Pouring Molten Brass: Backyard Molding and Foundry Work

Finally got a chance to do some foundry work and test out the 3D printed patterns. In this video, I will give you the basics of casting metal with a "backyard" foundry setup including the molding process and the pouring.

[@jusb1066]

proof that TV is dead, it cannot show fascinating content like this. Thank you Keith.

[@Doogsa-dl8sc]

Agree.

[@coreoncrack]

indeed !!

[@kellyfinn2598]

Keith: I have been a patternmaker in the Seattle and Tacoma area for almost 50 years and just ran across this by accident this morning. I cannot tell you how impressed I am with your great video on the pattern / casting process. Everything you showed explains perfectly the foundry trade encapsulated into just 30 minutes! My father was a molder at Olympic foundry from 1926 till 1984 and I learned my trade there and have worked on large patterns for the ship and rail industry till now. Still love the trade and the process. I can still remember as a kid the smell of the foundry. Thank you so much for a truly great video. Kelly Finn

[@scottdoleac5651]

The train pulling up at the ending floored me. How freaking cool is that. Totally made my day

[@ralphmourik]

Why did this just get recommended to my now? I have been metal casting on YT for little over a year now but have been watching videos about it for over 3 years, and never run into this one. Very interesting to see all those old tools, nowadays 3D printers are way more common and affordable, I'll be getting one soon 😋👍 This was great to watch!!! 👊👍

[@mrmyorky5634]

Keith shows you his less than successful bits as well as explaining why things sometimes go wrong. He's a brilliant teacher that conveys his enthusiasm and also his considerable engineering skills in a very human way. Thank you Keith.

[@blakewooley2500]

FINALLY.... we finally have somebody who actually talks about their frickin' smelting equipment! thank you!

[@naradloff]

+Blake Wooley I know! I've been researching building my own furnace for aluminum, bronze, etc and no one explains their equipment!

[@jschlesinger2]

+Nick Radloff Check out Myfordboy's Channel and website. You'll learn everything you need to know about metalcasting.

[@cfjulian1225]

His furnace is not a smelting furnace. It is a melting furnace. A smelting furnace is designed to reduce ore and produce metal. His furnace is actually producing oxides, the opposite of a smelting furnace.

[@lvd2001]

What are the diff in design between smelting and melting furnace PLEASE (I have difficulties in melting copper - I may need smelting furnace to melt copper ?)

[@cfjulian1225]

If you are trying to melt copper, you need a melting furnace. Typically a furnace with a crucible that is heated either with gas or electricity. Almost all melting furnaces produce some oxide, unless they are vacuum furnaces where there is no oxygen present. If you are producing a lot of oxides, you may want to consider using a cover flux and putting a ceramic lid on top of your crucible as you are heating it to keep oxygen away from the metal.

[@sandbacktechnicaldesigninc4375]

Love the little train engineer photo bomb at the end - perfect! lol.

[@steveskouson9620]

Someone tell me that youngster is NOT the engineer! :D steve

[@paulterhaar4218]

Why that dumb kid walks on his toes ?

[@EARTHLING74000]

The last few seconds are the best part of the video -when we find out who REALLY drives the train. I liked the bronze castings too :)

[@mobilechief]

There are those who might not believe it, but I was taught some of that in High School in the 70s, its a shame they don't anymore. Great video

[@geofflewis4815]

Hello Keith, it seems the same in the USA as in the UK skills appear to be dying out, it's all computer's, and different trades are going down the drain. Best wishes, Geoff Lewis, Wales, UK 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@evil16v1]

Did it in junior high, late 80s

[@stanmoderate4460]

Fascinating! My Grandfather was reputed to be the last Brass Molder on the river Tyne (NE England) around 1950 when the shipyards made all their own parts, portholes etc. The team always consisted of a Molder and a Pattern Maker. The Pattern Maker was my uncle, his son. I always wondered how it was done, now I know - Thanks

[@sidneybowerman558]

Hi Stan, I live in Gateshead. Used to work in C A Parsons foundry, making huge parts for steam turbines to produce electricity. They were dirty but great times. Nothing ever stopped us.

