Aluminum Flask

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Harry
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by Harry »

Mine are a little different David in that I have a long side and short side rather than the same piece for all four sides. I also have a hollow inside for holding the sand. I have had issues with sand sliding out of flat flasks but it was a 15" so that might be the difference with yours.

I really like Bobs one piece flasks, cant say how many times I have seen them but am just now really warming up to them. Not that I didnt care for the flask itself but the work in making the pattern. Considering the work in finishing out multi part flasks though with the milling/drilling and tapping after a few or more the single piece design would win out.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
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dallen
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by dallen »

actually this one went together much faster then the first one, I set up and did one step at a time but did it to all 8 when I did. even to drilling the holes in the right angle of the one end took less then 30 minutes
if you have a mill large enough or your router will do it knock the pattern together out of 5/4 lumber and mill the thing out so you cut the tapers on the sides.

If I start having problems with the sand falling out I will bolt in some half inch angle about an inch up for the parting line. So far I haven't had problems. my next step is to either modify or make a new pattern and make one side longer by 6 inches but first I have to make a wood flask, the nice thing is I can break this down have three or four flask in the same area you will put one in.
David and Charlie aka the shop monster

If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette
castaway
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by castaway »

dallen wrote: with the taper that you have on the side of your flask how do you keep the sand from falling out when you flip?, hold a board on it?

Bob on yours did you gate from the inside to pour it?
The taper was a concern to start with since the only lip on the flask was on the wrong side. I had planned to weld a couple lips on the bottom side so sand drops wouldn't happen but after a couple uses sand started to stick to the insides which turned out to act as grippers for new sand being rammed up. So sand drops stopped almost completely but I do get one ever so often usually when the sand starts to get hot and it looses some of it's green strength.

To pour I gated on the outside of one corner and a riser on the opposite corner and had no problem getting a complete pour every time. Placing gates on the inside makes a job out of cutting off the gates since a bandsaw can't be used. Outside of drilling for the aligning pins and their holes these flasks were a simple operation. I did cast some smaller one piece flasks like these and just used roll pins for the aligning pins. Easy peasy! 8-) If I were to do more I think I will place a couple foam strips on the insides of the flask pattern during ram up so the pattern could still be pulled but when cast these foam strips will create lips inside to grip the sand.

Harry wrote:I really like Bobs one piece flasks, cant say how many times I have seen them but am just now really warming up to them. Not that I didn't care for the flask itself but the work in making the pattern. Considering the work in finishing out multi part flasks though with the milling/drilling and tapping after a few or more the single piece design would win out.
Sorry Harry, I know I repeat myself often which come from my years as an instructor. I never know if everyone was paying attention the times before so I would say it again and again in hopes most got what was being shown and taught. I made my pattern using some clap board siding and a couple odd wooden pieces for the first pattern and poured one in aluminum that I then used for casting the remainder of the ones needed and to still have it around as a good master pattern. :shock: Bob
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Harry
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by Harry »

No need to apologize on repeating, it takes a few tries sometimes for somethings to sink in. I always did the same when training newer guys on my crews, I would also tell them up front I would be repeating myself because it never hurts to hear something twice. Kind of like telling someone to watch out for a load they might be looking at, sometimes the forest can get lost in the trees and better the say something than have them get hurt.

I need to have a go at tossing a pattern together. It just seemed to me problematic, thin material trying to keep the sides straight and fastening the corners. I had the same thought on making just one from the original pattern and use it as the master. The foam strips sound like a good idea, I was thinking along the lines of molding with a cheek and using a follower but that seemed like more headaches considering the size of the mold required to do a decent sized flask. Welding a strip in was what I thought would be easiest plus it would be an excuse to get an aluminum spool gun for my wirefeed :)

Any which way you go about it, bolt together sides or one piece aluminum flasks are so nice to work with and well worth the time and effort of making them.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
dallen
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by dallen »

Ok I got a modified pattern, hopefully I'll get a chance to pour it today and we'll see if the pin lug/handle will cast as and integral part of the pattern side. thats a heck of and idea for pattern material using clap board siding Bob, if a person was to use some of the imitation stuff thats made like backer board with the weathered wood grain texture you wouldn't need any lips the texture would hold the sand I would think.

I'll get up a picture of either a completed casting or the modified pattern sometime today.
David and Charlie aka the shop monster

If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette
castaway
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by castaway »

dallen wrote:Ok I got a modified pattern, hopefully I'll get a chance to pour it today and we'll see if the pin lug/handle will cast as and integral part of the pattern side. thats a heck of and idea for pattern material using clap board siding Bob, if a person was to use some of the imitation stuff thats made like backer board with the weathered wood grain texture you wouldn't need any lips the texture would hold the sand I would think.

I'll get up a picture of either a completed casting or the modified pattern sometime today.
If you use a textured board to make a pattern you will need to rap the pattern sides when molding enough to get it to pull out of the sand cleanly. My clap board pattern was fragile even when assembled with epoxy so I needed to make an aluminum master especially to allow for the pin lugs to take the ram up without getting broken off. You just need to cope down to the lug tops each time to get a clean pull.

Here's some more repeat stuff I may have shown on the old BYMC site on large wooden flasks and how I used them and hope it's not too boring.

When it come to making big flasks I still go with wood including the pin lugs but I have also cast bolt-on lugs for the pins and the alignment holes.

New wooden one before its baptism of fire in the foundry.


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To get the needed support over these large open areas I include these inside groove cuts and support bars to hold the sand in the cope. To allow the drag to be rammed up and flipped I screw a board to the flask. First to the one side then after ramming up the pattern and after it is struck off another board is screwed down for the flip. Once flipped the now top board is removed and cope half is placed and rammed up and the pour made. Bob
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I used to spend my time to save money but now I'm willing to spend my money to save time.
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Harry
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by Harry »

That flask looks to be at least 24" square and 5 1/2" tall... definitely a two man setup. I think the longest sides I have cast are 27" but for a long narrow flask.

I for one love seeing your repeat stuff Bob so post it any time you feel like it.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
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dallen
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by dallen »

Ok heres the picture I said I would post of the modified pattern, I'm sorry guys I tried to pour it but between having to change the front hubs on my truck (transport comes first) and cold sand, and metal that was a little on the cool side I think, anyway I ended up with a froze pour. Maybe tomorrow when I don't have to work on the truck at the same time I'm trying to play with the toys. I also added a Bar on the sand side, but had some problems with it when I pulled the pattern cause it was a last minute tack on and it wasn't tapered or finished.

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David and Charlie aka the shop monster

If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette
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Harry
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by Harry »

Looks like a good handle. I would think closer to the edge so you leave just enough room to get your fingers in but keep the pin and receiver hole close but then this kind of flask side cant really be flipped for the cope and drag so I can understand why you put it in the middle.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
dallen
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Re: Aluminum Flask

Post by dallen »

cause its gotta work for the cope and the drag, but with a 1/2" pin, with a jam nut on top and a bushing set into the other half you will eat up over and inch of the gap in between the two halves. besides look at a commercial flask handles and pins are in the middle of the flask side!!!!!!!!!
David and Charlie aka the shop monster

If life seems normal your not going fast enough" Mario Andrette
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