Improving Metal Castings Through Better Gating

[@daisyray4637]

Hello sir Paul, just so you know I have been melting and pouring my own ingot's for a few months now. I have learned tons from you. So on that alone its a win, congratulations. Thanks for what you do.

[@ARVash]

An aluminum hammer is handy any time you want to hammer something harder than aluminum that you don't want to damage. Kinda like a rubber mallet but aluminum.

[@robbiejames1540]

Also if you want to hit something without making sparks

[@nickitoff9629]

Great progress! Nice! I really enjoy your videos. Just on my way to casting. Your videos are entertaining and informative; it's a great time! Thanks for sharing.

[@kellyswoodyard]

Don't waste the original hammer. It looks like an antique tool. Looks good. I'd be quite happy to have it in my tool box. Beauty is only face deep. Live with it, love the imperfections. Like your vids. Cheers from Australia.

[@johnd65753]

I just found your channel and discord group. Nice work on studying ways to improve the quality of your castings. Thanks for posting!

[@jimbob6063able]

Been watching all your metal melting and casting videos and this one is one of the best! All the information

[@arttaysiallc1614]

I'm so happy to see you putting that lecture to good use! I'm pretty inspired to give it a try now! I was taught something similar in Alabama at SLOSS this year and it blew my mind that the metal didn't cool in the gating system. Though I must say I think you did a better job of describing to the layman what the spinning trap thing is for. I didn't totally understand what the guy was getting at when I watched the original lecture. Well done.

[@douglashank8480]

I've watched several of your videos now and enjoyed them all. The subject matter is interesting but the best part is your lighthearted presentation, both in the audio commentary and the little text notes you add in during editing. Your willingness to poke fun at yourself plays well against the obvious intelligence and sense of genuine curiosity that bring to the table. Thank you for the excellent videos!

[@askquestionstrythings]

Very nice results. A little overkill on the riser (If your software will tell you the volume and surface area of the hammer let me know and I'll let you know what the size of the riser should be). Aluminum bronze definitely shrinks more than Aluminum, but look at all the shrinkage at the top of your riser. Seems like you poured a little slow, tapered the pour off then picked the pouring rate up again. I was yelling at my screen saying "pour faster, keep pouring". That is part of why the runner froze, but the other part is because the runner was too long. Swdweeb did a test once for pouring length (if I remember I'll find it and drop a link) Definitely looking forward to watching the Campbell lecture and your Gingery casting.

[@tbkustomknives8907]

Nice job, make the aluminium bronze hammer again please PLEASE!

[@ScratchingSketch]

You are a groovy dude Paul, thanks for sharing !

[@douglashank8480]

One more thing to add. I watched the lecture video that you linked in the description. I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who's interested in making better castings. The presentation is made by a PhD-level expert in the field, yet he describes things in a way that's easily understandable to a total novice like myself. The only drawback is that the production quality of the video isn't all that great, but the information is invaluable!

[@carlericvonkleistiii2188]

Nice demonstration of the techniques! I think Bob Puhakka called the up from the bottom technique "counter-gravity." Also, I think I remember that he said that filters are bad, as they create turbulence and *cause* porosity. I really like the idea of the copper tubing as a runner. I had thought about using plastic water tubing for freezer/refrigerator, but I think the copper will work better. It's amazing how much metal will flow through such a small diameter hole.

[@TimTim11111111]

Nice channel, I'm glad i found it. It seems like you have an affinity for angling your castings in the name of dealing with flow. It made me have the idea of a flask with a angled cut between the cope and drag. When you set your mold and ram everything up the cope would be on a angle while you ram flat, then when it flips and the drag goes on the piece will be on a angle but the flask would be flat. If I ever get around to sand casting i think i want to try this type of rig. Anyhow that was my little idea inspired by watching your vids. Thanks for posting.