[@stanmoderate4460]

@@sidneybowerman558 I'll be damned, my grandfather also worked at CA Parsons (Shields Rd, Heaton), small world.😊

[@oldschool6345]

Dang! All that great video, just to get upstaged at the end by a junior engineer playing with a train! It's what makes watching great too, won't get that on tv. Thanks for sharing.

[@geofflewis4815]

Hello Keith, I am a Joiner 74 now, when I was an apprentice about 17 years old, a pattern maker came to work in our shop. His tools were a little different from ours, and I got to like him very much his name was Guss Philips, we talked quite a lot about pattern making. He came from a ship yard that closed. Watching you took me back to about 1963. You can put your hand to quite a few trades, excellent videos Keith. I would love to be there with you in your shop, working on metalwork (not wood). Keep your videos coming Best wishes, Geoff Lewis, Wales UK. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@1AnitaJ]

Seeing what doesn't work is a valuable part of learning and hearing suggestions for preventing future failures is superb. Great video.

[@scotthaddad563]

........and at the end, a KID does a perfect park job with a full size LOCOMOTIVE!!!

[@demonic477]

I learned to cast in the 70's but it was for engine parts for cars mostly the alternator brackets or power steering brackets that had broken on old cars and trucks .. they were rough and looked like crap but they were stronger then the factory ones most times and got the job done . I loved the fact you could use the old bracket for a mold then melt down any aluminum we had laying around to fill the cast and pour a new bracket. you had to file down the edges and drill and tap the holes but it was a bracket and it worked

[@n1ztb]

Boy, does this bring back a ton of memories, Keith. My dad (and two of my uncles) worked most of his life at the foundry in town until they closed. They poured mainly cast iron, but did have a small portion for non-ferrous. One of my uncles now works at a foundry he and a former co-worker started up of their own. They do mainly brass and aluminum. Thanks for sharing, Keith!

[@n1ztb]

***** That might be arrangeable. On the mold for the ring around the dial, my dad says try flipping your pattern over, so the thin part is on the bottom and gets filled in first.

[@n1ztb]

***** Oh, my dad is retired, now. The foundry he and my uncles worked in is closed. It was originally Hersey Products, and changed hands shortly before closing, after being renamed Pioneer Foundry. They were in Gilbertville, MA. The buildings are all still there, as well as the 250' brick smokestack. The foundry my uncle was involved in is still in business as Palmer Foundry. They do everything from green sand molding to the latest molding technology: (www.palmerfoundry.com)

[@general5104]

