Author Topic: Working on a new tiny shop  (Read 92983 times)

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #150 on: February 18, 2015, 11:22:40 PM »
Hardware checkout clerk, "Excuse me sir, I see you have several pipe nipples and fittings and a pound of nails. What do you plan on doing with those?"

Me, "Uhhh well I was thinking of making a steam engine out of them....."

Clerk, "I'm sorry sir, we can't sell them to you for that, they're for plumbing. Would you mind putting them back on the shelf?"
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline dsquire

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #151 on: February 18, 2015, 11:58:21 PM »
Hi Steve

I hear you. It makes you wonder what some of these companies are thinking. That is one of the reasons I don't watch much news or TV anymore. Every time you do you find something else too piss you off.

Keep plugging away and as Red Green would say "Keep your stick on the Ice"

Cheers  :beer:

Don

 
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and your better best

Offline tom osselton

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #152 on: February 19, 2015, 01:30:35 AM »
I bought mine at ceramics canada $100.00 per pint but it is diferent from the stuff that iron man uses.

Offline awemawson

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #153 on: February 19, 2015, 02:34:36 AM »
Steve,

Sodium silicate is often used as a blanket stiffener and binder
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline DavidA

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #154 on: February 19, 2015, 05:41:23 AM »
I have been to a couple of places where they refused to sell me parts for my car because I couldn't remember the registration number.

Sodium Silicate (water glass) appears to be readily available on the web. And Wiki states...

 Waterglass is inexpensive and abundantly available, which makes its use popular in many refractory applications...

Dave.

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #155 on: February 19, 2015, 09:14:00 AM »
Guys, thanks!  :beer:

I do know about sodium silicate, and in fact ironman's furnace uses it as an adhesive for the blankets to the case, so I was planning to buy that, too, but I wanted his design's extremely rapid propane fueled iron melting capability if I was going to spend big money on a very small furnace. I totally trust his experience, and don't want to make changes.

Giving up on iron, I didn't see any reason to use expensive blanket refractories. Aluminum melts in anything.

I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #156 on: February 19, 2015, 04:59:19 PM »
The sand is very nice today after a couple hours of the heating cable -- the top is cool but the lower level is actually slightly warm. I suppose I could loosly fit a piece of 1" insulation foam to lay on top of the sand to warm it all the way through and reduce evaporation at the same time.
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #157 on: February 20, 2015, 10:28:48 AM »
I'm jonesing to start another engine project (actually several I have ideas for) but I'm in the typical Madmodder muddle:

My lathe is now apart and I'm building a furnace to cast some pulleys to accept a poly-vee belt and re-bore the headstock to accept bearings to change a spindle size to be able to accept collets and stiffn the 3 jaw and pass through-stock.

But I'm not building an engine.  :doh:
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #158 on: February 23, 2015, 07:57:18 PM »
I located and brought into the shop most of my old aluminum casting gear. Though it's making things kind of cramped right now, it's getting me excited about casting again. I bought two bags of charcoal today -- hard to find here in winter, and a couple people made comments while I was carrying the bags out of the store. We might get record cold tonight, according to the weather service, and I suppose it does look nuts.  :loco:

The other problem I have casting is finding a place to do it now. Everything outdoors is covered in feet of snow and ice. So today I started shoveling and chipping away in front of the shop to get down to dirt. I used a 5 foot chisel ended bar. The dirt when I reaached it was frozen, too. I'll get some sand to make a bed to cover it tomorrow. Then a tarp to keep any future snows off of it.
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

RobWilson

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #159 on: February 24, 2015, 03:00:00 PM »
Looks like you have a bad case of  :proj: Steve  :lol:


Rob  :D

Offline vtsteam

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Arctic Pour
« Reply #160 on: February 24, 2015, 04:54:56 PM »
Rob, I just put the Mad in Madmodder alright!

It was the coldest here last night that it has been all winter -26C. And today we warmed up to -11C with a strong wind and being impatient to try the new furnace I naturally decided to go ahead and pour aluminum!  :headbang:

I wasn't ready to mold with greensand, but found an old lost foam pattern I'd made and never used -- from last summer. It was difficult casting back then (6mm wall thickness) and probably burying it in sub zero sand and pouring at these temps was pointless, but it was a good excuse to make fire in my furnace in all that snow and ice and give a certain arm gesture to winter!

Camera's battery is charging now (doesn't like the cold either and quit!) but I'm hoping the photos are okay -- we'll see shortly!
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline CrazyModder

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #161 on: February 24, 2015, 05:40:55 PM »
 :worthless:

I clearly remember the first day of this winter, when I had my mold *just* right, the coal glowing happily, and it started to snow. I admit, my sense of security was wobbling a bit at the moment (what with water and molten metal and all that), but it turned out fine after all. The next day, the oven was nowhere to be found under all the snow - so, just in time.