[@Darkice77]

I take a metal rod about the thickness of a pencil lead and poke a few dozen holes on the sides. Poke from the inside to the outside because the delft clay will fall out in small chunks at the exit hole. This lets the gas escape and the metal to fill in properly. That's all i do and even the larger castings turn out perfect. (A little thinner than a pencil lead maybe half the size)

[@mrgreenswelding2853]

If you use wax or hard soap on your cutting disc and sanding discs when do aluminium it will stop the discs blocking up. But you need to keep it lubing them regularly.

[@donbrewer6865]

Great video. Can't say that I'm not disappointed with having to wait for more Gingery videos though.

[@dennisyoung4631]

I can see those fine lines can cause trouble pulling the patterns… Otherwise, the gating deal works. I’ll try doing stuff like this when I next try casting something.

[@PaulsGarage]

Yeah some sanding helps. If the pattern prints with some draft and the layers are small enough, i haven't had much of a problem

[@maciekm7953]

I feel bad that one of Yours side it's so harsh for the other 😂 as always great video, and thank You for sharing👍

[@Ms.Nightshade]

Paul, I think a *Chop Saw* would be a worthy investment for removing excess metal from the various items you cast! I can tell you from experience that an abrasive chop saw goes through rusty pitted cast steel like butter, so anything softer (and way less rusty) will be amazingly simple and easy to cut! With steel, a chop saw usually creates a LOT of sparks, but if you’re cutting stuff that isn’t steel or iron, there should be little to no sparks whatsoever. I’d recommend wearing welding gloves as a precaution, because abrasive cutting creates some serious heat, so I’d recommend putting the chop saw on a metal surface that can draw the heat away from what’s being cut, like a huge cast aluminum table top made of 1 foot square plates of aluminum to make casting a bit more simple. If you want to get a bit fancy, you could model the pieces that create the mold cavity so they lock together like a giant puzzle. Anyways, something for you to consider. Keep up the awesome videos, I’m always looking forward to watching them! :D

[@JustinTopp]

The aluminum bronze hammer would be perfect replacement for a brass hammer. No sparking and stronger then a brass. Very interesting

[@dennisyoung4631]

I’d like one of tin-bronze, 87-10-2-1. I have a hammer mold that I need to finish for Lead.

[@johnmccanntruth]

Nicely done. Using all that smart book learning type stuff to make a better casting, so weird!

[@ifnotnowwhen6914]

I know a guy who got a motorcycle with a freshly rebuilt engine cheap because it "siezed" when first started after the rebuild. Turned out the seller had forgotten to remove a rag he'd placed in the intake to keep debris out during assembly and it got sucked into the valve and cylinder. Thanks for showing your mistakes, let's us know you're human. Nice job showing the results. I just started getting into casting and posting videos and have learned and been inspired by you. I'd probably be further along if we hadn't had to dig out of a blizzard every week here in central Wisconsin this winter (I know you know what I mean). I was wondering if you don't mind, what video editor do you use? I've been struggling to find on I can afford for splicing multiple videos together instead of having to post multi part series for short projects. Thanks for all the entertainment and information. Love you're sense of humor.

[@stamasd8500]

You can buy casting filters on ebay. Just search for "zirconia filter". They're not cheap. (edit) if you search for "alumina filters" you find cheaper ones. OTOH, for aluminum and even bronze I wonder if you could use fine stainless steel mesh for filtering. It's probably worth experimenting with. (edit2) If you want to experiment with bottom gating you'd need a 3-tier flask.The bottom tier for the runner/filter/spinner/gate system, the upper 2 tiers for the part mold, vents, feeders etc.

[@astcomjakecw]

You can get ceramic and silicon carbide casting filters in bags of 10. Theyre about 10-15$ for a bag. Google 'ceramic casting filter' an click shopping.

[@mattyal9347]

Aside from your inexperience you make a interesting video. I dont do videos but I do melt for profit. Sort of... you made an aluminum bronze hammer and claim its holding up. My question is about Nordic gold. Other than eurocoins, does this alloy have potential in amateur or even industrial castings that would hold up under severe usage such as bench vise replacement jaws?

