Easy lost PLA metal casting │ How to turn a 3d print into metal │ ASMR

[@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!

[@wtxrcdog]

I used to do some lost foam castings. I would use joint compound thinned with water to about like milk. and spray on several coats letting them dry between coats. Then I would pour a base layer of sand into my bucket place my part in and pour plat sand around the part. After that I would tap the bucket with a mallet to pack the sand once it was packed down pour my metal. Worked great. I made tons of parts and no water glass.

[@lancekindle3100]

joint compound to act at the fine-detail-saver is such an excellent trick

[@The_Mimewar]

I never would have thought of it on my own.

[@nczioox1116]

Is there a spray on version?

[@theofficialvalvychannel5689]

Idk but what is joint compound exactly?😅

[@josedavid6400]

@@theofficialvalvychannel5689 I also like to know.

[@jacktheaviator4938]

I have tried a couple different types, but the powder that you mix with water that contains plaster of Paris is the best. A lot of the pre mixed varieties have polymers in the mix (usually some sort of vinyl) and they don't work as well. I'm not sure if it's the vinyl, or some other ingredient, but the pre mixed stuff had tiny pits and dimples in the surface finish.

[@almorassi]

4:31 The difference between cans and wheels is that wheeled aluminum has a higher silicon content, which lowers the melting point of the alloy and improves the fluidity of the molten metal.

[@robinson-foundry]

That’s right. Big difference between the two. I love “Wheelium”.

[@SethKotta]

@@robinson-foundry Oh, wheely?

[@nitcat1]

Is there some method to determine if a wheel is aluminum, magnesium or some kind of alloy?

[@vaclavmusil6994]

@@nitcat1 Wheels are usually casted.

[@operator8014]

@@robinson-foundry Wheeluminum?

[@wantafastz28]

I really appreciate you showing and telling what materials you use for people like me unwilling to bite the bullet on suspend a slurry... thank u, and awesome content

[@Beerbatter1962]

Absolutely amazing how much detail you captured. Even the 3D printed layer lines and the filament Wiggly's on the overhang under the chin. Excellent work. Thanks for sharing.

[@DarthG33k]

5:40 You lost a lot of metal off the side of the bucket, there. A small funnel of sand around the entry point would help direct the metal back into the mold.

[@hasanelahituhin1150]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXTRen2ra56UjJI

[@danal3386]

Unreal... I've been looking into methods for doing this and this is by far the most effective I've seen yet! Hope it works for jewelry casting

[@pbDEMON]

From what I've seen on other youtube videos, most jewelry casters use resin 3d printers and plaster molds for high quality pieces.

[@trollman-lv3be]

Congrats this project is much easier than previus projects

[@mattlogue1300]

3d print needed support under chin or massive cooling. That cast is awesome.

[@robinson-foundry]

Thanks, yes it is. Something a little different also.

[@regularSenseAppeal]

I was into painting Warhammer miniatures around 30 years ago. Watching this gave me an overwhelming urge to paint it. Nice

[@SethKotta]

"Hey, Seth. You know what happened to my car rims?" "... No?"

[@abc1099]

Wheels*

[@donwright3427]

Nice to see you have all the correct safety gear and proper tools to safely handle molten metal.

[@HVXmania]

Lools amazing. I can't believe the detail. Love to see the method with other metals and alloys like bronze, brass and iron

[@ColdFuse96]

A few years ago, Grant Thompson from TKOR made a video where he did this, but with styrofoam models. I've always juggled around the idea of doing that, but with 3D prints, and it looks like your did it first and perfected the idea with the layer of plaster to get all the intricate details. Excellent work! It looks great!!!!

[@matthewludivico1714]

excellent to see ancient "lost wax" method brought to the 3D printer era

[@JohnSmith-tj5se]

this shares nothing with lost wax casting, it's not even close to correct

[@ColinWatters]

Great to know it works without needing a lengthy burn out to remove the PLA.

[@gokhanceterez1043]

this is the most effective lost wax casting video I have ever seen.

[@paulmanhart4481]

Excellent job. Who would have thought that you don’t need to melt out the PLA first.

[@TheCliverguy]

The best & easiest way to make 3d metal products 👏🏼👍🏼

[@jefflyon100]

Very impressive. Another version of this is being used with powdered steels. The print gets placed in a steel tube (cannister). The outside gets filled with 1085 and the inside with 15n20 or 1085 with 5% nickel. Its heated to forging temperature and compressed in a hydraulic press. The pla is organic and burns off as carbon. Some very detailed mosaic patterns for knife blades etc are being created. Its very new and likely the next big thing in mosaic pattern welded steel (damascus). Thought it might interest you.