Hi and THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting. I have a suggestion for you. If you will get a "drop" of pipe, (from some place that sells steel), and cut it so that it will sit on the bottom of your furnace and have at least 3 inches from the top edges. Cut a piece of 1/8"x1 1/2"x1 1/2" angle iron, 2" long. Mark the tip of each leg to the center of the web on the other end and Spedecut those triangles off. Round out the V edges. Lay that on the top edge of your big pipe and mark it. Spedecut those lines and inset your piece and MIG weld fom the inside. This will give you a pouring spout, so you can aim your molten metal, and not knock off sand into your cavity. Set the big pipe anto a 3/16" or 1/4" steel plate, (hot rolled steel), and mark around it. Cut it on an angle, and grind it smooth. MIG that onto the bottom of your new Crucible. Now, cut two pieces of 1/4"x 2" and drill a 5/8" hole in each one, 1/4" from the edge and centered longways. Weld one of these 90 degrees from the pouring spout, (one on each side of the pot), with the 5/8" holes out away from the pot, about an inch below the top rim of the crucible (make sure these dimentions will work in your pot. Bend a half-moon, that will go around the crucible, (out of 1/4"x 2" flat-bar) and weld a landing on each side, that will line up with the hole tabs on your crucible. (Let it bend around a tad past the studs, for better anti-tip control) Bullet-grind the threaded ends of two 1/2" bolts, but leave the threads on it, for the most part.) They will prevent the yoke from slipping out accidentally. Weld them (head down), in thru those landings. Now, cut two pieces of (1 1/2" square tubing,) 24" long each. Deburr well. Weld those as handles, on each side (below the heads of the bolts). Now, make a lifting wire, similar to the one you have now, that will hook thru the holes on the flats on the sides, to lift the crucible out. Set it on the floor, in the C that you just made. On guy on each handle. That gives you complete control. Lift the C up and engage the two 5/8" holes with the 1/2" bullet nosed studs and lift safely. Each one of you are at least 18" away from the heat from the molten metal in each flask. You each control pouring speed and together, you can aim the molten metal from the pouring spout. I've made 2 complete sets in my lifetime. They work great. They don't wear out. I made a set for myself and one for my best friend. Then, when I got too old and disabled, I gave my whole set, furnace all my homeade tools and all, to my old partner. I LOVE STEEL, but I'm too decrepid to do it any more! Build this project. You'll find it doesn't take long to make one and you'll get years of pouring pleasure. Oh...and Sparcast 28G is your refractory liner and Southern Bentonite is your clay that you want to mix with your foundry sand, and you need to get extra fine sand! It will make smoother parts. Another item you wanted. Take a 40 gallon water heater and take the outside sheetmetal and insulation off of it. Then cut the tank in half. You're going to use the top half. Weld a piece of 3/4" Cold Rolled steel round rod in the center hole and plug and weld up the other two holes. (Make sure it's plumb) Get two old lawnmower blades and weld them 180 degrees apart , (front to back), and on a bit of a cant, inside the tank, up against the top end. (Actually, the top of the tank is now, actually the bottom of the drum). (that keeps your sand from just scooting around.) make an angle iron stand with a yoke that will hold two Lawnmower sized wheels. (your mixer will set on these wheels. They need to be at 5:00 & 7:30 against the tank) You need a pedistal bearing to fit whatever you have welded in the center hole of the top of the tank. Extend your frame to support that bearing. Use two pipes that will go up inside another pipe as pivots for your yoke. Come off the bottom of the pivotal yoke with a hinge for your 1/3 hp motor to mount on. Put a V belt around the can and around the V pulley on your motor. And apply a spring to the hinge mount for the amount of belt pressure you want. Put a switch on the line and let-er-eat! You'll love this. You can mix your ramming sand in this and keep it turning and dump directly into the flask, and never have to hand-mix again.

[@americanpatriot2979]

I worked at MidState Foundry in summer 78, hauling sand for a month then moulding & iron pouring. Then moved on to bigger foundry HW. Clark foundry moulded, poured iron, lined ladles tore out Cupelo-" think thats how it's spelled". I loved that kind of work. Seen lots of folks got hired on then quit same day soon as pouring began. Lol. Wish I'd had lots more pictures of working there. Watching your video kinda sparked my liking of foundry work again. Great Video!

[@diegodolcetti]

Not always you can have a helper so willingly. Congrats.

[@burly_girly]

Mr. Kieth, I am delighted to see that the past is still alive and well in some parts of the country! Your videos are informative as well as fascinating to watch, thanks for the great pieces on traditional machinery.

[@Razehell42]

Your smile when the card drops makes me smile!

[@JohnT2001]

I'm 14 years old and I am interested in becoming a woodworker/creator...thingie when I'm older, and your videos are very helpful. Thank you Keith 😊

[@frankishrebellion9479]

howd it work out bro

[@JohnT2001]

@@frankishrebellion9479 Woah. 5 years passed already.. Its going good bro. Spent those 5 years doing all the courses and things and now im a fully qualified carpenter and joiner and im working full time as one too! Thanks for asking :)

[@petependy2333]

A bit of advice from the UK , if u like this see if u can find an apprenticeship as a Pattern maker , I did that years ago and it taken me from working on racing cars to RR jet engines and u will learn hand skills that will be so useful in life. But its also taken me on to 3D printing of metal mould tools for injecting and blow mounding ......... Good Luck

[@dananelson3534]

Thanks for sharing this Kieth and Andy. Love how the 3D printer makes the patterns. Saves a lot of time. Your mistakes are lessons we can all learn from. Look forward to more. Reminded why I liked foundry work in high school. Broke apart a lot of molds to get it right. My classmates wondered why, but I got an A for my troubles.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Dana Nelson Like everything in life, it is a learning process! Each pour gets a bit better!

