Modular Flasks for metal casting (PART 2) * NO CLIPS! You guys are awesome!

[@JulianMakes]

Hi everyone, thank you again for your comments! lots of people have asked why i didn't just put two 'male' dovetails on the central handle piece. I did answer a few people below but i thought I'd put my reason here to save some time: I didn't because i didn't want to force people to use the handle module if they didn't want to. I only envisioned the handle module going on two of the four sides anyway. The way things stand now people can elect to leave out any module type... except the two corners (and they need two corners anyway, so it doesn't matter that corners are slightly different shapes). Also I'm not 100% convinced with the need for the handle module yet, so i didn't want to make it a necessity. Since I've got the "clip-togetherness" sorted, I'm starting to think about the casting and pin assembly more seriously now. And the wedged shaped handles might be nice for casting but they might be bad for putting pins through, I'm also pursuing using a 50mm bit of box section steel tube to bolt directly to an extension module - as the 'handle/pin thingies' - that would have the advantage of everything being more like 90 degrees and 'square' to the pins. I hope that explains it better. also I'm doing the first test casting today!!!

[@ChatterontheWire]

Makes sense. Regardless, it is a cool design and I think we're all looking forward to see how it works out once you get it made in metal!

[@tobhomott]

I think with a drill press or being very careful, you could drill out the handles for pins even though they have draft on them. I'm actually counting on that, as my cast pin brackets also have draft... I might put handles on all 4 flask sides, in case the use of a cheek flask is ever needed - then one could pin the drag to the cheek on side x and pin the cheek to the cope on side y so the pins don't interfere with each other.

[@JulianMakes]

@@tobhomott oooh that is a great idea, hadn't thought of that! also i've just watched the video where you show your two bits of angle and make the pins from 1/2in bolts (one hole and one slot - i think that is very clever)

[@garyhuston]

That is so cool! Can't wait for the test cast! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@JulianMakes]

thanks Gary! me neither - i hope it's not pants! (#preys it's not pants ;)

[@garyhuston]

@@JulianMakes It won't be, nothing you do is ever pants! (yet) 🤩

[@jb-zo6zx]

I was literally just about to model a flask to cast and decided to check thingiverse. I did not expect it to already exist let alone a system done this well. Thank you so much!

[@JulianMakes]

Glad I could help!

[@RoyalBard.1]

I do not cast or have a 3D printer but totally fascinated by the progression of your design, with help of the community. Just waiting for the cast and seeing how it works.

[@JulianMakes]

why thank you so much Johnor21, that means a lot to me :) cheers!

[@RaspyOB174]

It would be very doable for us poor, no 3D printer, guys to make a large cheap flask and a nice painted wood pattern for a flask! You could do modular or solid. Thanks Julian and great job. must be nice to have a 3D printer this was an epic episode thanks bub! I'm an electrical guy so I super appreciate the mechanical teachies! Literally drooling for the pours and assemblies...

[@JulianMakes]

absolutely Raspy! the way you are describing is the old school way to do it (nothing wrong with that). A modular wooden one would be great (i guess the fixing of the modules would be more permanant) i just don't have the patience to do it :) (not right now anyway). If this works out, you could also get someone to print the modules you want for a fee, there is a map kept on the prusa website i believe, showing local people to you with 3d printers and which are willing to print things for a fee too :) and yes, my 3d rpinter has honestly changed my life, i love it. (FYI prusa has just released a mini printer that is really good value - and you could print each module on that no probs!)

[@RaspyOB174]

@@JulianMakes Yea I'm thinking of ways that I could make a wooden modular reusable and interchangeable pattern without breaking the time and patience bank. Super useful information Julian about local 3D printing. What a grand option. Hmmm. The cogwheels are turning! Thanks again you're a keen chap! Much appreciate the chatter

[@WarGrade]

Bye all ready!! your extended corners now lend themselves to bolting, as we spoke about, so if you design in two U slots in to the extensions of the corners, you will A) be able to bolt them together with nut & bolt (using washers too) B) designing them is will I hope negate anyone having to do any machining to them post cast. thus the only work will be locating pins PS KEEP it rolling

[@JulianMakes]

hahaha :) cheers, yes bolting has always been my prefered option (mainly because anyone can drill some holes and use bolts)... could you draw me a diagram about your u-slot idea? i'm not getting it (mainly becasue i'm not an engineer so i dont know what bit you mean and what orientation), i still might add a "dimple and matching divot" on the touching surfaces of the corner pieces to aid alignment. thank you mate!

[@WarGrade]

@@JulianMakes here is a rough link to show what I mean www.tinkercad.com/things/1O0wrTMw6Ke-u-bolt/edit?sharecode=LeTkYxPW--PUsNG9u0Dcv5tLPT7khqF77oUSeuTsRFU=

[@markusjohansson159]

You could do the centerpiece with dovetails on the both sides. You will get one program less to change if you want to change size. Just thinking.

