I just ordered the book for the Panther Pup! Being the book has info on the patterns, and I have a 5 gallon bucket with all my chips from machining brass, bronze & copper (not much copper), and a couple boxes of scrap brass, I thought I might try casting the three or for parts they sell the castings for. So, with just one project in mind, what would be a minimal set-up & material needed. I've watched a number of videos so I have a little idea, but with input & a few questions, I'm sure I can maybe make some parts, and at least empty my bucket of chips. I do have a big enough chunk of 7075 to make the crankcase for that engine but I thought the all brass look was too cool~
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I have not used machined chips as scrap for foundry work, and it is my understanding that contamination with oil, and oxidation due to excessive surface area may make using machined scrap difficult.
If you do use machined scrap, perhaps try getting a pool of molten metal melted first from some scrap solids, and then submerse some of the scrap under that pool.
Be aware that if you do not preheat the machined and/or solid scrap, then dropping it into a molten pool of metal will cause an explosion.
Scrap metal can look perfectly dry at room temperature, but believe me it has residual moisture on its surface; I have scars to prove that.
I have found brass to be difficult to get to pour temperature without burning off the zinc.
Zinc fumes should be avoided as far as inhalation.
Bronze has less zinc in it, so you may have better luck with that.
Bronze wears better than brass, depending on exactly what type of bronze you have.
Bearing bronze is very good stuff for many wear surfaces of an engine.
The folks on the casting forum generally built their own propane or oil burners.
A "Reil" type propane burner was very popular.
They also sell packaged burners and furnaces, but be sure if the furnace uses ceramic blanket insulation, that it is coated with something like satanite, so you don't inhale the fibers.
Brass/bronze is a very significant step up from melting and casting aluminum.
You can melt aluminum easily with a propane burner, in a steel pot, with a circular stack of fire bricks.
With brass/bronze, you really need a well built furnace and burner, and the burner needs to be tuned for optimum output.
The folks who try to melt brass/bronze and/or gray iron with propane often run into problems with low vapor pressure that occurs when you use the propane too fast, and it cools the tank too much.
There is not really a simple way to melt and cast brass/bronze that I am aware of, but of course anything can be done with the right expenditure.
Smaller melts are also cheaper melts, since everything is proportionally smaller/cheaper.
One a jeweler's scale, they use some type of ceramic crucible, and melt the metal with a direct flame from an oxy-acetylene torch; a quick and dirty way to melt a little metal.
Hope this helps.
.
If you do use machined scrap, perhaps try getting a pool of molten metal melted first from some scrap solids, and then submerse some of the scrap under that pool.
Be aware that if you do not preheat the machined and/or solid scrap, then dropping it into a molten pool of metal will cause an explosion.
Scrap metal can look perfectly dry at room temperature, but believe me it has residual moisture on its surface; I have scars to prove that.
I have found brass to be difficult to get to pour temperature without burning off the zinc.
Zinc fumes should be avoided as far as inhalation.
Bronze has less zinc in it, so you may have better luck with that.
Bronze wears better than brass, depending on exactly what type of bronze you have.
Bearing bronze is very good stuff for many wear surfaces of an engine.
The folks on the casting forum generally built their own propane or oil burners.
A "Reil" type propane burner was very popular.
They also sell packaged burners and furnaces, but be sure if the furnace uses ceramic blanket insulation, that it is coated with something like satanite, so you don't inhale the fibers.
Brass/bronze is a very significant step up from melting and casting aluminum.
You can melt aluminum easily with a propane burner, in a steel pot, with a circular stack of fire bricks.
With brass/bronze, you really need a well built furnace and burner, and the burner needs to be tuned for optimum output.
The folks who try to melt brass/bronze and/or gray iron with propane often run into problems with low vapor pressure that occurs when you use the propane too fast, and it cools the tank too much.
There is not really a simple way to melt and cast brass/bronze that I am aware of, but of course anything can be done with the right expenditure.
Smaller melts are also cheaper melts, since everything is proportionally smaller/cheaper.
One a jeweler's scale, they use some type of ceramic crucible, and melt the metal with a direct flame from an oxy-acetylene torch; a quick and dirty way to melt a little metal.
Hope this helps.
.
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I don't want to make a big expenditure on this, just a one time thing. I have cast a lot of lead bullets which is very low temp. however I did find out that a cast iron ladle holds moisture! Lucky on that one. My imagination was looking at that circular stack of fire bricks & maybe a coal fire with a blower, just things on hand.