[@general5104]

I know what your saying. Set-up always takes ten times as much time as it does to a part...in practically anything. Take a gear...it has to be cut from stock, machined on a lathe, Ali the flats machined on a vertical mill, and the key groove swedged in, and then getting set-up on a divider-head, and the right size and pitch cutter installed at academy the right cant! Ut if you didnt know all the steps it took to do the setup...the cranking and counting might look simple to someone that works steel, but impossible to someone that hasn't a clue...like it just has a screen on it...like a blooming cellphone! Those things are our new generation's downfall! Everything is 2D you the kids amd young adults! There's no depth. Im glad I was started learning stuff like this in junior high school! My Dad taught me a lot, and mavhine shops taught me a lot and hobby taught me a lot. Niw I'm an old fart that can't do it anymore, but I can still tell somebody how to do it. How to make your own tools. Once you get the STEEL BUG, you never stop loving it.

[@dalejanssen8416]

i am a past foundryman fo the john deere waterloo iowa tractor factory gray iron foundry i want to congratuate you on a great group of progrsm s thankyou retired in arizona dale janssen

[@pierresgarage2687]

Hi Keith' Don't worry about the failure, I'm glad to see what works and what don't, and to view how you come down with solutions. We learn more this way than seeing perfect castings coming out every time. Don't despair we're behind you learning a lot too. Thanks for the trouble of showing us, Pierre

[@chrisvickery445]

You're a good man for sharing all of this with us. Thankyou.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Chris Vickery Thanks Chris.

[@rossie273]

Thanks for sharing . That was a bargain getting all those tools . For someone who knows virtually nothing about casting , i found this video was very informative .

[@MrRUKidddingMe]

The 'post-mortem' was very instructive. Great job as usual.

[@exterbush1253]

good explanations man, no one on youtube has gone into much detail, except you. thanks Keith.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Exter Bush Thanks for watching!

[@mpbzdel]

The kid at the end was golden! Great video!

[@MattsMotorz]

The way I remember cope and drag is the following, "I can cope with being on the top, but it's a drag to be on the bottom."

[@VintageMachinery]

MattsMotorz I think of it as if you drag the whole setup, the bottom part is that part that you dragged across the floor.

[@stevengrotte2987]

Have heard of lost wax casting but this is first I have heard/seen this process. Thank you!

[@mmi16]

You still haven't seen the lost wax process.

[@Dwarfracer88]

Yeah, that happens at the end of all my videos, a steam locomotive pulls in behind me in the shop and my grandson hops off lookin' for his pawpaw.

[@Razehell42]

Gosh darn that's heartwarming to see lol.

[@adubz54]

I was going to say the same thing

[@boatbeard7767]

Walking on tip toes...

[@FredMiller]

Out Dang Standing video!! Thanks for all your efforts Keith!!!

[@vajake1]

I absolutely love your video Keith! Thanks for posting these!

[@billchapel3194]

I was in highschool from 1965 to 1969, metal shop was one of my favorite classes, , I did aluminum castings, i really enjoyed it.

[@contreeman]

54 YEARS OLD WIDOWER FAT OLD AND DISABLED. CAN'T THINK OF NOTHING BETTER TO DO THANK WATCH YOUR VIDEO ON A FRIDAY NIGHT. LEARNED A LOT GOD BLESS SUBBING

[@danward48]

I only understand about 1/3 of the stuff Keith talks about but it sure is fun to watch. Old school craftsmanship is wonderful to observe.

[@hans_ronnback_0740]

Thanks for all your time and hard work. Hans.

[@philsparks4125]

I totally enjoy your expertise. Love to watch you work. Wish I was able to be there with you. Thanks so much.

