to keep it warm. It would help if you had more vents in your mold. Fine score marks from the wheel to the outer edge in the face of the mold would help as vents.

[@RupertBruce]

My brothers and I used to dig bullets out of the sand at the rifle range for hard lead.

[@mrpete222]

Yes thanks

[@ScottHenion]

Interesting. Most casting i have seen have an in and out sprew. That gives the air somewhere to go. I notice in your sandcasting you did not have one either. I would think it would flow better and I know in sandcastting, it is somewhere for loose sand to go. I guess in a vertical mold it is hard to set up.Maybe a very thin groove in one side for the air to go. the lead would probably cool before it got far into it. Yes, those moulds are a nice piece of work. I bet you would finde a few people who will pay $50 for the flywheel ;) Thanks again, someday I'll do some aluminum casting. I have your casting vids bookmarked for when I do.

[@TheJesusno2]

Mr.pete. I know you said you don't make the flywheels often, but I would think a temp stick, or a thermal heat gun would help you find a good temprature to preheat the mold to, before you go through all that trouble. Just a thought, thanks for all your great video's I watch everyone.

[@swarfscaledrossandflash1884]

Perhaps wood vise jaws would bring the lower part of your mold up to heat faster.

[@DoRC]

ive switched my files to the nicholson soft plastic handles from the wood ones. they make a big difference in hand fatigue. i suggest trying them out:)

[@martinwalters1954]

Amazing! First time I've seen one of those plumbers pots since I was 8 yrs old, in 1954, in Naval housing. And speaking of "moisture" and molten lead, one of the plumbers gave me a pound of lead, which I immediately began melting on my mother's gas stove, in one of her pots, to make fishing sinkers. Thing was..I was, I tried using those little gas cylinders that came with model race cars of the time for a mold. Dumb me. One drop of moisture and it would have exploded like a bomb. Give's me shudder's just thinking of the things I did back then. Like sticking my hand in around cactus to catch snakes. In Corpus Cristi TEXAS. It's a wonder I'm still alive.

[@mrpete222]

+Martin Walters Me too--we did crazy things

[@groggpappa]

Your moulds are fine, have you tryed using the real foundry clay? You can use your metal moulds and make a plaster moulds to use on the clay, then try and have more channels on th 60 degree and 120 degree lf the flywheel to make syre not to have airpockets and eliminate airbubbles in the mould, it takes a bit mkre mashining after but you gain perfect shape and a perfect piece of metal to work with with no foundry "error"

[@tom7601]

When I worked on printing equipment in the Denver area, back in the early 90s, a couple of our customers had Lineotype machines. I remember they were noisy, smelly, and really complicated! Linotype Machine Tom - Vista, CA

[@Sqeezerful]

Well - regarding the effects on lead on your health, maybe you are interested in "Franklin's lost expedition". Lead as solder for tin cans (with food in them) can bring a group of strong mens to their knees and way further... So I recomend washing hands after working with lead as a minimal safety measure. And do it like Bill Clinton: Never inhale ... Nice video, thanks!

[@fordsure]

Keep up the great work! And keep up your comments about whats not quite right about the world, i wholeheartedly agree with everything you say! Thanks for your clips mrpete222

[@josaljo1]

When making your flywheels you said you cannot make them out of aluminum, is that because of the mold or aluminum wont work as a flywheel.

[@mrpete222]

+Josaljo Won Actually both. You cannot pour alum into an alum mold

[@mrpete222]

+zumbazumba1 I'd like to try that

[@SzymekCRX]

Maybe You could check the temperature of the mold before pouring lead with an IR thermometer ? Or being oldschool check the temp with special pens like Keith Fenner did ? :)

[@pierresgarage2687]

Hi mrpete, Those are definitively nicer wheels, a little more trouble to make. That's the difference between functionality and art. A little poison in the environment might be ok, but, if we are too many doing it, then, we put ourselves in danger. You have a way to keep us interested, keep on going strong... Pierre

[@mrpete222]

+pierre beaudry Thanks

[@daleburrell6273]

Pierre's Garage NOBODY GETS OUT OF THIS LIFE ALIVE...AND EVEN WATER CAN BE DEADLY- IT'S CALLED DROWNING!!!

[@davew368]

"Oh nevermind...you know what I mean" Yes I do and thumbs up Mr. Peterson.

[@groggpappa]

Try having more channels on the 60 and 120 geegres of the wheelmluld, rhat pregent airpockets and gices a very nice shape, it takes a bit more mashining after but you will gain a perfect shape and flow of the metal.

[@lancebrumfield3654]

Hello Sir! My I recommend a small counter top oven to preheat your molds and lead? You could better control the temperature and it would probably heat up faster.