[@ElusiveParticle]

These have such a "How it's Made" vibe to them, it's great. My guess is you were a fan of that show growing up (as I was) and you took some mental notes and made use of them for your videos. Great videos. : )

[@WojciechP915]

In the foundry I worked at, we used pour basins over top of the sprue so that a constant flow of metal goes into the mold without any air. It also reduces spillage.

[@coulterjb22]

Nicely done. I'm impressed. I think this was the simplest approach I've seen....since 3DTopo showed his lost PLA process eight years ago.

[@FKreider]

Thanks for sharing, I literally just bought the materials to try this!

[@robinson-foundry]

That’s awesome! I hope it works out for you.

[@The1Loser1Type]

You should post a video of your first go at it!

[@riccardo7352]

did it work?

[@pedroperenne]

@@robinson-foundry it is "normal" sand? not special for casting? the sand in the home improvement stores?

[@EricksonEtc]

@@pedroperenne The sand is regular sand. It's the sodium silicate that makes the sand harden up, with exposure to CO2. Google 'sodium silicate casting'. It's amazing stuff. SV Seeker has some cool videos using SS. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4HRhJVprt-sqqc

[@berksonfab]

Wow, the detail on the bottom of the chin is very impressive. Very cool!!!

[@joselinares4899]

At lasttttt a video without burn out oven great job

[@soundmindtv2911]

Hands down this is authoritatively the best tutorial I’ve been able to find on this

[@makingcookingfixing]

Thanks for the tip on the concrete sealer and joint compound!!

[@maxk4324]

Dry wall sealer I believe. Concrete sealer is an entirely different product, an epoxy or some other 2 part resin I believe, which if used here will produce very bad results and also probably some fumes you don't want to be breathing.

[@the_wretched]

I can't believe it even retained the overhang stringy thingies, hahaha Excellent video

[@LtJerryRigg]

Great work! I like this molding method, I will have to try it. One note: don't load your crucible cold like that. The aluminum expands as it heats and it's a great way to crack your crucible. Throw a little in the bottom and let the rest preheat on the furnace vent, add once you get a molten heel on the bottom.

[@HarrisonDavies]

The best method I've seen.

[@stgo.s.4067]

You rlly make an before an after in the 3D metal casting method with this. You're my heroe

[@davidforrest937]

8:18 I like houw the process captures the detail of the drooping filament in the overhanging chin.

[@dtrotteryt]

Using the angle iron to protect from vent splatter is genius. I have done something similar, but I'll be damned, the angle iron is easy and does a GREAT job. Thanks a bunch!

[@kmech3rd]

I'm impressed that burning out the PLA core before pouring wasn't required. Do you think that any other "support" filaments like the water soluble PVA would burn out even cleaner? Or was PLA just perfectly suited to the application?

[@lukerichard1709]

Best casting video to date!

[@paulmeistrell1726]

You do some impressive work and your techniques are great. Just one thing your wearing lace up shoes without shields surprises me with all the safety you practice. Keep up the good work and making your videos.

[@jackturner3803]

A fine addition to your collection

[@robinson-foundry]

Thanks!

[@adingilman-cohen1500]

This seems so much easier than other lost PLA methods with molds that need to be set in a kiln. What are the drawbacks? Why doesn't everyone use this all the time?

[@grandkaiser1]

Absolutely stunning....that was glorious

[@mensb1936]

wow incredible detail in the result. excellent work

[@298CRE8]

Mechanical engineer from forge foundry background yes you can reuse most metal sand etc in the industry we reuse it after filtering and grinding again to ensure no big parts and magnets to remove from ferrous metals etc good luck if it feels and looks good enough to use it probably is not hard 🤞✌️

[@jameswiz]

For anyone who cares. "MOST" Cast aluminum is a high silicon based aluminum alloy, which lower the melting point and helps make it flow much easier. This is what makes it ideal for casting. You can buy silicon from eBay, crush it, and add to your molten aluminum to make your own allow that flows easy

[@Sludgepump]

silica, not silicon. You put silicon in your molten aluminum, it ain't gonna be pretty. Keep it for the window seals. ;)

[@jameswiz]

@@Sludgepump No. SILICON, like I said... NOT SILICONE which is CAULK!!! Learn to spell! My windows seals are fine, because of the SILICONE I've used on them. ;} SILICON is the element Si with the atomic number of 14....

[@juanwick8195]

Definitely given me H.R. Giger vibes👌🏾🔥🔥🔥🔥 sick job, love it!!

[@elfpimp1]

Nice. And using Vase mode in the slicer, good idea!!