[@e-ironmanmarsden754]

Awesome ending with the caboose rolling in

[@LCOOTS]

Keith, the guy that's helping you has hit the lottery. He is learning from a master!! i subscribed, i love your videos. thanks man.

[@pghsteel36]

I really enjoy this video every time. You explain things very good, as well as the nomenclature. Thanks for making a great video.

[@williamgreene4834]

It was a great video by the way. You have an incredible amount of knowledge about shop stuff. It's very rare and nice to see. Thanks for posting this stuff.

[@actionman862]

You made me laugh when you were making the core. You had just shown us a lovely collection of molders tools, scrapers and spoons and then proceed to grab a stick of wood to do the job!

[@one4stevo]

The train at the end was in stealth mode... lol great video :)

[@MrSpinteractive]

Outstanding! Thanks for the very informative tutorial!

[@2javadave]

Awesome I love this video! Can't wait to try this myself. Thank you!

[@VintageMachinery]

+David Stephenson Good luck!

[@MattsMotorz]

I find it really helps a great deal to tap on the pattern with the butt of a screw driver or something while at the same time pulling up on the wood screws.

[@awakenedhebrew5835]

Loved the way your son rolled up in a train at the end. Lol!

[@VintageMachinery]

Not my son, that is the grandson of the engineer of our steam locomotive at the museum.

[@EARTHLING74000]

Brock is the best! just spotted his name in earlier posts - we want to see more of Brock in all your videos. I am impressed by his level of knowledge on that train. BROCK FOR PRESIDENT! (also glad abom79 not driving train)

[@mikehayes8899]

hello again kieth this is brock THANK YOU! rob norris! I do get to drive vulcan somtimes around the shop area when the village closes and when we go down to the shop grandad lets me put my hand on the throttle and lets me take her like 35 or so.thanks again! brock

[@tedburgess870]

Excellent video most enjoyable and educational. Thanks Keith.

[@andrewkotula9975]

When I went to high school this was entire marking period. For about 2 1/2 months we got to make molds and cast stuff. One of the tricks we were taught was to put a small well to the side of the pour hole and poured into the well. It was kind of like the bowl of a spoon with a channel that fed the pour hole. By doing this we didn't pour straight down the hole and got smoother cast. We also would have pushed a vent hole up to vent the end of the valve body so the gases could escape there too I think some gases got stuck there preventing a complete pour.

[@boots7859]

Hey, you're right! I remember that spoon/well trick from shop class in 81-82. Got a mess of rotors I'm looking to experiement with this spring too.

[@kirbylee57]

You learned that as a teenage kid, I learned it today as an old man. Too old to learn new tricks my ass. I like it.

[@konstantin11]

Amazing channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world Keith!

[@stantilton2191]

A true test and see trial. Learn as you go and improve. Can't get any better than that. I love the locomotive pulling in at the end of the video and the young man in the railroad hat. Where can you see that in the world of today? Great job and thank you for sharing.

[@mikewiggins3460]

Nice video Keith, I wish I was a little closer; so I could come out more often and work with you guys at the museum. I am starting to realize how much effort it takes to produce these videos. Keep up the good work.

[@mikewiggins3460]

***** Keith you can mail them to me if you like, We are planning a trip to Tifton on Oct 3 so I could bring them back to you then

[@eduardomadrigal6732]

Great job Keith on the safe restoration saw all episodes.

[@Larry1942Will]

Looks like fun. I've been casting aluminum in a home setup. Semi-successfully. I like to watch Olfoundryman's videos. Very good explanations and some tricky parts being cast.

[@justferfunny]

excellent tutorial. Thank you.

[@gregkieser1157]

Perfect ending where the steam loco pulls into the back of the shot.....great video....very interesting.

[@apowellz]

Nice pour. Here is an idea for a relatively cheap muller I made from a small Harbor Freight cement mixer: Sand Muller And improvements: Sand Muller Improvements Keep up the great work and videos!

[@rogerbeck3018]

it's the mistakes that you can learn from - great tutorial, thank you

[@matthewq2365]

As an avid fan of 3D printing, I am glad to see it used this way. Great stuff! Bonus points for the Locomotive that pulls up in the shop!

