Good Sand casting foundry ?

[winchboy]

Looking for a good sand casting foundry if anyone has any recommendations?
Looking to have 20 parts cast, overall dimensions are 130mm x 30mm so not big at all. They’re a bracket between the top of girder forks and handlebars.
Friend is making the pattern on his 3D printer, but doesn’t know of a good foundry. Any tips regarding the pattern or casting process is welcome, I will just be machining them.
Thanks

 

[julianthegypsy]

Swan foundry in Banbury had a good reputation.

 

[winchboy]

Also, what grade of steel should be used for this?

 

[Ali]

Can you post a pic of the CAD? I work for a foundry supplier but mostly look after alu, but I can ask about tomorrow.

 

[Brad93]

@pressbrake1

 

[Kram]

Steel is said to be a pain to cast and might be better machined from a block, or aluminium.

Pattern will need to allow for shrinkage, about 10% bigger. Draft angles 1-7% for easy removal if there is any complexity. Simple shapes can be square.

You may want to include a feature for easy initial work holding depending on the shape.

This guy is an expert in non ferrous sand casting, I found the videos useful and interesting, though most of it you wont need to know if using a foundry. Generally same principles apply with any metal.

https://youtube.com/channel/UC90RoN_IjSRF18jAG0HIA6g

 

[pressbrake1]

Aye shrinkage is a pita especially if part isn’t symmetrical. My mini English wheels closed up 4mm in 500mm
It’s too political for me to publicly recommend a foundry as this forum is too widely viewed

 

[optima21]

https://hargreavesfoundry.co.uk/

the are involved in making parts for the restoration of the houses or parliment and do work for the sculptor Anthony Gormley (and have made a few mini Angels of the North).

pattern making can be much more complex that it looks (especially if cores are used).

 

[pressbrake1]

https://hargreavesfoundry.co.uk/

the are involved in making parts for the restoration of the houses or parliment and do work for the sculptor Anthony Gormley (and have made a few mini Angels of the North).

pattern making can be much more complex that it looks (especially if cores are used).

In my casting journey I’ve found architectural foundry’s disappointing

 

[500e]

Bridport Foundry | Cast Bronze, Iron & Aluminium | Metal Plaques

Metal foundry services from our foundry in Dorset, offering a huge range of metal casting including shell moulding, shot blasting services and pewter casting.

www.bridportfoundry.com

 

[frank horton]

a good friend who's an artist type of bloke now sends his casting blanks to INDIA...
mostley bronze.....
fast turn around qual workmanship and even with transport cheap....

 

[Matchless]

I understand that a 3d printed pattern may be a bit grippy in the sand? may need painting and sanding. but what do I know?

 

[minimutly]

Also, what grade of steel should be used for this?

Steel?

 

[8ob]

Only twenty of? Must be cheaper and a lot quicker to get them cnc machined out of a block of steel, I can understand the attraction of cast but the numbers need to outweigh the ballache of perfecting molds.

Bob

 

[pressbrake1]

I understand that a 3d printed pattern may be a bit grippy in the sand? may need painting and sanding. but what do I know?

Very true

 

[8ob]

The last items I had cast in steel were flail hammers,the foundry insisted on having twenty-five molds which was the minimum they were prepared to cast at any one time. Molds for that came to 6k.


They were our rip off version of these. Company went pop and the molds went with them

 

[stuvy]

The last items I had cast in steel were flail hammers,the foundry insisted on having twenty-five molds which was the minimum they were prepared to cast at any one time. Molds for that came to 6k.


They were our rip off version of these. Company went pop and the molds went with them

Could you not have used flat plate stacked?

 

[Kram]

As you are machining them is it worth doing the cast as a single continous profile, assuming the 20 is not to fullfill some kind of minimum.
Im also assuming its an 8 shape probably 20mm thick.
Boring together, bandsawing, finishing on lathe to face them/chamfer/round them off? A foundry will have no problem with the length.

If not a continous profile consider the print as seperate peices in a line, using a sand core for bores.

No real problem with draft angles, if the patterns can be regarded as disposable - just bury them and burn them off? Printing 20 patterns and pouring, say, half a dozen at a time is likely more economical than making up 20 casting boxes (the extreme case).

Is that from experience? burning out a sand casting mould is not simple and investment casting is quite different.

Any commercial foundry will have lots of boxes and they dont take that long to build up.

3d print patterns you need them strong enough that the sand can be tamped down on them without deforming. Where as investment patterns you want the minimum fill to burn easier, strength not a problem.

 

[Ali]

A lot of foundries these days are simply 3D printing the sand…but that’s not cheap. I visited one recently, some of their gear would blow your socks off but they work in alu and only do small runs for the likes of F1 teams

ExOne's Family of Sand 3D Printers

Discover the future of prototyping and manufacturing with sand 3D printers from ExOne. Our machines support sand printing and casting applications.

www.exone.com

 

[bricol]

Only twenty of? Must be cheaper and a lot quicker to get them cnc machined out of a block of steel, I can understand the attraction of cast but the numbers need to outweigh the ballache of perfecting molds.

Bob

Sound advice. A small part, in a tiny quantity, I can't see it making financial sense. Buy steel stock to a known standard and start machining.

However, if you are determined, before doing anything with the pattern, when you find the foundry, talk to them about what they need first. Any issues with the as cast part if your mate isn't a known pattern maker, and guess who will get the blame for a poor result . . .