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #162 on: February 24, 2015, 07:18:52 PM »
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #163 on: February 26, 2015, 01:49:26 PM »
I worked a little on the pulley pattern -- mainly just relieved the back some so the casting wouldn't be as heavy there. The core prints are removable so I can core for different shaft bores. Also so I won't have to put a hole in the molding board.


« Last Edit: January 15, 2018, 11:41:42 PM by vtsteam »
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

RobWilson

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #164 on: February 26, 2015, 02:44:01 PM »
I worked a little on the pulley pattern -- mainly just relieved the back some so the casting wouldn't be as heavy there. The core prints are removable so I can core for different shaft bores. Also so I won't have to put a hole in the molding board.




A good bit of forward thinking there Steve  :thumbup:   What grade of brown stuff did you turn the pattern from ? 


Rob  :wave:

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #165 on: February 26, 2015, 03:36:34 PM »
Just plain old eastern white pine, Rob, cut here on the property on my mill. It works easy and I know what the weight proportion is to aluminum from practice, so I can just weigh the pattern to know how much metal to melt.
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #166 on: February 26, 2015, 05:21:39 PM »
With core prints in place:

« Last Edit: January 15, 2018, 11:46:30 PM by vtsteam »
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

RobWilson

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #167 on: February 27, 2015, 02:07:47 PM »
 :thumbup: Steve ,


Looks like there will be some casting on the old  homestead this weekend  :)




Rob

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #168 on: February 27, 2015, 02:30:03 PM »
I hope so, Rob, the cold is so wearing. We had 1 day in the last 4 weeks when the high creeped a couple degrees above freezing. I just don't know if it makes sense to even try casting. We'll see -- we're supposed to top out around freezing early next week. That will seem like a heat wave.

Today I decided to make some new wooden flasks -- I badly burned my old ones (used for aluminum) when I first tried cast iron. Later made steel flasks for CI, but they're shallow and heavy for this casting.

If you look at the pulley pattern and how it tapers, it wants to be molded with the wide end uppermost in the drag. Which would mean gating into the rim, or a sprue directly on the inner boss -- but that has a core in the center.  Plus, that's quite a drop for the aluminum to the bottom of the cavity. I'm thinking the walls might wash out.

I was thinking, I wish I could gate in to the bottom of the cavity -- the small end. But that can't be on the parting line, which has to be at the big end, or you wouldn't be able to draw the pattern.

Then I hit on the idea of making a flask exactly the same height as the pulley body, and make a triple layer flask with the pattern in the middle. I could then have access to either end, Sprue down, and gate in to the bottom/small end, and put a riser on top to keep the hub full.

Maybe connect to the rim, too -- I guess it depends where I get a shrink cavity (if I do). First cast is likely to have problems, especially with cold sand.

Probably do multiple MadModder dancy bannana guys if it works first pour..... :lol:

I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

RobWilson

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #169 on: February 27, 2015, 03:21:26 PM »
Hi Steve

Why not bottom gate the mould  or try a horn gate  , I have been meaning to give the latter ago some day .  :dremel:

Or as you said using a Cheek ( a flask that goes between the cope and drag ) is another  good  way   :thumbup:


Hope the weather breaks for you soon  :D , and yes the  :ddb: dance is required  :lol:

Rob   

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #170 on: February 27, 2015, 03:44:51 PM »
A horn gate, Rob, I had to look that one up! Of course online I got a bunch of automatically opening driveway gates,  :) But eventually found a definition, no pic. And it's just like it sounds, shaped like a cow's horn I guess.

I'm assuming you ram it in place with the pattern, and then draw it in a circular pull, rather than try to insert it in an already rammed flask like you would a sprue cutter.

Well that would be an interesting tool to make. I'd probably bandsaw it out 4 sided and then work it down by hand.

I don't suppose they used actual cow horns in the good olde days, did they?
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

RobWilson

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #171 on: February 27, 2015, 04:26:57 PM »
Yer you got it Steve  :thumbup:

Just like a cows horn , rammed in place as you say . Have a look in the USA navy foundry manual  :thumbup: http://www.hnsa.org/resources/manuals-documents/single-topic/foundry-manual/


Quote
I don't suppose they used actual cow horns in the good olde days, did they?

Its a possibility ,exactly the right shape off the shelf head  :palm:


Rob 

Offline awemawson

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #172 on: February 27, 2015, 05:27:12 PM »
They 'ain't uniform in shape you know  :lol:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #173 on: February 27, 2015, 05:38:18 PM »
This is Holstein country.......but I never spent much time checking out horns. I try not to lower my head to stare close up at anything like that, no matter how seemingly mild mannered. Well, ever since I tried it when I was 6 years old at the neighbors ram. No horns, just bumps but I remember seeing shooting stars right after!
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline Manxmodder

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Re: Working on a new tiny shop
« Reply #174 on: February 27, 2015, 09:38:47 PM »
They 'ain't uniform in shape you know  :lol:

I've never seen a Unicorn with anything but a straight horn,seems fairly uniform for a Unicorn.....OZ.
Helixes aren't always downward spirals,sometimes they're screwed up