Large Scale Central

Brass/Bronze Foundry Custom service

General Discussion
#1

How much demand is there for custom cast parts in brass, bronze, white bronze and maybe nickel?

I think we can burn out printed plastic like lost wax… if not, then I’d make a mold and shoot waxes. I never planned on ‘production’ work so adding a vulcanizer, waxpot and mold rubber adds another grand to be paid off before I’d earn anything, so you see I’m in no rush to go that way.

You print and finish and I cast in metal. I’ll send you the raw castings… Bronze casting grain is reasonable and should last a lifetime.

I don’t want to carry a line or have an inventory, rather I want to sell the service.

The largest item I can cast now is either 3.5"D or 4" long, with a larger flask up to 4.5" in diameter or 5" long. Either/or depends on the bulk/volume. Of course I’ll advise and suggest ways to save.

You’d want to print about 5-10% oversize for shrinkage and surface clean up.

John

#2

John,

Is this the kind of thing your talking about doing.

Look at the dropped axle near the bottom

http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=2543.105

This was done by Shapeways at what I would consider a very reasonable price.

#3

Casting in bronze and nickle, you could fill the niche of making steam locomotive drivers for folks who need them for scratch-building and kit-bashing. I can see where it could be a lucrative hobby, or a PITA business.

#4

While the idea of doing custom work is tempting, it can be a pain and can, like you say, take a considerable amount of time to recoup start-up costs. Plus, companies like Shapeways can do it cheaper because of volume. As we have seen recently, “cottage” style companies that do custom work for hobbyists are dropping like flies in all hobby genres. I think you should give it some more thought before you start buying equipment.

#5

@Rick, Yes that’s what I can do. I could have fabricated that part cheaper.

@Andrew, doncha think asking here is thinking first? I did.

Re; Shapeways in wax most excellent.

I’m a retired Gold and Silversmith. My plan was to do custom jewelry until the metal got to be too expensive and I got sick.

Today I passed my test, the Doc said I beat the cancer! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)While talking with my sister I told her I had to replace a GFI receptacle and that I’d like to hire an electrician to add a circuit for my shops… to avoid blowing it again AND power up the shop if there is a demand, so here I am asking.

I own the burnout oven, the Electro-melt furnace and a vacuum assist casting table and all the knowledge, I’d like to get some use out of it…

Before 3D printing, making the wax models was too expensive for one off casting.

John

#6

Drivers will be a big sell, you can’t 3D print them, and the selection is horribly limited. I need 12 tires for the printed centers I have. Whole drivers would have been very nice. I think if you can do it as an on demand service and make it work I think its a great idea. Like you say have the part you want made then send it to you is a cool way to go. A real custom shop.

#7

Devon Sinsley said:

Drivers will be a big sell, you can’t 3D print them, and the selection is horribly limited. I need 12 tires for the printed centers I have. Whole drivers would have been very nice. I think if you can do it as an on demand service and make it work I think its a great idea. Like you say have the part you want made then send it to you is a cool way to go. A real custom shop.

I kinda have you and Kevin in mind. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)Satisfy you two and word of mouth is wild fire! or mebbe the accidental arsonist, (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)who knows?

One trick we used to used with our wax carvings was heat polishing. The low flame of an alcohol lamp was enough to flash the surface facets to shiny. This could be a fast way to smooth a wax print prior to casting.

I was also thinking about casting the wheel and half axles as one. Set screw sleeves and gears to hold them together, insulated for sparkies. I made a casual glance through my favorite supplier and they offer White Bronze. I don’t know it’s properties, but I bet I can hard silver solder white tires to yellow bronze centers if two-tones were desired.

I’m willing to work with all y’all 'cause trains matter!

I’m looking to supplement my pension not get rich.

John

#8

I like what you said John “Trains matter”. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#9

The Seven Eighths scale forum has several scratch builders who might be interested including me!

#10

John,

I’d be interested in working with you to produce some detail parts and perhaps drivers.

Since there are sources for producing lost wax masters with a machine much like a 3D printer, the sky’s the limit. What holds me back on this and 3D printing is producing the drawings for said parts. I don’t have the time and or desire to get er done in that respect, BUT have the need or WANT of said byproducts.

Michael

#11

Eric I will be happy to work with you and everybody else.

Having the expensive tools already and the knowledge, my modest biz plan of supplementing my income vs earning a living at, it seems doable.

However my backer travels a lot and I’m, well er um, slow at times, it will probably take a month to get wired up as I have a serious priority to Honor Mik, just Mik going on right now. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

I will also look into the metals to find out their properties for wear and malleability. Not too brittle, not too soft.

I’ve received enough positives to plow ahead! Toot toot!

John

#12

Michael Glavin said:

John,

I’d be interested in working with you to produce some detail parts and perhaps drivers.

