Casting Pot Metal?

[Mechamaniac]

I've got some small stuff I want to cast in pot metal. I've been doing some reading but can't really find an idiot's guide so to speak.

The part I want to cast is an old badge so it need only be one sided. Has anyone worked with pot metal before? What's the best mold material to use etc?

Thanks!

 

[Great_Bizarro]

Not potmetal but may help
http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/
Also check herelindsaybks.com/

 

[Darth Lars]

I remember casting toy soldiers in pewter when I was a kid. There were cheap kits available for this. Simple burner. The crucible looked like it would belong in the kitchen. Two-part mold in heat-resistant silicone.

Maybe you could ask Joatrash. He has cast Firefly/Serenity gun parts in pewter.

 

[kimncris]

if you dont want to do much, you can get some simple kits from micromark.

 

[Hangar18Studios]

Yes, I've cast up pot metal before.....coincidentally to make badges. The best mold material for hobbyists would be a platinum based silicone, though I used a tin based (Silicones, Inc. GI 1000) and it worked just fine. One of the best things you can to is to powder your mold with talcum powder before pouring your molten metal, this helps the metal flow into all the details.

Be patient and let it cool thoroughly, otherwise you'll ruin the casting.

Scott

 

[blufive]

Powdering the mold is an absolute MUST and I've also found that heating the mold also helps the metal flow better as well. I have a large toaster oven that I use to heat the molds to roughly 150 degrees.

 

[Mechamaniac]

Cool, thanks for the responses!

Can anyone recommend a good place to lay my hands on some of the silicone?

 

[blufive]

siliconesinc.com

 

[replicaprops]

The best silicon to use is dragon skin from smooth-on.

Heat the mold and use graphite powder (lubricant in a tube) as a parting compound.
Heat the metal until it is liquid then get a ladle full and wait about 10 seconds and pour it in the deepest part of the mold slow and dont splash. If it starts to boil stop pouring and wait till it stops the bubbles, then continue.

There are many qualities of pewter. The higher the tin content the better the detail and shine as well as hardness.

 

[Djinn]

This thread sounds interesting.

Does anyone have a decent source for pewter?
And I thought Silicones, Inc. GI 1000 could not hold melted pewter, good to know. But has anyone worked with Castaldo Quick sil before? Would that make a good enough mold for pewter casting?

 

[Entropy]

There is a Quick-Sil putty that's supposed to be pretty good and easy to use:

http://www.miniaturemolds.com/makeyour.htm

There was some discussion about using plaster or hydrocal in this thread:

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=26568

Durham's Water Putty is supposed to be fairly good for short runs of pewter, too.

 

[Djinn]

I was wanting to cast some rings in pewter and this thread caught my attention.
I wish to cast some rings in pewter but I don't know what silicone to use. I have tried Castaldo in the past but it's a putty, and that would crush a wax ring. So far I have only used allumilite quick set and high strength rubber. Good stuff for pouring in a box to get all of the detail in a ring. But is there any High temp rubber that is a liquid not a putty that can be used for casting the same ring in pewter? The site with GI 1000 says it can hold temps. up to 400 degrees, But dosen't melted pewter get hotter than that?

 

[Djinn]

I was wanting to cast some rings in pewter and this thread caught my attention.
I wish to cast some rings in pewter but I don't know what silicone to use. I have tried Castaldo in the past but it's a putty, and that would crush a wax ring. So far I have only used allumilite quick set and high strength rubber. Good stuff for pouring in a box to get all of the detail in a ring. But is there any High temp rubber that is a liquid not a putty that can be used for casting the same ring in pewter? The site with GI 1000 says it can hold temps. up to 400 degrees, But dosen't melted pewter get hotter than that?

What he said,
anyone?

 

[exoray]

Platinum cure silicones withstand much more heat... Figure out the temperatures you will be working with (use low temp melting metals) and then pick and appropriate silicone...

Companies like Silicones Inc. or Smooth On are more then happy to help you pick a suitable silicone if you provide your metals properties to them...

 

[Djinn]

What about this stuff?
http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=82083

It looks like an easy to use moldmaker for the beginner.