[@VintageMachinery]

+Matthew Q Using the 3D printer for patterns has been a real time saver. I will be doing this more and more in the future!

[@brandonfesser1893]

+Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org If your designer comes up with parts that won't fit on his printer, I'd be glad to print whatever I can. I can print up to around a one foot cube.

[@richardmoss7634]

I really appreciated this video. Great explanations of the small details which are so important to the process and yet so easily forgotten as significant by those to whom they are second nature. Also very useful to see the mistakes and your ideas about improvement of your technique. I haven't cast anything yet but feel more confident about the requirements having watched this. Thank you very much.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Richard Moss It is as much an art as a science. Just get out there and start trying and learn from your mistakes - it is the best way to learn!

[@bosse65]

Hi ! Thanks for sharing this video. It reminds me of my days working with moldings in sand. We casted aluminium and only used sand with waterglass in. We only used compressed air. We used a small pipe at the end of the airhose and stuck it in the sand There is enough co2 in the air to make the process. It hardens instantly.

[@daki222000]

great video, Keith. Thanks.

[@JohnGilmour]

Excellent video! Thanks!

[@hdadb]

Thanks a lot for this video Keith! Next step - machining the parts,,, More videos to come! The casting process I find absolutely fascinating to watch. I'm a bell ringer and follow the activities in bell foundries with great interest.

[@squareyes1981]

Hi Keith. I've watched a lot of your videos and it has to be said, apart from the subject matter been highly interesting, your ability to put your videos together in a watchable way is getting to a standard as high as anything else on youtube.

[@jimbosavage]

Keith, your videos are the best! Great job on these!

[@VintageMachinery]

+Jeremy Standiford Thank you!

[@tom7601]

Great, as usual! Tom - Vista, CA

[@Nexfero]

Lots of neat tips and tricks, thanks for sharing

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@berylbarker2255]

Keith I am still on my Wife's account!! hehe I had a lot to do with foundries both cast iron, aluminium and brass, we found with the more intricate parts especially brass it needs to be vented a bit more. Like aluminium it also needs plenty of venting cause it cools quicker than cast iron. I don't think you need to alter that template but be sure to vent it more. Vent I mean by way of a small riser. Oh by the way like n1ztb just below it bought back memories, and one thing more for the safety thing don't put your crucible on concrete it will go bang!! Keep em coming mate great to watch.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

8:36 - I had to smile a bit at the irony -- using a 21st-century 3-D printer to help reproduce a 19th-century part.

[@jeffbanfieldsflwr3537]

I hit the sub before the video started. I just knew it was for me.

[@brandysigmon9066]

Great deal on the tools! They are in great shape also!!

[@VintageMachinery]

+brandy sigmon Thanks!

[@Buckrun11]

Fantastic video! I Have a lot of the casting sand and other equipment to do sand casting. I just haven't had time or anything I really needed to cast. I really want to learn more about it. Thanks for the video.

[@petermarsh4993]

Dear Keith, MyFordBoy uses two bean cans to form a riser for both feed and exhaust holes. When the level in the exhaust equals the inlet level, the entire pattern void should be full. Sometimes with a significant side arm to the piece, that gets a riser too. No more voids in the casting. Cheers.

[@johnrodrigues5278]

Dear Mr Keith Rucker, It brings back memories, I have noticed that you use a kind of powder for parting, but if there is a cast iron foundry near you, try to get same of the burned sand that stacks around cast iron pieces, this sand is so burned that it doesn't take water making it a good parting agent, I have used it for over 30 years, I am going back to 1949 when I was working in my grandfather's foundry, I am now 84 ears old, it should cost you nothing because that sand is useless for anything else, unless you mix it with a quantity of working sand, try it if you can. Kind regards John

[@lorentcartoon]

Hello, Very good job for education and understand "know-how" Thank you very much LOY

[@VintageMachinery]

+Laurent Thouvenin Thanks for watching!

[@lorentcartoon]

+Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org Just a gratification for a good work... Happy new year...

