Casting Metal Parts into 3D Printed Molds

Рет қаралды 302,528

6 жыл бұрын

This video documents the process of casting metal parts in tin-bismuth alloy using 3d printed molds. The process involves common tools and supplies - a 3d printer, silicone rubber, a hot plate, stovetop casting alloy, and a dollar store skillet. This method can be used to cast a variety of materials, from chocolate to plastic, with the accuracy only limited to the precision and resolution of your printer.
How to cast metal into 3D printed molds - learn.adafruit.com/metal-part...
I built a camera arm to document projects a few months ago. The joints are clamped down with rubber pads between them to prevent slipping, but I noticed the joint at the base kept creeping down over long periods of time (like while capturing time lapses). I decided to fix it with a locking plate like you'd find on C-stands, but wanted to avoid using a printed part that would chew itself apart after a few months of use.
I built the locking plate using a method similar to the one I used to generate the waxes that are part of the Glaucus manufacturing process - learn.adafruit.com/soft-quadr...
You can find the 3d files for the locking plate along with a tutorial on building your own on Thingiverse - www.thingiverse.com/thing:279...
You can also find the source files for building your own camera arm on Thingiverse as well - www.thingiverse.com/thing:226...
See more of my work at har.ms

Пікірлер: 292

@cortexion4128 6 жыл бұрын

I was waiting for a wild Pokemon to appear for 2 minutes.

@javo_roma 6 жыл бұрын

I thought Megaman would appear and say "Hi!"

@frikkiesmit327 2 жыл бұрын

Hahha or supermario

@floppydisk4500 6 жыл бұрын

Holy freaking chiptune, what a wonderful build.

@NDPuzzles 6 жыл бұрын

One of the coolest things I've seen here recently! This is manufactoring at home! I usually just 3D-print parts and use them. As the post-processing is often a bit annoying I already thought about casting pieces out of resin instead. I always thought about creating a mold out of the masters but never about just creating it (with all the necessary allignmenttools) as a 3D-printed model. Great idea and very inspiering!

@TORDesign 3 жыл бұрын

But he didnt print the mold. Looks like he took a silicon mold off the original (print) part

@nugget6635 Жыл бұрын

Well casting is only hard if your 3D printed parts have very minute details.

@0Logan05 2 ай бұрын

Tin, Pewter, Gallium and Bismuth Shouldn’t Count..😂..

@geesmellow 6 жыл бұрын

Yes I agree the music destroys the presentation.

@mangolighters 5 жыл бұрын

i liked the music

@erikals 4 жыл бұрын

@@mangolighters that makes it 0.88% :)

@Muotaman 4 жыл бұрын

yungaura thats not music.....

@inventanew 4 жыл бұрын

thought it was great

@GameOver-nt4eb 3 жыл бұрын

@@Muotaman are you the emporer of music?

@basheershaik1863 6 жыл бұрын

i've been searchin for this for a billion or so years! finally found it. Thanx mate.

@jorgebernal3771 5 жыл бұрын

Wow, such a great demonstration video 👍. Quality work!

@EliasPereira 6 жыл бұрын

Hello friend, congratulations on the project. I would like more information about the type of silicone used. Could you take a picture of the silicone case and let us know what the temperature is?

@boogiemanfunk 6 жыл бұрын

Hi I want to do the same thing, what silicone casting material did you use for the mold and how about the hot plate to heat your material ? I would really appreciate your help.

@cedricproper5256 5 жыл бұрын

I'd like to see how you made the silicone mold. I have a few 3D printers and have wanted to try casting parts like this for a while.

@eliaskohne7915 8 ай бұрын

What filament did you use ?

@3dprintwiz378 6 жыл бұрын

Very cool project. I've always wanted to cast my 3d printed parts and turn them to metal and this is the most simple process I have ever seen. Where did you get the tin bismuth? Thanks for sharing.

@scottlane4217 6 жыл бұрын

wow thats a great video. I had never heard of "stovetop casting alloy" that's terrific! I have a comment for your camera rig. instead of using thick plywood for strength, you should use several layers of thinner plywood and interleave them at the joints. that way when you tighten the screw, you will have many times more friction surfaces and it will act like a clutch with very light screw pressure. it will be much stiffer and easier to use.

@muskokamike127 6 жыл бұрын

he could even use sandpaper sheets...the rough surface would add a grip. Looks like he used MDF which is very smooth right from the factory.

@mookfaru835 3 жыл бұрын

Its lead or lead alloy. Its not strong and toxic

@rslane32 3 жыл бұрын

@@muskokamike127 i should post a video my folding monitor arm that I use on my cnc router

@muskokamike127 3 жыл бұрын

@@rslane32 you should

@bryan.deleon 5 жыл бұрын

I watched this with my SO sleeping beside me so it was muted. GREAT video! Thank you for sharing.