Since there are sources for producing lost wax masters with a machine much like a 3D printer, the sky’s the limit. What holds me back on this and 3D printing is producing the drawings for said parts. I don’t have the time and or desire to get er done in that respect, BUT have the need or WANT of said byproducts.

Michael

Perhaps we could establish an open source LSC parts catalog where all y’all (that’s the plural) can share your drawings and such. I only seek compensation for my work.

John

#13

Michael Glavin said:

John,

…What holds me back on this and 3D printing is producing the drawings for said parts. I don’t have the time and or desire to get er done in that respect, BUT have the need or WANT of said byproducts.

Michael

Michael and John,

I have the capability to do the drawings. I did this for many years in the forging industry in my trade as a die sinker drawing and making cavities in dies to produce forgings. I use MasterCam as my program. I have done several drawings to build my 1/8th scale railroad locomotives and rolling stock. Maybe I could help with drawings. I don’t have experience in doing drawings for 3D printing. I could learn if anyone has experience in doing this for 3D printing such as Shapeways.

#14

Kevin I believe has our drawing done for our tire. Would you need the master to be wax or could I have it printed in plastic and then have you make a mold of it for casting the wax. Also, and I think I know the answer, how precise will the castings be, will they be reading to go or require milling like sand casting them. I am assuming they would be ready to go. Email me and we can talk price and logistics.

Also not sure if it would be helpful or not but I have a rather easy access to bronze. They are water meter bodies and would need to be cut up and melted down. Wouldn’t be shot, but if that’s doable I will supply the material for mine and a great deal more if your interested in working a deal (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif).

#15

John Caughey said:

I’m a retired Gold and Silversmith

John

I personally think that’s cool John and slowly becoming a lost art it seems “Thanks for sharing” ! Glad to hear the good review from the Doc as well.

#16

Thanks, I enjoyed my work. With the ‘Right’ boss it would almost have been a crime to accept pay, but I earned every penny with mine!

I learned on Sterling Silver, gold was easy!

Any accomplished Silver smith can be a gold smith, but not every gold smith can be a silver smith. Gold solders match their alloys, while silver solder is grey on Sterling so a wide seam is unseemly!

John

#17

Devon Sinsley said:

Kevin I believe has our drawing done for our tire. Would you need the master to be wax or could I have it printed in plastic and then have you make a mold of it for casting the wax. Also, and I think I know the answer, how precise will the castings be, will they be reading to go or require milling like sand casting them. I am assuming they would be ready to go. Email me and we can talk price and logistics.

Also not sure if it would be helpful or not but I have a rather easy access to bronze. They are water meter bodies and would need to be cut up and melted down. Wouldn’t be shot, but if that’s doable I will supply the material for mine and a great deal more if your interested in working a deal (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif).

I’m not making molds. My hands are beyond that kind of fiddly work.

All I want to do is convert your models into bronze. Bronze is less than $20 a pound https://www.riogrande.com/Product/bronze-casting-grain/104316

Some bronzes are too hot for my furnace, but there are three we can use https://www.riogrande.com/Product/casters-white-bronze-chunks/706013

and the ancient bronze. My furnace top temp is 2050F the casting temps are listed.

My habit is to use clean metal and send used unknown metal to a refiner. Penny wise and Pound foolish, no thanks. After a few casts it’s 60/40, 60 new grain and 40 the button and bad castings recycled.

How clean? I really don’t know. I’ve never cast bronze before, just SS and 14k and 18k. If your prints are grainy looking so will the bronze. If we can find a good used magnetic tumbler it would burnish polish the spokes. I’d want to mill the treads and flange, even if it’s just chucked into my Unimat and trued with a file.

I think you want to attach the tires to the centers and we cast them whole. If we cast them with half axles, added bearing boxes insulate them from the from the frame and an insulated sleeve w/ set screws joins 'em.

Know anybody with CNC, some hard waxes can be milled and your tires can be done that way.

John

#18

John Caughey said:

Today I passed my test, the Doc said I beat the cancer! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Congrats, John! I’m very glad to hear that!

My brother is a silversmith too, and also does some work in gold. I don’t think he does much, if any, casting though, mostly fabrication. I have some pics of his work on my website:

http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/Family_Jims_Jewelry.html

He’s also on Facebook:

https://www.hs.facebook.com/dunakindesign/

#19

What’s Facebook?

#20

John Caughey said:

Michael Glavin said:

John,

I’d be interested in working with you to produce some detail parts and perhaps drivers.

Since there are sources for producing lost wax masters with a machine much like a 3D printer, the sky’s the limit. What holds me back on this and 3D printing is producing the drawings for said parts. I don’t have the time and or desire to get er done in that respect, BUT have the need or WANT of said byproducts.

Michael

Perhaps we could establish an open source LSC parts catalog where all y’all (that’s the plural) can share your drawings and such. I only seek compensation for my work.

John

There used to be a section like that… I don’t see it right now. Maybe BD removed it due to lack of use - or I’m just missing it.