[@ClownWhisper]

I was in charge of setting the type for my high school paper and did so on line - O- type machine. It looked like somthing that Walt Disney built. It was neglected prior to my 3 years of intervention. I would stay after school every day to clean lubricate the beast. When I say lubricate I mean rub all of the components down with graphite and ruin another pair of jeans. Regarding the EPA... My brother and sister in law(s) lived in a house that was adjacent to a former shooting range. There kid tested off the charts for lead levels in his blood and has slight learning disability now. The EPA closed down access to ground water for the area and ordered the physical clean up of the property involved. Untold numbers of kids were spared possible brain damage because the EPA stepped in after it was reported that there ws a correlation between children with high-level of lead in thier blood from that area. They are nessesary in society of people that do not take personal responsibility for their own actions. Unfortunately

[@rbrianlindahl5499]

you could probably take some of the guesswork out with a cheap hand-held laser thermometer. could tell you both the temp of the metal in your pot as well as the outside temp of the mold. as for the wheel weights - lead may not be that harmful in certain situations, but if it's out in the environment, it can cause issues. it'll dissolve into the waterways and show up in fish and many other animals. doing what you're doing, focused on safety, wouldn't worry me at all. in fact, i may try it someday when i get started making those cute little steam engines. :) and keep ramblin'. it's not a bad thing.

[@stevecoffman1576]

mrpete, I cast my own bullets and I use a candles to blacken my molds and it works great. Give it a try you'll like it.

[@BedsitBob]

Regarding releasing the castings from the mould. Have you tried coating the mould with soot, from a candle flame? I used that method, when I used to cast my own pistol bullets.

[@HistoricSteamTV]

Prepping the mold with talculm powder with give a great finish and really help with the detail a flow.

[@darrelsartin4355]

If you're planning on melting lead soon, consider getting a non-contact thermometer like they use for forehead temperature. There are models that will measure over 700 degrees F.

[@mrpete222]

Thanks

[@cpcoark]

I see on the large flywheel you have dement ions on it. What are the for the small one? I would like to try to build one of those molds.

[@jcThib]

I would be very interested to see how you made the mold. There seems to be different end mill bits used there to make the different round shapes. If you don't want to make a new mold, may be you could show the end mills and show the path on the existing mold. Thank you for all those videos you have made!

[@mrpete222]

+JC InfiniteWood Thanks for watching. No plans for a vido on that--its a huge job. I use ball end mills of diff sizes & tapered end mills. all readily available

[@jcThib]

+mrpete222 thank you for telling about the different bits. That's already very helpful.

[@chrisandersen3213]

I used to form up lead type when I was younger as an apprentice printer. We used to use them for printing raffle tickets. Don't see it much anymore.........

[@raymondcowell1947]

Excellent, love these very precise

[@gwheyduke]

Good video on casting ! I do quite bit of sand casting in Aluminum and Brass. I'm going to have to try making a gravity casting mold like yours.

[@maverick50616]

great video, keep 'em coming

[@MaturePatriot]

Lot of tin in the Linotype. Did you ever get a laser thermometer for measuring your lead temp? I have a large pancake of homemade bee's wax to flux my lead for bullet casting. I have about a half ton of lead I've gathered over the years. That's what you have to watch for in the temperature, to make sure you don't get hot enough to melt the zinc. I always smoke my moulds before casting bullets.

[@MattsMotorz]

You said you don't want the metal to get too hot? How come??

[@pfflyer1963]

Great video. Have you ever tried “Hot mill gloves”. Similar dexterity to the gloves you use but they handle heat better

[@mrpete222]

Have not, never heard of them

[@sammorgan31]

I use aluminum Lee bullet molds. The directions on those say to smoke the mold with a match or a Bic lighter.

[@mrpete222]

+sammorgan31 I'll try that

[@Mitchiedean]

I realize that you probably have no need or desire to make another mold. But i am very curious about it. As im sure others are. Did you cast these molds as with your lead hammer? Or did you just machine them from stock aluminum.

[@mrpete222]

Machined from solid stock

[@JohnLoganMcKee03]

Doesn't your vise draw off a lot of heat from your molds?

[@1NRG24Seven]

I would pay 50 dollars for one. And the shipping.

[@KingRatt]

I said the same thing when he mentioned that. I know I have at least one steam engine with a broken flywheel.

[@absalomdraconis]

It occurs to me that there's probably a specialty solder that would melt at the right mold-temperature. Just touch, and if it beads up, pour lead.

[@Bowtie41]

I may have asked before,and just not remember,but where in IL are you?I'm a big time fan of yours,and live in Granite City.