@mechadense 6 жыл бұрын

I guess using stronger zinc instead of tin wold have been to viscous and fuming for an easy nonhazardous pour. Right? I've seen spin-pouring devices for zinc where centrifugal force pushes zinc into small detailed molds. Wondering if those are absolutely necessary.

@csabalazar8937 8 ай бұрын

Hey, can you make glossy finish to bismuth alloy?

@isidoreaerys8745 3 жыл бұрын

Beautifully made mold

@suryaadijoyogotama696 3 жыл бұрын

hi, i wanna ask you something, what material that u r using on this video for metal molding? the blue one

@user-kb5os9sl9y 5 жыл бұрын

Great job!!! its great for temps up to 138c-170c. Keep on creating ;-)

@isekaiexpress9450 7 ай бұрын

It was interesting to see that to melt zamak, you don't need a gas powered kiln, only a electric stove and a ladle. Thank you for the insight!

@BeckyStern 6 жыл бұрын

Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

@shilingng6319 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, May what's the material used to print the 3D mold? to use on silicon rubber.

@endtasid 6 жыл бұрын

very nice. what is the melting point of that alloy?

@whoIndie44 6 жыл бұрын

How are u smooth 3d printed parts?

@valveman12 6 жыл бұрын

What a great idea!

@KRGraphicsCG 6 жыл бұрын

This would be awesome for making metallic negatives, but you don't want to melt the filament. I'm trying to make molded plastic versions of my prints so I don't have to keep printing them

@muskokamike127 6 жыл бұрын

for all those complaining about the music: obviously you all never grew up in the 80's lol.....that's what every video game sounded like!

@eibes Жыл бұрын

Very interesting video and website, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

@ironoaok 5 жыл бұрын

can we get a tour of your work space? seems like a pretty efficient use for a small work area.

@Bebimajion 3 жыл бұрын

what kind of silikon was that for the mold?

@foxtrot1787 6 жыл бұрын

how did you cad the moulds?

@fuscaLove 6 жыл бұрын

What kind of metal did you use?

@reluttr2 5 жыл бұрын

Is tin bismuth a harder metal than pewter?

@mastercat 5 жыл бұрын

hi ..could be this method used on aluminium cast?

@diginglish 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, thanks for the video. Can the black plastic molds withstand the melting temperature of molten gold/silver if used for direct casting? I mean without any silicone rubber or additional step like what you did here

@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart 2 жыл бұрын

@rolandmine6693 Жыл бұрын

Does PLA work or just abs?

@beefsoda1 2 жыл бұрын

Fascinating

@ricardomolina8773 3 жыл бұрын

Can it be used on large molds And can I get the ingredients

@divineentity223 Жыл бұрын

Will silicone rubber work for aluminum and iron?

@chipdog007 3 жыл бұрын

These tunes remind me of maniac mansion nes. Thanks for the tunes alone .

@audiobyt9923 2 жыл бұрын

what was that you casted abd what is that green mold made of

@juliocesardemoraesbarros5585 Жыл бұрын

Is that a normal silicon for molds or a special for high temperatures?

@Moncriefs 3 жыл бұрын

man you made this shit look so easy!!

@AS-3D 5 жыл бұрын

wow! That's awesome

@hadleyeduardogarcia6001 Жыл бұрын

Nice Project😀

@jy418 6 жыл бұрын

Music is great, Technic is super

@boobooproductions1201 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video bro....

@bentanmartidi9329 4 жыл бұрын

what kind of mold material? can hold temp aluminium?

@JackTheAwesomeKnot 2 жыл бұрын

I do not think any silicone mold could handle aluminum

@baljazz Жыл бұрын

What mold material did you use?

@error346 4 ай бұрын

Great video! Which metal is this?

@blackbeton3923 3 жыл бұрын

Well this is actually “smooth on”silicon mold made out of 3d printed masters. The final piece is nice though 👍🏼

@michaeld954 6 жыл бұрын

How strong is bismuth though

@studiochefson3573 6 жыл бұрын

Misleading Title. The mold is not 3D printed.... The kernel used to create the mold is.

@peterk.4266 5 жыл бұрын

The title is indeed misleading. Molds are NOT 3D printed.

@SysdefWonder 5 жыл бұрын

@@360_tours in a world where we can simply 3D print silicone. There must be a parallel universe or we'll see that in the future.

@noahwatt1269 4 жыл бұрын

@@peterk.4266 Look up Polyjet injection Molds. These molds are 3d printed using a Stereolithography process. They are used for prototyping and low number production of parts.

@nczioox1116 3 жыл бұрын

@@noahwatt1269 so it is possible to cheaply produce metal parts for hobbyists too?