[@knunne1]

Great video! Thank you!

[@8inchime]

Hello I am John I have been in the foundry trade for 40 years I work the foundry and my Back yard foundry, posting lesson on the proper ways of the foundry. I use both types of sand, green sand (sand with betanight clay ) and petrabond ( oil base ). for the bigger molds I get done at the foundry, smaller ones at my Back yard foundry. looking towards educating the new comers of the foundry trade.

[@walter2990]

I know that this video is pretty old, but I wanted to add that if you paint the wooden Cope & Drag flasks with a couple of coats of the sodium silicate, you'll reduce the amount of burning to your forms. It takes a bunch of time to build wooden Flasks, so I try to keep and use them as many times as I can. Hope that you're recovering from your recent surgery, my Brother!! Thanks for your educational videos, from the Tampa area!

[@crowznest438]

very informative; thank you!

[@01jakefry]

Thank you that was very interesting

[@davidshaw7105]

Fantastic to see loved it👍

[@cogpastorc]

Thanks Keith, very informative. Enjoyed watching. Remember too the metal stinks when cooling. A riser allows metal to be pulled back into the main part being cast as it cools. Your solution to use a riser next time should correct the problem. You made some very nice parts and nice video.

[@gregwarner3753]

Fascinating to watch grown men playing in a sand box.

[@westganton]

The train at the end was unexpected and very badass

[@erik61801]

lol at the junior engineer coming into the shot. lucky kid.

[@WoodrowPhathom]

Keith, Terrific Video, The evening classes at 'film school' made a huge difference, to my viewing and learning experience: re setting the camera angle, use of fast forward to elapse time, etc. Thank you for sharing your experiences and your genuine critique of your errors. May I suggest that your mates at the 'blacksmith shed' , just down the tracks, could easily make you a custom set of moulding tools. I've been experimenting with smelting Aluminium, mostly sourced by 'dumpster diving' and some very basic 2D casting. This well explained example of 3D 'sand casting' has inspired. Sharing my own error based lessons learned: casted handles of scrape reo bar into the base and lid of kiln, used terracotta to create 'heat faces' , pot in base, tile in lid, backfilling with rapid set concrete mix. I am now exploring the mixing of copper (Cu) and Al to cast pieces looking like 'gold' and 'brass' . Have you experimented with such an alloy? Thanks Again Keith

[@VintageMachinery]

+Phil H I have not done much experimenting yet - just trying to get my foundry skills up to par first!

[@ezramel]

Thanks for posting was very use full to know how its done & what can go wrong then correct it.

[@VintageMachinery]

ezramel Thanks - I am still learning the foundry trade and hope to be able to post some more videos in the future.

[@TommyBoy7Heads]

In the last few seconds of the video when that big locomotive pulled in, I thought it was the coolest thing. ...and then when the young man walked on screen, it seemed as if he had driven the locomotive in himself. I'm not sure whether or not he did, but he sure looked like a pretty badass little kid at that moment. Hey, great video, Keith. Thanks very much for the info. Trying my hand at some casting is on my short list. Cheers!

[@Norsesmalfarmer]

If you ever find that you are going to make a new furnace which is capable of casting iron, would you please make a video series that explains in detail how to do it? Have followed your videos for a while and find many useful tips for things that I do myself. One of my hobbies is restoring old farm equipment so it's fun to see other people's projects. Keep up the good work to preserve historic treasures.

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

I see how the plastic parts work now , I never knew that they were just to make the sand casting !! Very cool ..

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

I think that is how it is suppose to be , Just as you are !! Thanks .. I am learning here ..

[@robingibson7503]

Skim the slag before you turn the furnace off, sticking the cold metal in the melt draws a lot of heat away, gives you more pour time.

[@AustNRail]

Yep risers missing and that is the key to success. Thanks for showing your process. Regards from Sydney Australia

[@001KW9]

Like the train in the background :)

[@lesmansom7817]

I see that your assistant doesn’t require PPE. Even hard guys need their eyes.

[@harjeetabusaleem7583]

great vid thanks for posting