[@whoguy4231]

Thought the PLA would blow up .... but didn't .... Awesome!!! Thank You

[@robinson-foundry]

As long as it’s vented sufficiently it works!

[@jacobcultivates]

As if I didn't already have enough of an addiction printing in PLA... :P This was super awesome man, thanks for sharing!!!

[@robinson-foundry]

You’re welcome, it’s a fun hobby! Thanks!

[@Serbianguy432]

A great informative tutorial. Well done - as usual.

[@robinson-foundry]

Thank you very much!

[@3DPrintingIndustryNews]

Good to see that pie case replaced with something a little more sturdy!

[@solarheat9016]

Good job. The finished piece has lots of detail. I would like one in cast iron plated with nickel.

[@SirKevinthefirst]

Should take that to the antique road show. Maybe get half a million bucks

[@vladbaban7744]

great video by the way. I have 2 questions 1: what happens to the used sand ? Can u reuse it ? 2: can you use PetR filament? or do you use a special type of PLA?

[@VLXVNDR]

Pretty sweet looking bong 👌🏼

[@ku8721]

Awesome!!! But may I make a suggestion, turn supports on but click touching build plate only. It'll help with the lower messy overhangs like under the chin at 8:18. And that will allow you to get a smoother finish of joint compound which should in theory help with those little blobs Edit: on 2nd viewing I see you did that, try reducing the distance between the support material and the overhang. Or try rubbing it with soft wax that should fill in those gaps but still melt out easy

[@robinson-foundry]

Thanks for the tip. I had the z distance set to .2mm. The print is so fragile that I didn’t want there to be any problems removing the supports.

[@Anontesla]

You can print most things with a couple extra walls and no infill don’t know how it would do with the metal but you said the least amt of infill so just trying to help or expand the ideas in your arsenal :) great video though gonna have to try it !!

[@designersmind3140]

Super cool! I'd love to see you do this with a resin printer which would get you even better detail. There are a lot of resins out there specifically for doing lost wax style casting

[@elrojogrande744]

theres also wax filament for fdm 3d printers. never used it myself because i heard its a PITA to work with though.

[@ygalion]

you asked to tell what we thinking... freaking amazing, good job

[@roland2864]

Really digging the mayan/Aztec prints

[@renees766]

That looks awesome!

[@damiferar1544]

MUY BUENO E INSTRUCTIVO SALUDOS DESDE ARGENTINA.

[@bretspangler8717]

Noticed under the chin, it captured the detail of the overhang, that could have been cleaned up a little before casting, but an overall very impressive outcome.

[@TheEngineeringDutchman]

Whatan extreme intresting way to cast. I have to give this a try myself

[@sierraecho884]

1. Instead of sand you could use plaster 2. instead of aluminium you can use pewter or zamac which melts way cooler and captures details the most This way you can burn out the plastic over a fire before you pour anything and everyone can do that at home without the kiln and all that stuff. Not saying you did wrong or anything just want to show that it can be done even easier and cheaper.

[@haydenc2742]

Very cool! Can you thin or do multiple coats of the joint compound to thicken the shell? Maybe joint compound, sprinkle with sand, dry, repeat 2-3x times and build up a really thick shell?

[@butwait]

That pink 3M filter you use is a regular dust filter and isn't meant for chemical vapors. You may want to order a different set.

[@robinson-foundry]

Thank you, I will.

[@djericanthony]

Have you ever measured the sand to concrete sealer ratio?

[@joneastman5627]

That came out grate nice piece man

[@rednaldron2617]

found out about your channel today and i cant stop watching! amazing work

[@rachelg552353]

Interesting method. The result is great!

[@The_Phantom_Writer]

Wow... Mind blown. I definitely need to try this method. Keep up the awesome videos, incredibly helpful!!! :)

[@appidydafoo]

This is so awesome, great work, thank you for sharing!

[@stevesrt8]

i've been coating my foams in watered down drywall mud but that joint compund looks perfect. i'll be trying that for sure. cheers. If you put a tin can around your sprue, you save yourself from making a giant mess lol. but the video just wouldnt be as exciting haha

[@jaymegillen8633]

Joint compound IS watered down drywall mud..

[@raziel3726]

Amazing Craftsmanship 👍🏻👍👍🏽

[@PixelShaded]

Very nice technique, thanks for sharing

[@ebahns]

Very COOL man! I'm very impressed with this process. I'm a fellow caster myself and always thought I needed a kiln for casting PLA objects. I am definitely giving this a shot. I do have a question, is the sand reusable after you cast? Or is that sand mixture a one and done situation?

