What happens if you fill a seashell with metal? Huge conch shell filled with molten metal

In this video I will be filling a huge seashell with molten brass in an attempt to create a perfect casting of the internal structure. I started with a Spider Conch seashell and made a simple sand mold using petrobond casting sand. I then melted brass in my DIY home foundry and poured it inside the shell. I then broke the casting out of the shell and cleaned it up. I rearticulated the parts of the shell onto the casting and then mounted the whole thing on a piece of Mahogany wood. This was a fun project and I may revisit this idea in the future.
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[@robinson-foundry]

If you're interested in any of the tools or equipment I use and you want to help support the channel then don't forget to check out some of the affiliate links in the video description. Thank you for the support!

[@Frog-ko6uu]

If you have a 3D scanner, it would be really cool to scan the shell before and the casting afterwards, and then 3D print a clear replica to replace the part of the shell that was broken away.

[@draggy76]

or just use the 3d print to make a mold of the shell to cast and keep the original shell intact instead of failing at casting it...

[@andyf1235]

You don't just melt metal like a lot of people you make beautiful art

[@NoodleBear]

Absolutely gorgeous! At first I thought it was a bad call to leave the broken edges of the shell rough instead of sanding them smooth, but in the end it looks so good! The rough broken edges contrast beautifully against the smooth shiny metal and makes the casting look like it's "breaking out" of the shell (which it kinda did lol)! You have an excellent eye for aesthetic design!

[@edwarddrost5299]

I'd like to see the spikes cast as aluminum. They would makes great contrasting accents.

[@ericadler5749]

Finished piece was awesome loved the man made and natural combination together. Again thinking outa the box

[@mkisner8060]

If you had a mold of the original seashell you could have potentially made a transparent resin shell that would replace all the parts that were broken. I think it would look amazing to have something that looks like a glass shell, with a brass core.

[@rachelg552353]

Awesome work. Love the finished product on the wall.

[@PBRJOHN684]

It amazes me that the molten brass doesn't make the shell explode on impact! Keep up the good work and I will see you in your next video 👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@oetic5016]

It'd be mostly silica and calcium

[@msa4548]

As neat as the casting is, I'd like the shell. I've never seen one like that before.

[@bobjones9727]

Ditto

[@craftycrafter1960]

Same

[@markm.9597]

The craftsmanship process is just as artistically beautiful as the shell itself. Thanks for sharing your work with us

[@mxsrmmeow3917]

You ever heard of Torbjorn Ahman? kzbin.info/door/SFaYYQzNMLo2U6rSNLpghg

[@markm.9597]

@@mxsrmmeow3917 have not, thanks for the share!

[@ProjectDIYOz]

Absolutely stunning mate! Turned out very nicely!

[@Patrick.Weightman]

Looks great mounted!! I know a bar that'd love to have that on their walls

[@daviddavis1322]

It's really great!

[@CoalCoalJames]

Man, I was thinking how insanely ugly it was when you broke off the shell......... but you really pulled it off putting the broken spikes back on, it went from trash to treasure~ Great video~

[@akb3851]

Awesome! ✌️

[@junkredo2518]

Great piece! Really smart way to mount it.

[@rlm98253]

That, sir, is art. Well done.

[@xylemmelyx]

I am baffled, in this age of specialization, that a metal worker also knows woodworking :-) Great vid, educational and entertaining.

[@tracybowling97]

I like the way you think. It looks like the metal broke through the shell. Pretty cool!

[@BooooClips]

Thumbnail isn’t very good, need to show the shell then arrow to the casting result to hook people

[@harrietcarpenter2387]

Very creative. Luv it. Thank u. I must ask u, do u live on a coast. Personally I live on the coast in Florida.

[@3dbronze]

Awesome. The presentation came out really nice at the end. Interesting hybrid of a piece.

[@DrewMann]

What psi do you run your burner at? I melted down some aluminum yesterday at 12psi and it took about 40 mins to reach 1400 degrees. Thanks :]

[@thepeaceforge]

What the Shell! My word good Sir, Your work is absolutely stunning!

[@garglebrag]

Şpider çomch

[@CM-oz7ue]

Really lovely. I feel the frame didnt do it justice though. Amazing craftsmanship!

[@jayjones1644]

Knocked it out of the park with this one.. sick wall art!!

[@justinbanks2380]

Awesome project! Also great tip on how you mounted, way simpler than what I would've over thought and went with!

[@timothysanders431]

Brass chills , and you sweet green . Magnesium is even worse .

[@joshortiz1576]

That turned out really great!! Would also like to see you cast the outer layer in petro. Would be good to see the whole thing in brass or Nordic Gold =)

[@whateverwhatever6496]

Very Skilled Person right here. Very Skilled!

