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Post by Cro on Dec 4, 2014 13:33:17 GMT
Just received my packages from New Zealand of the first castings for the 5" gauge prototype! I am very pleased with these and looking forward to getting in the workshop to get this working over the Christmas break from uni. Smaller than I thought it would be but still I think it looks great.
Once proved this will work I am going to do a 7 1/4" version and a few dummy 3 1/2" ones. Cro
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 13:37:55 GMT
Very nice mate! How much has this little project cost you so far?
Ben
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Post by Cro on Dec 4, 2014 14:39:39 GMT
Not to bad ey, The one off casting cost (for both) plus the postage is around £50.
Cro
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 16:00:55 GMT
Not too shabby at all!! This method is becoming cheaper it would seem!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 16:02:23 GMT
Hang on, is that inclusive of wax making?
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Post by Cro on Dec 4, 2014 16:40:15 GMT
Yep that was everything
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Post by Roger on Dec 4, 2014 22:17:00 GMT
If only small quantities of Bronze are required, I wonder how practical it would be to do this in the amateur's workshop? One thing that puts me off this process is the reliance of a foundry for that actual casting.
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Post by Rob on Dec 4, 2014 22:32:16 GMT
That's what I'm thinking. If you have the ability to print the wax, and perform the casting yourself, you're only limited by your imagination (if we ignore size, of course, but in our gauges I doubt that would be much of a problem). All manner of exceptionally detailed features could be added to models!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2014 0:06:18 GMT
So size DOES matter then ??...
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uuu
Elder Statesman
your message here...
Posts: 2,812
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Post by uuu on Dec 5, 2014 7:44:19 GMT
There were articles in M E years ago, about amateur foundries. Have I got the name Terry Aspin right?
Wilf
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Post by Roger on Dec 5, 2014 8:27:20 GMT
There were articles in M E years ago, about amateur foundries. Have I got the name Terry Aspin right? Wilf Indeed you have Wilf, I have his Workshop Practice Series 4 book 'Foundrywork for the amateur' but it only mentions Bronze casting in passing.
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Post by Cro on Dec 5, 2014 11:32:39 GMT
I agree and its definitely something I would like to try at home one day but it comes down to time, also I think Mike said these are cast in a vacuum to ensure all the detail is achieved and to do it this way would mean spending out even more than I feel is needed so for the time being I will keep sourcing them this way and make the rest up myself.
Cro
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2014 12:07:30 GMT
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Post by Roger on Dec 5, 2014 20:34:13 GMT
Here's a YouTube video that shows the process for lost wax vacuum casting. I think he says it's for Silver so it would be interesting to know if this is a practical method for Bronze Casting.
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Post by Cro on Dec 17, 2014 22:31:15 GMT
So now home from uni for Christmas the main project will be to work on this valve and see what I can do with the casting, first job was to sort the drawings for the scale valve and put something together to work from, to start with I am focusing on the steam brake valve side as I think this is going to be the hardest part of the whole thing. Below is the first couple of drawings I have created to work from, so far only had to make a few changes as I go. Next is just the start of the insert for the steam brake valve which will incorporate the porting on the outside and the push/pull valve inside, Final step for this evening was to set up the dividing head on the Myford this evening (first time I have used this one on the Myford being my grandfathers so another learning curve for me) this will allow me to create the ports in the insert and this will hopefully be the mornings job. Any advice on this please do let me know, all a bit of a trial at the moment to see if we can get this to work, won't be touching the castings until I have tested each element. If anyone is interested to know more drop me a message. Cro
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JDEng
Part of the e-furniture
Posts: 384
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Post by JDEng on Dec 18, 2014 9:02:01 GMT
If anyone saw my first post it was to do with 3D CAD modelling and lost wax casting, here is another one showing some more of my work using 3D wax printing for the use in lost wax cast some scale items. This model has been created using works drawings and then scaled down and adjusted slightly to allow for printing/casting limitations and feasibility of manufacture when it comes to making it. The idea is to have the valve fully working both steam and vacuum so some design changes had to be made when it came to the internal porting for the steam brake but other than that everything is how it should be. So progress so far is that the model has been finished and I have had the main body and the valve face/cylinder for the vacuum side printed and cast in wax by Mike in New Zealand and hopefully will be on there way here in the next few days so I thought I would share a few images of it so far and I will hopefully keep updating as we work on the prototype in the workshop when I am home from uni and hopefully make a batch of these if they are successful. Cheers, Adam Adam, Have dropped you a pm. Regards, John.
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Post by joanlluch on Dec 19, 2014 6:47:28 GMT
No doubt 3D CAD modeling and 3D printers are a game changing technology for producing custom single functional castings. I like that.
I wonder if some foundries do have a service (3D printer) to produce the whole thing out of 3D Drawings, or you must always bring your 3D printed model. Any ideas?
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Post by Cro on Dec 19, 2014 11:43:01 GMT
One of the places I used in the UK works very closely with a chap doing 3D printing and they seem to do some great quality work but I haven't seen many foundries branch out in the 3D printing world just yet.
I just feel, and I hope this proves it, that using modern technology to produce items for our locos is the way forward, I commend anyone who has the skill to manufacture these things in their own workshop and I admire their work and it is such a shame that a lot of this is being lost in my generation where people don't know the ways and means of doing these things; I picked up everything I know through friends and members at clubs and the up-keep of my grandfathers locos as I was just to young to learn from him before he passed away. But I also love the idea of building my model in CAD and producing it using extremely accurate machines such as the CNC and 3D printing. I love being in the workshop fiddling with bits and pieces but its so satisfying when you see something you have modeled on the screen in your hand. Cro
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Post by ejparrott on Dec 19, 2014 12:29:07 GMT
There's a foundry not far from e will 3D print a sand mould ready for casting. there's quite a few foundries round here do a full package actually
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Post by Cro on Dec 19, 2014 13:08:21 GMT
There's a foundry not far from e will 3D print a sand mould ready for casting. there's quite a few foundries round here do a full package actually Out of interest how large can they go with this? Cro
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