[@ChatterontheWire]

Guess you already asked this, but oh well, asked the same thing a little differently!

[@markusjohansson159]

@@ChatterontheWire great minds think alike 😁

[@JulianMakes]

Hi Markus, check out my new comment at the top, i would normally answer you individually but i was away last night and lots of people have asked the same question :)

[@agustinruiz7129]

To make things faster you can use molding silicon so you can cast epoxy resin pieces and it is going to be faster than the 3d, this for a foundry that needs a lot of different types of flasks. Great Video!

[@MeltandCast]

Brilliant mate... well done... look forward to seeing the test castings... thanks for the update... cheers Andy

[@JulianMakes]

thanks Andy! i'm going to try the first test casting today! eeek!!!

[@primitive.and.ancient]

That is amazing! Can't wait for the test cast!

[@tobhomott]

The dovetails are a great improvement, and I prefer grooves over ribs for not eating up flask space anyhow. I'd cut grooves more often myself if nailing ribs into wooden flasks wasn't so much easier. At the risk of postponing the casting video even farther into the future, I do have another suggestion. It would be good if the alignment bracket AKA handle was at ~1.5cm or more from the parting line. You want room to get your fingers under there when it's parting side down on the molding board. Especially when you're setting down or closing up a heavy flask, ouch! ;) This has got me wanting a 3D printer more than just about anything else I've seen! Once you get some sides cast up, if you make a jig for drilling the bolt holes for attaching them together the same way every time, the cast sides themselves would be modular as well. Ie. If you need a flask that is odd sized in just one axis and it wont get used much, you could borrow the two standard sized cast sides from an existing flask and only need to cast the 2 new unusually sized sides. Can't wait to see how it works!

[@JulianMakes]

thanks Tobho! the dovetails are so much better aren't they!!! in regared to your question, as it stands right now there is a bit of room under the lowest handle (prob 8mm) but you are correct the pinching can be a nightmare on heavy flasks). However i'm not 100% convinced on the handle module yet (see my pinned comment at the top for details on that), i'm actually making another 80mm extension module with much more beefy 'columns' that can have bolts through at any height for attaching any handle/pin mechanism to (at any height). I'm still going to try the handle module as is, but i''ve already designed the extra module just for something useful for people to have if they want. It would be an ideal platform for any handle type to be added. Also the whole ribbed structure is kind of handle shaped so i'm hoping lifting can be done from any part of the flask not just the special handle/pin bit. PS tobho, if you get a 3D printer (FYI i have a prusa I3 mk3 - but they've just made a little mini version too) YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT!!! especially with your casting, it is a marridge made in heaven! cheers mate o/

[@RotarySMP]

Nice design. I Look forward to seeing the first mould rammed up. The casting patterns I've done on my 3D printer, have each been bogged, sanded and painted to remove the printer striations, which I was afraid would lock into the sand and not release properly. Then again, I print with 0.3mm layer heights, so they are pretty rough. I'm looking forward to your uploading the STL files to your Thiniverse, and will definately print and cast a set. Might work to add two divet feature on models of the end peices, and also on the handles so we will already have drill centers for the mounting bolt holes / alignment pins. Not sure how accurately this will be in practice, but ideally you want all the holes standardised, so you can mix and match flask side lengths for the casting pattern at hand. The only other thing is that the corner radius could be (a lot) more generous. That should help the patterns pull out more cleanly. Subscribed!

[@paulriggs42]

Great to see mk2.0 ! Get casting !

[@JulianMakes]

thanks Paul! i'm doing some casting today! :)

[@garygenerous8982]

Awesome! Can’t wait to see how it turns out and I’m sure it will go grand!

[@JulianMakes]

thank you so much Gary! fingers crossed :)

[@mamamheus7751]

Looks amazing. Can't wait to see the first cast!

[@JulianMakes]

Thank you Mam! :)

[@askquestionstrythings]

Amazing improvements. 0.30mm layers, 2 parameters, 3 top and bottom, 15% cubic infill is my current fast print/draft settings (would go to 10% but I think it's too much bridging on the top layers for my printer.) What kind of scientist were you? STEM for the win. I'm in the mechanical engineering realm.

