Welcome to my FlamingFurnace, backyard metal casting blog.

Hi everyone, I mainly focus on metal casting projects using recycled scrap aluminum and other accessories in the pattern creations.
Aluminum is a very versatile material and I would like to promote the awareness of aluminum recycling via different metal casting projects.

Feel free to check my YouTube channel where I provide detailed explanations, tips & tutorials for best backyard aluminum casting methods, homemade foundry equipment & of course the importance of safety when working with molten aluminum.

So remember recycle and Enjoy my blog ;-)

February 25, 2011

Aluminum sun, sand casting

This week I sand casted aluminum sun for my father in law garden.
I started by making a plaster pattern in a plastic mould. I painted the plaster cast yellow to hang it on the bathroom wall (decorative and could be used as pattern again). After the paint was dry I varnished the plaster cast so it will be easy to remove it out of the petrobond sand.

To get the plaster pattern out of the mould I used 2 screws on the back, The mould was perfect.
Then I made the sprue and riser on the back of the sun, I predicted there will be some aluminum shrinkage because the amount of molten aluminum used in this casting.
The pouring part was the easy part I was all most short with the molten aluminum but it was just enough to fill the sprue and riser extension half way up.
The sun casting turned out very well, some shrinkage on the back because the lack of aluminum to feed the mould. You can see in the image that the sprue and riser extension did their part. The only thing left to do was to cut off the sprue and riser with a grinder make two holes for screws and hang it on the wall.