Centrifugal & Vacuum Assist Casting

Casting from model to finished casting by Vacuum Assist and Centrifugal methods. View more of my projects at www.granthams.com/Projects

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Centrifugal
• Spin
• Vacuum
• Assist
• Casting
• Metal
• Jewelry
• Photopolymer
• Resin
• Lost
• Wax
• Investment
• Sterling
• Silver
• Foundry
• mold

[grantham418]

We show a controller which we programed for a 12 hour burnout. During the first two hours the oven was held at 300 degrees F. The next two hours the temperature was ramped up to 600 degrees. Next it was ramped up to 900 degrees for another 2 hours and finally brought to 1350 degrees for 5 hours. The controller then slowly lowered the temperature to 900 degrees which is the casting temperature for sterling silver. The controller will hold the burnout oven to 900 degrees until we're ready to pour.

[grantham418]

The burnout cycles vaporize any remaining material and drive off all moisture and vitrify the investment. Investment is porous so metal is pulled into the details of the mold by vacuum. The mold is held at 900 degrees and is not cooled.

[grantham418]

Vacuum assist takes up less space and allows a varity of different size flasks during each casting session. A centrifugal caster has to be balanced for the flask size, so it's not practical to cast different size flasks during each casting session.

[ficote72]

Where can I find a little melter like that? is it also Neycraft brand?

[grantham418]

Rio Grande sells electric melting furnaces. Also Kerr Automatic electro-melt. These nice little melters are sold by most jewelty suppliers.

[lVlagneto]

Pouring molten silver like a cup of joe must be dangerous. I think the wallpaper makes this look like a safe thing to do in your kitchen.

But seriously... thanks for posting this.

Is there any reason that the sprue base and flask are so large for such a small object? Do you use any tricks to save investment material?

[grantham418]

Thanks for nice compliment. However, the video was done in my shop. It wouldn't be wise to do it in a kitchen. For production casting the wax models are grouped together on a common sprue. The assembly is called a tree. The oversize flask and is the smallest I have. Investment used is just part of the cost of lost wax casting.

[mannullll]

vacuum 3 CFM ?????

[10000Monkeys]

Interesting stuff.

At about 2:50 you use a 'vacuum table' - I've been looking for a cheap commercial kit - what's their proper name and where could I get one in the UK? Thanks.

[deaftodd]

Nicely done.

[lakenewell]

I posted earlier and our class has now done a centrifugal cast. I noticed you said the investment was held at 900 degrees. IN the class and in the practical casting book by McCreight. There is a set heating schedule 300 degrees for a certain number of minutes and then to 700, 900 and 1300 The teacher said the burnout schedule was important to getting a good casting.. Do you just go to 900 and keep it there? Thank you so much for this post,

[dijkers]

Dear sir.

Where did you buy the mold clamps you use around 0.46sec?

Thank you for your video!

[lakenewell]

Thanks, I am just going to cast by the centrifugal method in my jewelry class in a couple of weeks but I want to get a vacuum casting system for my own use.

[kwikkeys3]

Thanks for the fine video Rod!

[ooplik]

Thanx so much. You answer a few questions in your demo. Now out to the barn to giver a try. Peace.