[@justinbanks2380]

I just came across this video and was getting ready to ask the same question. As the sand could get expensive in these and the sand casting ones he does if you can't reuse any of the sand

[@PhilosophyofDataScience]

How'd it work out for you not melting out the pla in a kiln? I'm looking to do the same but can't believe it could just vaporize out of the way like that. Also pretty sure the sand would have to be ground back down if it's even possible, interesting though.

[@sergeyp.7985]

Absolutely yes, spent sand can be reused after breaking larger chunks. Just add fresh sodium silicate (water glass).

[@freedom_aint_free]

Incredible detail!

[@dogdrone5186]

Excellent, thank you for sharing. time for me to buy a foundry and make some cool stuff.

[@robinson-foundry]

Thanks! You definitely should. It’s lots of fun.

[@Plantedbetta]

If you thin out the joint compound and take super fine sand you dip and sand dip and sand then set it

[@texasRoofDoctor]

Great process

[@puits-de-science]

Very nice. Thank you for this interesting video. There is something wrong with the sodium silicate sand because it should have been much harder to break than that

[@joshuadelisle]

Fantastic results well done. Must try this myself. Cheers J

[@Spectt84]

A scary "grey alien" head would be awesome! The color would be about right, and the blank spot on the top where the air vent is needed could be easily blended into the model I would think. Does the air vent need to be so big?

[@Sugarsail1]

I wonder how many bubbles / voids are in the casting itself. The finish detail is great though. Anything that does this level of detail without needing a burnout oven is a good method.

[@SunilSundar]

Do you think the sodium silicate is required or would it work just as well with dry sand?

[@garyford5536]

Used to apply dry wall tape joint and fill the join in the plasterboard

[@AstroInfinitum]

Beautiful!!

[@timandrew4515]

Nicely done!

[@volljoseph]

BRO! How do you not have more views and subscribers?!? Amazing content right here and PERFECT for YT Shorts and TikTok. If you haven't looked into that already, hop on the gravy train man, your content will explode!

[@maxk4324]

KZbin shorts aren't able to be monetized (yet)

[@thelaughinghyenas8465]

Question: How accurate was the resulting casting dimensionally compared to the original PLA? Was the casting larger or smaller? Have you ever tried using multiple layers of that sodium silicate?

[@robinson-foundry]

Castings are always smaller that the original by a few percent. You mean the joint compound? No I haven’t but I will.

[@Eddiezerintube]

@@robinson-foundry If I need millimetric accurated final must resize the PLA model in some percent? 0.5%? 3%? Thanks!!

[@EricksonEtc]

@@Eddiezerintube Probably 1ish percent, but if you need dimensionally accurate parts, you'll need to machine them afterwards.

[@elrojogrande744]

@@Eddiezerintube aluminum shrinks 3-4% percent when going from liquid to solid and another 1-2% from temperature shrink. every alloy and metal will have it owns shrink factor but as a general rule about 5-6% added in the print should get you close.

[@charitybrown4274]

Great Work!!! 👍😁

[@robinson-foundry]

Thank you!

[@caiopanco6872]

That’s an awesome technique, great job 👏🏼

[@ma-kuimono]

It was very helpful! I don't know if the same materials are available in Japan, but I would like to try my hand at making complex products using this method.😀

[@kiruthikak3175]

thats amazing, is it possible to cast a metal on existing metal ?

[@jinXBrothers]

Great piece. Very fun pours.

[@kepler1175]

I cant wait to some day try something like this

[@dragonzaid945]

More.... More.... More... Make MORE videos like these please !

[@mattyal9347]

Quite educational!

[@benz7679]

Amazing job!!

[@implausibleimpossiblehypot4006]

And the 3D gun printing community greatly thanks you for this knowledge

[@superchroma]

I'm not sure this can be an effective substitute for rifling at the end of the day.

[@implausibleimpossiblehypot4006]

@@superchroma yeah I would never ever cast a barrel unless I was casting a bronze barrel for like a 22 and I’d make it super thick but other than that you can basically fully print every piece of any firearms so you could legitimately make a ak quite easy you’d just have to cast almost every piece thick asf because no steel

[@ku8721]

Doesn't casting the barrel out of metal negate the only "positive" of a 3d printed gun? A large part of why people were freaking out about that idea was that the small firing pin was too little to be picked up on most metal detectors

[@implausibleimpossiblehypot4006]

@@ku8721 cost is also a factor and the frequency you can find guns

[@ku8721]

@@implausibleimpossiblehypot4006 Welp I live in America where finding a firearm is less than a problem than finding a part for my 20 year old truck! But yes good guns cost a lot, but I'll put my 30.06 against almost any gun with a 3d printed part... if I can pick the range (distance) that is

[@crubbythebeagle57]

stunning man stunning Author Venkat 😎