[@MarionMakarewicz]

If there ever were a drinking game based on Paul's Garage, we'd have to chug the whole beer whenever you say, "porosity".

[@PaulsGarage]

NO DONT YOULL DIE

[@seanwilson6758]

Hey Paul, Love your channel and have learned a lot from you, Yet HOW did you know where to place all the tubes in the mold once the pattern was filled with casting sand?

[@stevenaubin3362]

Honestly I still think the bronze hammer is by far the best. It's less perfectness is just Soo perfect.

[@ryannu1578]

Isn’t porosity different between aluminum and aluminum bronze? If you have a lot of aluminum find a fun project for it, Good advice though

[@TheDistur]

Band name: Massive Shrinkage

[@gramursowanfaborden5820]

i'm adding that to my list

[@PaulsGarage]

Hahaha! I'd listen to that

[@stamasd8500]

@@PaulsGarage Special stage move: acne hammer.

[@rich1051414]

Aluminum mallets are fine. LOTS of things are harder than aluminum. It's just a bit light is all.

[@BungieFrog]

Use a funnel when using can for pour spout to help form hole in sand vs using hand

[@Penofhell]

This is way too serious a title for a video which could have been called "anti-gravity casting"! EDIT : I just watched a bit more and wow, this way too light a title for someone who talks about bifilms in metal casting, now I gotta watch that video in the description, be right back!

[@PaulsGarage]

I might have to edit that..

[@davidbostwick7878]

I know this is 2 years late but, aluminum bronze always has issues with shrinkage. gonna happen. only way to prevent it is to use tin bronze instead.

[@unclebobsbees4899]

Gates, like at an airport? LOL. Doing the Gingery thing also. The whole carbon film on steel cores. SMH..a ton of complaints regarding at the Yahoo Gingery group. Too bad you didn't get to see the spin trap that would have been cool. Have you looked at Andrew Martin channel?

[@grandadz_forge]

Always improving. Bite me Lowes, i can say it

[@ypop417]

Sooo Are you an in a Gated Community Now? LOL

[@PaulsGarage]

Gates, bars, same thing right?

[@ypop417]

@@PaulsGarage Yep

[@MiltonicPlague]

Nice

[@PaulsGarage]

Thanks!

[@Locreai]

Wish you would have put that aluminum bronze against itself, it's much harder to work well than aluminium

[@MrGunPilot]

excellent

[@bearsharkp3901]

Lol on leaving the copper tube in.

[@PaulsGarage]

Yeah that was the first time I screwed up in that particular way... oops!

[@bearsharkp3901]

@@PaulsGarage have made similar whoops

[@stevenaubin3362]

Some jobs want a soft hammer that won't damage what your hitting. Leave it at that.

[@SeanTHirsch]

I'm sorry I haven't commented in a while. I'm still here.

[@PaulsGarage]

I'm glad you're still here!

[@texastaterbug5395]

So with your chops, I'm expecting you to move on to induction for melting your casting metals and also to heat steel for your future forging projects. That's the route I'm headed. I feel like it is appropriately nerdy for someone like me......and someone like you. Yeah. I called you a nerd. Takes one to know one!!!

[@PaulsGarage]

I'm definitely a nerd but I'm lacking enough power for larger induction furnaces. I barely have enough juice to run a small kiln! Plus fire is more fun 👍

[@leakforme]

mORE MELT!

[@PaulsGarage]

👍🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@TheChaotiCake]

You look like a mix between Skallagrim and Ed Helms and though it piques my interest I am meanwhile deeply disturbed.

[@PaulsGarage]

I'll take it! Skallagrim is pretty cool

[@ironhead65]

what a rip off, I only watch these videos so someone can consume and process source material so I do not have to think for myself. That's it, unsubscribe!

[@PaulsGarage]

I could always pretend I came up with the idea, would that work? :D