[@mrpete222]

+Bowtie41 See this video for home. WINTER SALE on tubalcain Machine Shop Videos & Bridgeport courses

[@paralleler]

Fantastic sir! Thank you!

[@mrpete222]

+paralleler Thanks for watching

[@luisguima1]

hi mrpete 222, what kind of metal did you use it? it is aluminium?? nice work!

[@mrpete222]

Yes

[@luisguima1]

OK greatT thank you!. you melted aluminum, but the mold is made of aluminum too?? thanks in advance!

[@JWW922]

PS: I used a Lee lead melting pot made for making bullets.

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Great video. I think that eventually I will make some moulds like that. I don't have a rotary table yet.

[@davidgreen2442]

Brilliant informative, blow a tiny bit of talcum powder into the moulds they will release easier

[@terryforbes4038]

How about now for selling ready to run flywheel‘s? Terry&ThePirates South Florida

[@jimoricho4786]

Have you got a video on how to make those molds,

[@JohnLoganMcKee03]

The Valparasio, IN newspaper office has two linotype machines outside their enterance. Yes outside. They are fastenating. When I cast bullets the first ten bullet always go back in the pot.

[@FutopiaAD]

I believe that type slug was from a Ludlow typecasting machine.

[@seawinde]

what is that mould type called ? what is the material of it , thanks

[@brian-hall]

Would you believe I know of a printer here in Wales still using a Linotype machine and hot lead to make his slugs

[@R2D2inAustralia]

What’s the shipping cost for a fifty buck flywheel to Australia ? 😬😬😬

[@louisa.cinquantosr.7216]

I see you are clamping your mold in a metal vice. Do you think the metal vice is acting like a heat sink on the bottom of the mold causing the bottom of the casting not to form properly? maybe you could try clamping between wood ?

[@mrpete222]

+Louis a. Cinquanto Sr. Somewhat--the vise does warm up a bit

[@charlesparmele]

Solder pot! My dad had one that was my grandpa’s he used it for sinkers.

[@jimwayne5850]

Bill Hines slung lead on his custom cars into his 90s :)

[@MrShobar]

Perhaps you could soot the mold halves using an oxyacetylene torch with the oxygen turned off?

[@paulhelman2376]

Could melt on an outdoor grill. Gas or charcoal.

[@paulhelman2376]

Why would flies need wheels?

[@MrBlindbird]

Hi there MrPete,nice vid again,as usual :-) just wanted to ad something about the fact molten lead and water are an absolute nono,maybe someone else mentioned it earlyer in the list below,maybe you are aware yourself,maybe not,in that case,make sure a drop of sweat cant fall into the melting pot,in the best scenario,you'll get a nice puff and some steam,worst case might leave you scraping lead of the walls,floor and ceiling,not to mention,every bit of skin that was exposed at that moment ;-) By tha way,if i lived in the US,i'd pay 50$ for a signed wheel of yours,as a souveneer but i'm affraid that if you'd send it to whear i'm at,it would be 50+ more for the send alone :-) Have a nice day.

[@paulhelman2376]

Why not make the mold out of plaster?

[@mrpete222]

Too much moisture in the plaster

[@arnoldfarrugia.9969]

Thank you for sharing.

[@cobre7717]

Its like making pancakes. Gotta get the right temperature

[@tom7601]

Pouring a lead and oakum joint: Pouring Lead Joint Vertical Tom - Vista, CA

[@os2paynes.aeisusunipegunix735]

do you sell them?

[@mrpete222]

+Jesus' kinS.A.Payne Uni Peg Unix “Unicorn Pegasus” The Christ 333 no

[@TommiHonkonen]

This days young, take their phone from them and the are practically dead :D much like Samson or what was the guys name who lost his strength when his hair was cut. They don't really care about things, especially if they didn't pay for it, and if they did they still don't care much.

[@katzefrau1]

actually I think there would be some one that would pay $50 for a mold like that. I would bet they would even pay more.

[@tailsdollblack9340]

0:40 .... does the bottom of that file say bastard or bastaro or is it just me ._.

[@tailsdollblack9340]

i have a bastard file :)

[@shexdensmore]

Oh, FYI, i feel like 50$ would be a fair price. If they last more than a lifetime in good care.

[@technoman53]

Seeing all those clips floating in the lead made me feel weirdly uncomfortable, I have no Idea why.

[@shexdensmore]

You're chatty alright. But you have character. I sure would have loved to have been your student or apprentice.

[@minibikesandgocarts7832]

Do you think you could make me a 7''.

[@secondplace]

should have told the kid "no, unfortunately, your casting has frozen solid".