• I didn't have enough sand or tried to cast too big a piece with the amount of sand I had. Next time I'm going to cast a smaller piece in a smaller sand bucket.
• I think I poured too slow to start. I should have poured faster when the foam was melting. I slowed down and when I picked it up again it was too late and portions had solidified and it wouldn't go down into the mold.
• As I poured, a big black cloud of smoke from the vaporized foam came up right in my face, so I had to hold my breath the whole start of the pour. I tried to keep pouring and shifted around to the side and that's why I wasn't consistent in my pour. Next time I need to check the wind direction and keep that stuff blowing to the side!
• I noticed on the finish piece that some aluminum went through the facing and messed up the lettering. I think I need to put more than four coats of wall texture on the foam before I cast it.
• If you look closely at my first photo and the finished product, it appears that the aluminum that pushed through the face came from the air bubble that I was concerned about. It seems that air bubbles are a major factor in the finished product. Next time I'll work hard to get rid of them.

To see more metalcasting using the sand casting method, visit http://www.hardwickfoundry.com.

Stay tuned for another plaque!


Copyright 2005
Site posted on August 28, 2005
Chris Hardwick

My First Lost Foam Casting! (Page 6) OK, I've decided after about four coats of wall texture that I would give it a try and do some casting! First I noticed small bubbles where the texture didn't stick. Next time I may try to put the first coat on better with a brush. I've been hanging on to this roll away bed frame too long. My furnace is hungry! 8) Here's the steel components of the frame. FEED ME! Ha, I can put these aluminum poles right into the top and feed my hungry furnace. Here's a few more scrap steel pieces. My chop saw made easy work of this. I'm using my wheelbarrel for the casting process because I don't have anything big enough to hold my form. Here I'm cutting the sprues shorter. I need them aligned to all fit in my head pressure device. Placing it in the sand..... I added some miter saw, piston, and roll away bed frame aluminum for this job. Setting up for the pour. Here's a shot from the top. Here's my setup. I put a steel plate across the top of the wheelbarrel so I can set the bottom of my crucible on it for an easier pour. I know I didn't have enough sand for this. I used all the sand I had except some wet sand which would have been a big mistake. I don't like the looks of this. This is looking bad.... I'm amazed any aluminum got to the bottom of the mold from the looks of all the aluminum that poured out from around the top. Look at the back, the sprues didn't even take the pour. Here's a shot of this first attempt after a wire brush and a few minutes under running water. I think I know what I did wrong on this one.