4cylndrfury's Aluminum flask

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4cylndrfury
Posts: 140
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:09 am
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

4cylndrfury's Aluminum flask

Post by 4cylndrfury »

Well, I had several hours of free time yesterday, and after seeing Dallens flasks, I was motivated to begin my own. I was hopefull that with the time available to me, I would be able to get at lease 4 pieces cast to assemble one single flask side. Turns out my burner had other plans lol...So after 3 hours of cobbling (I really need to fix the high pressure supply line to the nozzle), I got it working enough to get a molten pot, and cast AN OLD PATTERN I MADE. It was a quick an dirty mold, I was just running so short on time, I had to cut a few corners, like screening my sand, and ramming well, and making sure I pulled the pattern cleanly...you know, small stuff ;) .

SO anyway, onto the pics...
Below, you can see the parting line is all messed up where I had to "fix" some sand that came loose while extracting the pattern
P090211002.jpg
Here is a shot of the decent surface finish I got, despite the poor ramming. This was all previously ingoted metal, so there was minimal dross
P090211004.jpg
This should show a little about how I run and gate...I try to keep them as short as possible. I run my sprue cutter down, its about 1.5" on the end, but is tapered (its an old vacuum cleaner extension that I sharpened the end to cut through the rammed sand). I cut my runners with a melon baller - stole the idea from Harry. I try to keep my runners wedge shaped.
P090211006.jpg
And a shot of the interior - you can see the dogs I added to help grip the sand, and ad some rigidity to the somewhat thin flask side.
P090211007.jpg
Like others here, I will add an alignment piece when I figure out how that will be done...

now only 7 more to go :lol:
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"
-Leonardo Di Vinci

"The future's uncertain and the end is always near...."
-Jim Morrison
barryjyoung
Posts: 66
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2011 12:25 pm

Re: 4cylndrfury's Aluminum flask

Post by barryjyoung »

Thanks for taking the time to post this. Guys like me who have not yet made any castings can use all of this that we can get.

Barry
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Harry
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Re: 4cylndrfury's Aluminum flask

Post by Harry »

Is the end that contacts the next side cast with no draft? Just wondering if you will be milling these off or casting without the draft, I think you could get away with it on this piece in good sand especially if there is draft on the inside of that short leg.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
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4cylndrfury
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Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:09 am
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Re: 4cylndrfury's Aluminum flask

Post by 4cylndrfury »

correct, there is no draft. but its only a half inch deep, so there is minimal difficulty pulling the pattern without distorting the mold. i have no way to mill the pieces, so its up to me to keep it square. for reference, thats aluminum angle that forms the connector piece, so its very square to begin with.
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"
-Leonardo Di Vinci

"The future's uncertain and the end is always near...."
-Jim Morrison
dallen
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Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 9:06 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: 4cylndrfury's Aluminum flask

Post by dallen »

my first try at pouring my flask was with the end stright with no draft, it was and inch deep into the sand and it didn't like pulling out clean so I built it up with bondo a couple times till I got it where it would pull clean.

I milled all four edges of my plates, one reason was that I had some plates that came out pretty hairy or with lots of flash and like 4CF the sand tore up pretty good when I pulled the pattern,(still learning) (will probably still be learning in 10 years) I cut one sprue normally 5/8 runneer into a bob , then curved runner for bob to both ends of side plate, I normally used two independent vents just off the side of the cavity. I tried once or twice to use one vent but found two worked better. My plates were except for the ends and the ribs were 1/4 inch thick.

My next try at a flask will incorporate some line up marks or something to help aligin all the plates in the mill so they all come out the same size, there are small differances in the 8 plates I made.

I use most of the time either a canole tube or one of three differant size brass tubes for cutting sprues, regular slicks for cutting runners but may try a prince albert can to cut runners with if I can find one, cut the bottom off its about the right width. I have a couple of trowels but seldom use em, my greensand was never consistant to do much with, I'm still getting the hang of the oil sand, but its so new its still pretty sticky, too sticky or gummy to run thru a riddle unless its got a number 4 screen in it.

The part that I poured in the new flask was with sand that I mixed up using some play sand to see if it would work without slagging up, so foar so good but its a little to course for aluminum. But I was able to pour the handle that is in the pictures of the flask with the texture in the plastic transfering to the sand and onto the aluminum. By the way that is a new handle for my old recliner, damn screw broke into and the square hole stripped out. I will post a pic of the cleaned up handle tomorrow
David and Charlie aka the shop monster

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