@noahwatt1269 3 жыл бұрын

@@nczioox1116 the molds created by this process are used for injection molding processes. So exklusively parts made of plastics are able to be created with these molds.

@williamstorey5024 6 жыл бұрын

What material is the plastic?

@cristianalejandro7941 2 жыл бұрын

Es un caucho especial o comun???

@danikD23 3 жыл бұрын

Anyone know what kind of aluminum is he using? I would like to try this but Im worried about safety. Im new into working with metal for such purpose. But Im aware that it could be dangerous too.

@wernerhiemer406 2 жыл бұрын

Please, please read the description. If you are not able to do such a basic thing, you aren't supposed to do any complicated thing. But the answer is: no aluminium but bismuth-thin alloy.

@GeoDroidJohn 6 жыл бұрын

Great content I'm interested in molding but don't know where to start

@baschz 6 жыл бұрын

Just search for mold making on KZfaq. It's full of it. Good luck!

@lucianolizana446 4 жыл бұрын

Sick!

@Lgavenger 3 жыл бұрын

what rubber number are you using,,, Thanks

@xmavrekx8663 Жыл бұрын

What kind of metal did you cast?

@drafonso1 4 жыл бұрын

Hello. Is this molten metal aluminum ? Thanks

@spencerlam9361 6 жыл бұрын

One of those really low melting temperature metals. Like semi conductor specie metals.

@EnergySeeker Жыл бұрын

what silicon did you use? is that aluminum you casted ? what temp did it heat to ? thanks

@cetubuth7461 Жыл бұрын

metal will burn through that silicon real quick. thats just lead soldering hes using. you need sand or plaster mold to handle the tempeture

@EnergySeeker Жыл бұрын

@@cetubuth7461 thanks so any silicon will work then but why casted in solder its usless and very weak

@theartofbanana 6 жыл бұрын

intresting, but the title was a bit misleading, you casted silicone into 3d printed molds and metal into silicone molds. how durable are such low temperature alloys?

@amtechprinters3339 3 жыл бұрын

Hey, could that alloy casted directly into resin printed mold? Have you resin printer to test that? :) Ofc not working if part is complex it cannot pulled out then but for simplest shapes to reduce silicone material cost/need.

@abagoftoes4108 2 жыл бұрын

it would melt the resin if it was casted into the master mold.

@amtechprinters3339 2 жыл бұрын

But resin doesnt seems to melt like other plastics Altought needed to use some lowtemp melting metal alloy, which needs only max 300°C to melt, Pewter alloys at least would work?

@abagoftoes4108 2 жыл бұрын

@@amtechprinters3339 im not an expert on this topic but under the assumption that, if the mold has a lower melting point than the metal, the cast won't work. just my thought

@amtechprinters3339 2 жыл бұрын

@@abagoftoes4108 Yes ofc, my point is just resin kinda doesnt have melting point, it just cracks whichs is also bad, but it can handle pretty high temp before that Ive not found info but tested with 1300°C welding flame what those prints says 🤣

@tradestox6331 6 жыл бұрын

Music is from Contra ?

@mglenadel 6 жыл бұрын

The most important bit got glossed over, in my opinion: printing negative-negative molds (3D-printed negative molds that are used to mold the negative silicone molds). It would be interesting to see the thought process necessary to achieve this first negative mold (start with a positive model of the part then add the rest of the mold in 3D modeling software?)

@heavyweather 2 жыл бұрын

You just told it...take the positive and boolean it with a simple block under the part or just extrude outward at the seam.

@smbehm 5 жыл бұрын

Music was awesome! What you guys never cracked a piece of software before?

@ajaysindwani67 4 жыл бұрын

Sounded like Fairlight or Skid Row

@dietalarmclock2607 Жыл бұрын

Zelda dungeon secret door to metal unlocked, thank you.

@cleisonarmandomanriqueagui9176 Жыл бұрын

Hi . Is that PLA+ ?

@abel9558 4 жыл бұрын

Excelente !

@AEN_INDUSTRIES 3 жыл бұрын

What series silicone?.

@G8ergator1 4 жыл бұрын

So that was just a mold made out of silicone/cornstarch?

@MarkWilder68 6 жыл бұрын

So what kind of silicone did you use that hold that much heat so well what brand is that and do you have a link to where it can be purchased?

@Toxicity1987 6 жыл бұрын

Its the other way around, that tin-bismuth alloy has a pretty low melt point around 100°C. So this is like metalcasting for rookies. I don't even know if that ally is even a good metal at all, maybe PETG would be a better solution.

@MarkWilder68 6 жыл бұрын

Toxicity that's fine I still would like to know what it is and what kind of alloy that is explain to me how I can do the same thing both processes please.