[@darthmaul7428]

I'm a little sad about the shell being destroyed lol

[@KrakenCasting]

Very nice! The mounting board was a nice touch.

[@oitthegroit1297]

Absolutely beautiful work!

[@Alliancelegacy]

Pretty cool, great thinking outside the box as well by using the shell in the display.

[@jasfisherman]

Im convinced, just purchased a home foundry. I have a ton (basically unlimited) access to aluminum and brass swarf as well as some solids. Is there any advice you would give for melting swarf?

[@maciejsimm2342]

i think the swelling you captured, was the thermal release of C02 by CaC03 in the shell. awesome process/result!

[@mitzidurb9313]

Have you ever thought of doing a smaller shell and turning the finished piece into a necklace? It would be alot harder but I bet a loved one would cherish it forever!

[@trixrabbit8792]

Do a metal casting of a horse hoof. Then make a resin casting of the shoe that looks like the nail material of the hoof. It will give an interesting juxtaposition of the real thing.

[@aronbraswell1589]

great work. Thought you would cast the shell spikes in the sand then remove them from the shell body so when you poured the spikes would have also been brass. your way was more artistic. love the result.

[@masoodbhai692]

Very good very nice 👍

[@harubernardo4313]

Congratulations your spider conch involved into a golden spider conch

[@deserttan37]

it makes me sad this doesn’t have millions of views bc this is incredible

[@Naplesfrank154]

That she’ll is a Lambis Chiraga Sea Shell, not what you said it was. Cool project. By the way, the part of the shell that turned white after it was burned became lime.

[@jonlambshead5115]

I Know That This Video Is Already 2 Yrs Old, I Would Have Made A Full Cast Of The Outside Shell In A Separate Casting Box & Then Made The Casting Of The Inside

[@black97_0]

Albert Einstein once said "there are only 2 things that are infinite. Universe, and human stupidity." I'd personally like to add "human creativity" to that list Job well done. :D

[@rupertmiller9690]

6 lbs of brass is about 323.99 centimeter³. Conversion apps are fantastic for these kinds of projects. You can fill up the shell with water, measure the volume and calculate the amount of brass required. Or just wing it.

[@Jeiiyman87]

Somebody better call THE DOCTOR...A Dalek was spotted in this timeline

[@vikingcultivator2495]

You should have given the remaining seashell fragments a coating and/or finnish! Simply glue-ing them to the casting when they have those burns on 'em is... Low-quality!

[@lancerolen9414]

Dear Robinson Foundry and anyone reading i hope all is well. I just want to say that Jesus Christ loves and cares for you. If you haven't done so please accept Him as your savior and Lord. And remember to enjoy and cherish all that is good and right in life for we only get one life and we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

[@The-Alien.]

No don't :( I want that queen she'll oh god he destroyed it he could've sold it for 1000 or even 3000 if it's a left handed

[@NeverEvil1]

Looks like an octopus crossed Medusa .... 😳. Neat project though.

[@andrewdavid5928]

Looks like the Lectroid spaceship from Buckaroo Banzai. The special effects artists got inspiration from seashells.

[@privatesector0422]

Several hours in the oven huh? Why don't you just tell us how many hours you put it in the oven for? I'm going to be doing a casting myself and I came here for information...

[@wearemany73]

If the parts where the shell are white, where the shell broke were carefully painted a bright’ish matt green, it would appear that those sides were more purposeful and draw your attention toward the contrasting “in/out” nature of the piece..🤔 (I feel artsy-fartsy having suggested that)

[@mandarplays7]

Thugesh

[@potatopossum1]

just a heads up, when you wash out the shell you should dump the sediment outside instead of into your sink

[@SonofSethoitae]

Why does it matter?

[@Harrzack]

Def a great project, but I find the raw white edges of the broken shell a bit…jarring. Couldn’t they have been finished in some way?

[@andrewstrongman305]

The cast of the main body looks great, but the 'articulated' limbs look crap. Why not make segmented limbs and cast those, then string them together with wire attached through the body? It would really make the piece stand out as a work of art.

[@eathonhowell7414]

And at 3:48 I learned the meaning to a word I knew but had always assumed was made up. Props to you Magic the gathering for teaching me weird metallurgy/smithing terms.

[@bradhilton2283]

That’s pretty kool pal , you could start selling them as paper wights on line .

[@rebeccalang5848]

Ugly af, he destroyed a perfect and beautiful shell, should've just left it as is and kept that as a decoration. Smh what a shame.

