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well I keep going and going and going with lost pla castings. I put this new video together and hope you all enjoy.
http://youtu.be/20iYekoQUUA
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.co > m/embed/20iYekoQUUA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe

Very nice work! Do you know of any website or group where I could find people who do this in my area and might be able to cast parts for me?

you can check on http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/forum.php
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&g ... baa7fb9bc1

Thanks!

I have everything built and ready to test for a melt, but I still cannot quite get enough confidence to get on with it.

So many ways to light my feet on fire!

If I can just acquire the proper PPE and some fortitude.

Hey David, you posted a month or two ago about what your process was... You mentioned the kiln temps and times and all of that good stuff.

Can't find it now. Do you remember what you titled the post?

Jimustanguitar wrote:Hey David, you posted a month or two ago about what your process was... You mentioned the kiln temps and times and all of that good stuff.

Can't find it now. Do you remember what you titled the post?

I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday. For the burn out you are following the investment mfg directions. I start with the kiln pre heated to 260c and put the flasks (4" by 8") in for about two hours then increase the temp 200c I keep doing this to a final temp of 730c and will hold this temp anywhere from 3 hours to overnight.
Then I reduce the temp slowly to my flask pouring temp which is no lower than 260c.
Larger flasks require longer burn out times, and smaller ones shorter.
You are not burning out the pla, you are burning out the investment.
Lower flask pouring temps produce better surface finishes.
Blind holes and sharp undercuts should be avoided when selecting you model.
Molten metal is very hot.
Casting in flip flops bad. Casting naked only good for movies.
If you actually watched the video all the way thru without skipping ahead, you are either very interested or very bored....LOL. enough humor..
Any other questions feel free to ask...

here is the white bronze rexie polished up a bit (still have more to do)
[img]http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g446/davidflowers1/utf-8BSU1BRzA4NDkuanBn.jpg[/img]
and here is the safe before and after the guy restored it that the finals went on. He did a beautiful job on the restoration.

[img]http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g446/davidflowers1/safe1.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g446/davidflowers1/safe2.jpg[/img]

Amazing work!

PrintableStudios wrote:Amazing work!

Thanks! I need to find something interesting to cast up, something to test and build skills. Maybe that jet engine model? Ugg too many choices...

I think I have picked out the furnace I am going to use to start trying my hand at casting. Vacuum chamber and all that fun stuff is also on the radar and being picked out. I am looking forward to touching base once I have a few more ducks in a row. This is one reason I bought my Max V2 and I am REALLY looking forward to learning this process. Please keep posting links to your videos. They are a great resource and make me want to stick with the process of learning to do lost PLA castings.

Great video and work. This is something I want to try down the road too one of these days...

thanks for the compliments. Its really not all that difficult once you get the hang of things. My first foundry was nothing more than a big fire inside a steel pipe to melt aluminim. Oh how things have progressed.

DavidF wrote:thanks for the compliments. Its really not all that difficult once you get the hang of things. My first foundry was nothing more than a big fire inside a steel pipe to melt aluminim. Oh how things have progressed.

Heh, I know that route! Sound starts after a few seconds, so don't turn up your speakers!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-t0ZNylhkg[/youtube]

I'm building a new gas forge in the barn now. Going to be all brick this time, firebrick on the insides and regular cinder block on the outside to protect the firebrick. It will also allow me to rearrange the size of the chamber to fit larger pieces, if I ever need to.