A Bit of Bronze Work

[Canoez]

So, I've been remiss in not posting this sooner. I took the time last month to go up to the WoodenBoat School to take Sam Johnson's bronze casting class. I haven't done any casting of any sort since high school and wanted to brush up my antiquated skills and develop a few new tricks. From what I'd seen of his demonstrations at the WoodenBoat Show at Mystic and what I've heard from Lew Barrett and Jim Ledger, he's great to learn from - and I must say, that's what I found to be true.

On the first day, we discussed safety and basic methods for casting including all of the tools of the trade and how to make/acquire them:



We then moved on to casting a tool for loosening parts packed into the mold - a simple part (the y-shaped thing towards the right on the bench.)

After some simple parts, he upped the ante with some more difficult parts that required "coping down" For example, this forged jib ring:



Then the finished sand mold:



Pouring a little bronze:



...and the part out of the mold:

[Canoez]

As a canoe-builder, one of the things that I have wanted to be able to do was to cast my own custom hardware - particularly pad-eyes and caps for the ends of the stem with an eye through them. I decided to try my hand at some pad-eyes. First, the pattern and core box:



The core-box was to create a half-round core of sand to fill the void underneath the pad eye, yielding the "loop". The two small pieces in the foreground were removable pins to create bosses to be threaded for attachment from underneath the deck. The results were a bit cruder than I desired as I had forgotten to bring my carving chisels. I'll make a new mold to pour here, eventually.

The raw part, right out of the mold:



And some finished parts:



Oh, and one last important thing to pour...



I've got some more detailed description of the process on my blog : here.

If you've never been to the WoodenBoat School and have any interest in anything to do with boats, boating or related crafts, you owe it to yourself to go there - the location is fantastic as are the staff and facilities. It's basically like summer camp for adults (...or families, during family week.) and you get to learn and do the things you love with people who are equally motivated to be doing what they love to do. Definitely not to be missed.

[Jim Ledger]

You're going to have to clock the screws on those pad eyes to line up with the leaf veins.

Nice woik.

[Canoez]

Only if you're gonna get your head under the canoe deck, Jim!

Thanks!

Say - where did you get your information on the lid-lifting design for your furnace? I like that better than losing all the hair on my arms...

[Mrleft8]

Very nice, Noey!
I think that one of the Ozzies has some neat ideas on the casting thing..... Sibley, perhaps?
I remember a few years ago, when Jim was just beginning to talk about this stuff, that there was a whole thread on setting up a forge/foundry.

[Jim Ledger]

Here's the furnace thread. There's other bronze casting threads under my name if you're interested.



http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...nze&highlight=


The design came from this book, but I have a lot of problems with his design now that I've built it. It could have been a lot simpler. If you want to build a furnace, start a thread and I'll tell you everything I learned.


http://www.amazon.com/Building-Gas-F.../dp/1878087088

Since I built mine, there is a lot more information on the web, so you can do a lot of research.

[David G]

Great fotos. I've always admired the folks who take the time to learn this skill. You did Sam a favor, too. He says he really enjoys teaching that class.

[Thad Van Gilder]

Very nice!!!!!

[PeterSibley]

My ! That's a nice bit of work .I wonder who made the pattern, a tricky job to get the draft on the letters... but perhaps they are from a pattern makers supply, I haven't seen that font though.

Here's a forum devoted to the subject of metal casting .http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/forum.php
It's very good too, lots of input from all ranges of skill.

[Canoez]

My ! That's a nice bit of work .I wonder who made the pattern, a tricky job to get the draft on the letters... but perhaps they are from a pattern makers supply, I haven't seen that font though.

Here's a forum devoted to the subject of metal casting .http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/forum.php
It's very good too, lots of input from all ranges of skill.

Peter, the pattern was reproduced from a sticker that Carl Cramer had made a while back - at least that's how Sam told it. He took the sticker to manufacturer of rubber stamps, but he told them that he wanted it made "right reading" not mirrored as you might get normally. He had several versions of this pattern - both drafted and un- (or minimally) drafted. I used the un-drafted version and built the mold three times before I was satisfied with it. Sam prefers the draft-less version of the pattern as the letters don't start to spread un-equally as you sand the letters to highlight them after coloring the bronze with either blacking or a patina.

I'm going to start a new thread in a bit regarding making a furnace and tools. I'd like to get input from folks on what they like and think works good. The only thing I have at the moment is a silicon carbide crucible, so otherwise I've got a clean slate.

[PeterSibley]

A stamp maker ! Now that's clever . I suspect you use better sand than me although I might be able to do it with sodium silicate and very fine facing sand.

Have a look at the Alloyavenue link, there are some extremely good discussions there on thermal materials, furnaces from small to very large and burners of all types . I use LPG but having researched it a bit more I think I'd go for a Nudge burner http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/showth...t=nudge+burner A great bit of innovation.

[Thad Van Gilder]

Now that is nice..... some friends and i are talking about upgrading to used motor oil. i currently melt with a Johnson furnace, and its nice, but used oil is free and burns much, much hotter than lp ....


-Thad

[PeterSibley]

I'm planning on using fryer oil from fast food shops, I have a good supply for the diesel and it should work just a well in the burner .

[Duncan Gibbs]

And I intend to help Mr Sibley test his ideas with a matching mirror piece for the anchor/mooring fairlead for the port side of Looe!

[PeterSibley]

And I intend to help Mr Sibley test his ideas with a matching mirror piece for the anchor/mooring fairlead for the port side of Looe!

I'll show you how !