[@jackjumperx4441]

Better to warm shell and fill with wax. Soak in something to dissolve shell or for a full shell vs just the inside, use as pattern for sand cast, then remove and dissolve shell. Reverse cast shell insides and cast in plaster, Then mount floating in sand cast. Pour, now you have complete metal shell

[@stevencooper2464]

That is a beautiful work of art, and someday, it may be worth a lot of money (if it isn't already). Save it for your grandchildren.

[@davewoods2835]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ would you sell something like this? i think i could find a really nice spot for something like that

[@larrysorenson4789]

Should have brazed the pieces together. That is very standard bronze casting technique and the results ate permanent and invisible.

[@quinnjdq]

Absolutely love the finished piece, the metallic core surrounded by the pieces of shell is really beautiful!

[@Vooman]

"Homemade keg furnace" is his version of "the pick bosnianbill and I made" 🤣

[@vairiankingkade6120]

We should always leave shells like this on the beach or throw it back in the water for it to be re-used by another sea creature. Unless they’re damaged. Gaia needs our help. Still an awesome idea and a great video though! ❤ 👏

[@godbluffvdgg]

Looks like something out of a horror movie...Just sayin...

[@bongoib]

wow, ART PIECE, good heavens, that is so so nice, sell them , i would buy one right now

[@williamjhunter5714]

It would be expensive, but try to cast the giant gastrupid sea shell called Syrinx. They get up to a meter long but are still found at 2 feet long in shops.

[@ghiblinerd6196]

Ooooh if you would have French polished that mahogany that would have been the nuts!

[@AUMINER1]

super cool what you have done with seashells and alum :)

[@dolson9366]

I don't agree with you destroying such a beautiful creation of nature, shame on you...

[@somethingnottaken2299]

I just looked up a video of a dude filling a wasp's nest with molten aluminum, but now I am watching this, and I can only say that I am not dissapointed.

[@rogermiller2159]

Your right, water and molten metal do not mix, but they do mingle . (They mustn’t mingle).

[@shadowkoolaid]

what else can we do/fill with metal...? edit: thats super interesting what about a sand dollar or a starfish, from a gift shop maybe.

[@awizardalso]

My real name is Michael McCluskey. I like watching videos where someone makes art work!

[@bradhilton2283]

Wow it’s like an episode of this old hose meets H.P lovecraft

[@unknownuser2737]

Always make sure if you drill or sand or cut shells they are very toxic to inhale always make sure you work shells underwater or outside with a fan blowing the dust away from you

[@briant.v.5799]

Love it! Except I might have mounted with bolts after threading the brass.

[@kronicwolf9944]

@robinson foundry I was wondering if you could cast flowers or possibly insects like spiders and butterflies? 🦋🦋🦋🦋 Or to see what happens if you get a hollow glass or ceramic vase or figure and try to cast the inside? Idk I'll have to try and think of more ideas cuz i can't think of much that isn't just testing the destructive capabilities of molten metal lol

[@kronicwolf9944]

Oh how about the outside of a intricate crystal bowl or something?

[@bungeegum4177]

Hmmm feels nostalgic 🤗 remember the movie Narnia 4th movie where the shell turn into gold

[@draggy76]

So you ruined a good awesome looking shell to make, what looks like a halfassed casting? have to say this isn't one of your better casts, but at least ya tried somethin

[@marleyboy7732]

Pretty good. Wish the horns protruding out the sides would have casted as well. But understand they were solid an not be able to poor metal down them.

[@Cryptidfinder]

Should do a dinosaur foot print we have tracks on the Isle of Wight be ace to see a brass dinosaur footprint 👏🏻

[@ukitngmindoro245]

From Philippines watching you

[@WilAdams]

most times I like what you make, but this time, no. The original shell was far more beautiful. It was a pity to see it destroyed.

[@BrianSmith-gp9xr]

Use pure silver and create a collection! The collection becomes art and the value of silver.

[@ediesedgwick4462]

Ohmigod! What a beautiful piece of work! I love the metal and shell together like that! Wow! 👍❤

[@razony]

Nice... again. Not to be morbid, but a human skull of face would be cool.

[@romeovidalrodriguez7754]

hola me gustó el video saludo: 🤜🤛👍 👏👊

[@AdamRichardson90]

That is amazing, true art.

[@mariannecormier3021]

miniature antique weapons...swords, battle axes, spears

[@jorgecaraballo1771]

Very cool. Can you do a deer skull? Or any other type of skull with horns??

[@MeltAbilities]

Another amazing job… you rock‼️

[@Farlig69]

Very Brian Oltroggeish this channel 👍🏼😎

[@charlesr.b1277]

should cook your cast piece nice and hot degenerate the shell then you can simply leave it in water and have it react away even better if its hot