Sand casting/wax casting

[Eric Smith]

Are there any good tutorials on sandcasting/ wax casting for butt plates and trigger guards?

[JDK]

Here's a link to some work at Martin's Station that has a photo spread link. http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=1066.0
If you use Google or whatever your favorite search engine is and just search "sand casting" you will find a ton of information, including videos.  The craft is universal and not just for gun building so don't narrow your search to buttplates and triggerguards.  Enjoy, J.D.

[smart dog]

Hi,
Here is a link, which gives you the basic idea of sand and clay casting.  Wax of course is much different.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=4843.0

dave

[Eric Kettenburg]

There used to be a VERY good video available by Terry Leeper which focused upon casting a buttplate and triggerguard in petrobond sand (which believe me, is what you want to use if you are using sand).  It basically gave me a big practical jump and if you have most of the equipment you need, you can pretty much go right from the video to casting your own.  They did use a gas furnace and he had a helper for the pour, but doing it in an open forge by yourself really isn't much different, just more work.

[Swampwalker]

I would be interested to any useful links to sources of supply for casting sand, crucibles, tongs, etc.
Thanks!

[omark]

swamp, you may want to google "iforgeiron". it is a blacksmithing site and will have sources for tongs, etc.    mark

[fm tim]

Might want to stick with sand casting.  Lost wax casting is pretty technical and complex

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

I do not do my own casting, but I do make the patterns.  I get sand castings done to my wood/epoxy/JBweld patterns at 18th century Hardware, Derry, Pa.  You can also use an original part for the pattern.  You coat the original with a nice thick coat of 5 minute epoxy - about 1/32 inch thick on all surfaces.  Use this as the pattern for sand casting.  The epoxy gives the extra thickness for the casting shrinkage and the filing/polishing.  After you are done, put the pattern in a can of acetone, the epoxy disappears leaving the original surface undamaged - including the old patina.

Always get 2 pieces cast at least, then you can use one for the pattern.  The wood patterns have a short life.

Jim

[Captchee]

I would be interested to any useful links to sources of supply for casting sand, crucibles, tongs, etc.
Thanks!

this is where i got my foundry  from .
 past making your  paterns and the Brass.  the basic foundry will give you everything you need  to cast items the size of buttplates or Trigger guards .  make you a larger C&D and you can do larger scale  pieces
http://www.foundry101.com/search.htm

[Swampwalker]

Thanks for the info everybody.  Did some sand casting many years ago and getting a furnace put together now to try it again.