Heres a few budget pics of my cast aliminium sword i made.
Its not finished yet, it has to be sanded and polished and have the pouring spout
cut off. I forgot to get a pic of the pattern, but its 900mm long, with a 200mm handle piece.
anyway, it just looks like a wooden version of the pic.
Chronological order: sword in casting box, same again. Raw casting after shake out, casting next to casting box.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6006/5925658598_6eb6c12459.jpg
Photo0029 by greencheapsk8, on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/5925098399_3873059692.jpg
Photo0030 by greencheapsk8, on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5925098963_d32fec0953.jpg
Photo0032 by greencheapsk8, on Flickr
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6028/5925659038_70c88ced6c.jpg
Photo0031 by greencheapsk8, on Flickr

I use relatively modern crucibles, but used charcoal for this particular melt, with natural draft(chimney).
The patern is locally grown radiata pine, or as we know it: Bog-standard pine.
The wood was cut and planed down at my local schools woodshop.
Eventually this will be a birthday present for a friend..

Cool.  Are you going to try bronze next?  Is that a fence post driver you used for the mold?  If it is, you just solved a problem I got stuck on.  How did you get your form out or did you heat it up and burn it to ash?  Bill

Bill Skinner wrote on Jul 11^th, 2011 at 9:51am:

Cool.  Are you going to try bronze next?  Is that a fence post driver you used for the mold?  If it is, you just solved a problem I got stuck on.  How did you get your form out or did you heat it up and burn it to ash?  Bill

Its a struggle to find cheap sources of bronze. But when i get enough, sure.
Yeah thats a post driver ;D Use what you got , or can find! ::)
Good to know my bumbling efforts are helpfull.
I pull the wooden form out, as this is a sand mold.
The form is coated in Kleer-Koat, this spray on varnish stuff. Seems to help the pull to be clean and tidy.
A smidge of draft is there too,mostly on the handle though.

The heating and burning method is for the "lost" process, where the form is surrounded by a concrete like mix (but heat resistant)
Lost foam can be used with sand, but lost wax/wood/ anything else doesnt work in sand.
Lost wood would need a loooooooooong kiln time to burn out the wood to nothing.

So, how did you get the cross piece out without destroying everything above it?  Bill

Oh right! i dont have a pic for that, but i used another casting box for the handle peice.
So theres a part line just above the handle, everything below the cross piece is molded in the post thumper, everything above is in the seperate box.

so the top box is pulled off, the wooden form is removed, the top box put back on, the metal poured in.

and the dig the solid metal out :)

Very cool technique, I'd like to have such a gift  :D
Greetings,
Mauro.

OK, thanks.  Do you have a link to the casting box?  Bill

Ah, no. I got caught up with the casting process (as you do, its exicting!) And forgot to take pictures.
But i can do some more next time i cast, or do a simple mock up for you if you want.

If you are planning to cast something in the near future, I can wait.  Bill

Great subject and lovely tutorial.
Well done.

Aluminuminum is great for wall hanger swords.
It cleans up nicely and polishes great.
And a great 2-1/2 hander won't tear a hole in your wall.

Photo below if from Sgt.Maj. Murray, New Zeeland.

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