@GregKrynen 6 жыл бұрын

I use a lead free pewter mixture from RotoMetals . The mold rubber I use is a two part 1:1 RTV from AeroMarine products in San Diego. I pour 600-700 F into the molds after using a powdered graphite dusting. The molds have lasted years for making small toys and jewelry components.

@markhobster8113 6 жыл бұрын

Greg Krynen that is good to know that some mould rubber or silicone? Can be resistant to melting or distorting at 700c which is just over the melting point of aluminium ( when I finally get around to making a forge )

@GregKrynen 6 жыл бұрын

I used F as in Fahrenheit, C for Celsius is a much hotter temp that silicone rubbers can not withstand. green sand casting or investment casting is best for aluminum.

@BasedBidoof 6 жыл бұрын

But what was the metal thingy

@CowboybubPercussion 3 жыл бұрын

Is this just lead?

@TheJohnny3d 6 жыл бұрын

Good Video!!! Can you please tell me what software you used to make the molds and can you do a video or send me a link to one how to do it.

@senhuan 3 жыл бұрын

Any way to do this with aluminium?

@12Konst Жыл бұрын

You cast metal into silicon mould?

@princeuy8021 4 жыл бұрын

Whats that laser gun that he used? Whats it for?

@bryanannas 3 жыл бұрын

what kind of metal?

@kennethmaki9255 6 жыл бұрын

what metal?

@doxielain2231 6 жыл бұрын

tin-bismuth alloy. Read the description, why don't you?

@ameliabuns4058 4 жыл бұрын

isn't tin supppper toxic?

@riversvic 6 жыл бұрын

That music is very “Maniac Mansion” I love it!

@thecodebreakking 4 жыл бұрын

That was an awesome game! I been looking for games like it...

@shadowbanned-9577 4 жыл бұрын

There is always one...

@shaneschuller2513 6 ай бұрын

Aluminum or Pueter?

@navjotsinghDhanoa 4 жыл бұрын

what song is it, links plz :D

@guerrillaradio9953 6 жыл бұрын

Try this: Print in glassfiber or aramid reinforced nylon, design a sufficient hollow "moat"around the casting negative, fill with water, freeze. I've cast Babbitt bearings, gears, and small Aluminum parts successfully using this method. It only works once though, usually.

@cattaraugustonawanda4426 6 жыл бұрын

Been casting pewter in RTV molds since 2003 and others have been doing it for many years. Its a good technique but you need to improve your materials and technique. You need to use a Shore A 60 durometer rubber that is a bit harder than what you show. You need to heat the mold by pouring the pewter in it a few times before you get a good casting. You need to dust the mold with talc before each pour to protect the mold and produce better castings. Your gate needs to be on the edge and a bit longer to produce more pressure in the mold. I use Dow Corning 3120 RTV because it is good durometer and has paste catalyst which is easier to measure by weight.

@baschz 6 жыл бұрын

Could also have done without the chiptune but hey, as long as you're not explaining on top of the song I can just turn it off. Was expecting something else though; these aren't 3D printed molds, just the masters. Do like what you've (presumably) used the casts for. Presumably, as I don't actually see you add it to the camera mount arm in the video.

@pasqualeamicone5516 3 жыл бұрын

Fusion temperature alluminium 570 degree. Plastic under 200. What are you talking about

@foxpup 6 жыл бұрын

Its an interesting decision using tin-bismuth rather than a high print density pla print. I would expect the metal construction to be a wee bit stronger but I'd bet a full-fill PLA print of the same part would doo pretty well to. Now As for heat, the bismuth holds up much better and its generally not toxic so you don't have to worry about that. :-) Great video!! Great project!! Well Done!!

@ReneJurack 6 жыл бұрын

Is tin-bismuth really stronger than PLA in the first place? A metal so soft it can be cut with a side cutter doesn't look promising by first glance... Edit: google says, Sn-Bi is actually weaker... so... not that clever for the shown usecase?!

@3dprintwiz378 6 жыл бұрын

What was the melting point of that metal alloy?

@benoit-pierredemaine3824 6 жыл бұрын

3D Printwiz read description, tin bismuth, then Wikipedia.

@mauriciodelgado1 6 жыл бұрын

Cual es el material que se usó para tomar la impresión? Alguien lo sabe? Gracias

@SuperUltrachan 6 жыл бұрын

en ingles mauricio, asi nadie te va a pelar no seas pendejo

@dushanthdushy376 4 жыл бұрын

May I know what is that silicone you used here ?

@nxxxxzn 3 жыл бұрын

No.

@dushanthdushy376 3 жыл бұрын

@@nxxxxzn fuck your as holes I studied more than you in one year stupid if you have any dought in casting or other related feild please ask me 😂😂😂I challenge you 🖕