Anyone poor metal molds or other fabrication techniques that are not common?

[QueenOfSkulls]

I do a lot of cad/ 3d design. 3d printing... also like ceramics... One of the techniques involves lost wax casting using 3d printed parts. Sand molds would be great too. I think these have potential for making complex designs. for strut arms, steering knuckles, clamps, wheel axes maybe. Even organic designs. That are more difficult to manufactured but could be finished with hand tools if you put thought into your designs. I think that this is something that most of can do. If you can get the stls and a home foundry set up. It would lead to some awesome designs.


lost pla with ceramic shell

sand casting

Joint compound shell

OMG I just realized I had poor vs pour in the title. LMAO.

 

[Thom_G]

I've done some casting at home with aluminum. I build a the mini metal foundry and torch with stuff from a big box hardware store, and used aluminum scrap from ebay. I found I had better results melting the scrap into ingots first, letting it all cool, then using the ingots to make the final product with the next melt/pour. I used green sand I made with playground sand and clay and made the frames from 2x4's.

I have a 3d printer and my intent was like you said, make a part that I could split into, make the sand cast, etc. I didn't try lost foam/wax, if I make a mold I don't want to melt it away, my plan was to make 'bucks' out of aluminum and use them on a vacuum forming machine I made to make plastic forms.

I tested the process all the way through as a proof of concept and it worked, but I never thought of doing bike parts, as I only melted aluminum and my zombie builds are steel, so I'd have to make bolt on parts, also there was a degree of effort, resources, time and materials that goes into doing the pour/casting and I think for most bike parts, they're not complex enough for it to be justified when other methods work as well as better with less time effort, cost and a lower margin of error.

You mentioned "not common", not sure what that entails, but I've also done some work with carbon fiber. I had thought about making a carbon fiber seat, but went with steam bent wood instead, the effort and bang for your buck just wasn't enough for me to make a seat, when I can buy one for a 150.00 bucks or so.

I always try to weight, if I can do something, against the cost to buy it, the time and effort and can I make it better than store bought, so like fight club......."then I apply the formula".

 

[QueenOfSkulls]

I was thinking a fiber compost of some sort. maybe not carbon... I am 6ft and have a very long torso. So I cant go out and buy a seat for a recumbent. I have tried my dads catrike 700... and I think I need to get a taller head rest.

My whole Idea is doing parts that are super unique looking like organic struts. or the steering knuckle. where everything can be exacted and finished with hand tools. hell even as simple as personalized head tube designs.

fun fact with a 3d printer you can make custom bucks for carbon layups. I might go with the catrike method. if I can. aka the seat hammock