[@JulianMakes]

Thanks Ask Questions! ahh mine does do 0.3 but i dont use it much, i should try it on these i guess, it's not like the shapes aren't simple. cheers mate :)

[@askquestionstrythings]

@@JulianMakes I took those settings based on a maker's muse video about printing large and fast. I had to adapt them to my printer which is slower due to the dual direct extruders it has. here's a link to the video at the settings kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZy6aoakgJl_gcU

[@svenyonson27]

Thanks for the great video series! Not making modular flasks (yet), but getting started with sand casting from PLA patterns. I've been told that I must use draft angles on my patterns - are you using these and if so, what angle(s) are you using? How about allowing for contraction of both PLA and alumimum, do you have a standard formula? Thanks!

[@JulianMakes]

hi yes everything pulled from sand needs a draft angle, if you are patient and experienced as little as 6 or 7 degrees is ok, but if not i'd try 15 degrees first. If it's not critical to the object, the more draft the better :) Aluminium does shrink. i'm not sure what you mean by pla shrinking. cheers julian

[@svenyonson27]

@@JulianMakes When PLA cools, it shrinks a bit, which is why a heated bed is necessary - so the bottom of the print doesn't shrink and pop off the bed before the print is done. Thanks for the draft tip!

[@frugalberry]

Once again, Great Job Julian! Just one comment... it seems like you could cut down on the number of parts by having dovetails on both sides of the handle piece, and the other pieces radiating out from the handle? Maybe without having the pieces in my hand to play with my logic is wrong, but it seems like this would cut down on the number of part designs. Hope this helps... and again, Great Job!! Looking forward to printing / using the end product!!

[@JulianMakes]

hi Berry! thanks! to answer you quesiotn... check out my new comment at the top, i would normally answer you individually but i was away last night and lots of people have asked the same question :)

[@swdweeb]

Gaaa.... I've got to get my printer working again. I love it.!

[@JulianMakes]

thank you so much buddy! i'm so excited by it!!! :)

[@greatgrumb]

wahheey I got a mention :) My design thinking was slightly different to what you have done and not sure whether it would be a better or not. But great work anyway :)

[@JulianMakes]

my pleasure greatgrumb! you and Paul really got me thinking!

[@RotarySMP]

Did you ram up a mould to see how the pattern pulls out of the sand yet?

[@JulianMakes]

I did! I’ve just done the first test casting... video out today I hope... :)

[@royscheirer5855]

Cool you got same 3-D printer!

[@JulianMakes]

Oh cool!

[@Worksengineer]

Cheers Julian, thanks for the credit, just another suggestion, possibly put a pad on the sides to fit these www.artisanfoundry.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=32&products_id=306 or the larger ones www.artisanfoundry.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=32&products_id=307 so we don't need to use weight to keep the flasks together when pouring, just a thought!!

[@WayneEarls]

Thank you for the stl files! great work! I subbed, and came from myfordboy's channel where he mentioned you.

[@adirondackcarfoundry368]

Thank you for sharing the STL files.

[@JulianMakes]

no problem Chris! cheers :)

[@ChatterontheWire]

Curious why you didn't just put "male" ends on both sides of the middle section that way your corner pieces wouldn't have to be different one with a male and one with a female dovetail? Seems like it would let you interchange/reuse some of the parts better. Very neat addition to this idea for sure though!

[@JulianMakes]

Chatter on the Wire hi chatter! I didn’t do that because I was imagining that only two of the four sides would have the handle module in it. Also now I’m thinking about the casting and not worrying about the modules, I’m less convinced with the handle piece, we’ll see how good it is for the pins (I’m dubious because it’s a wedge shape) , it might be better to just use a bit of a steel angle and bolt that directly to the aluminium side on the extension module ‘columns’, I guess I didn’t want to force people to have a handle module in a side.

[@Angus_McGyver]

Nice! Now ive got to get a 3d printer.

[@JulianMakes]

ooooh do it tinkers! cheers

[@stevejohn]

you could make you center peace have double dovetail and work out from the center

[@JulianMakes]

hi Steve check out my new comment at the top, i would normally answer you individually but i was away last night and lots of people have asked the same question :)

[@Ligby]

What if you had the center peice have two female dove tails, and then all other pieces could be one part instead of having each "chirality" of the sides.

[@Ligby]

​@Barry Manilowa *=Female Dovetail ^=Male Dovetail = = Sand Area | = End Piece |= ^ * = ^ * = ^ * = * ^ = * ^ = * ^ =| ^ ^Center has two female (could just as well be male) End pieces are all one type, print one pattern instead of being one male and one female. |=^ * = * ^=| ^The Shortest possible combinations still works. But allows for infinite expansion of expansion joints without having to worry about which side you printed. Hope I understood your questions correctly. Cheers

[@JulianMakes]

hi lane check out my new comment at the top, i would normally answer you individually but i've been away last night and lots of people have the same question :)

[@Ligby]

@@JulianMakes Thanks! I'm sure you're getting a ton of repeats. I don't know a single thing about casting, just my two cents on it.