Lost foam casting - has anyone done it?

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    Grandmaster
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    My friend gave me some chunks of lead for my lead sled, but they need to be reshaped in order to be useable. I was looking at lost foam casting, but I've never done it before. My main issue is the sand mold. Has anyone ever used this method? Has anyone ever sand cast? Does anyone have other suggestions?
     

    HamsterStyle

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    I know there are a ton of videos of homemade forges and casting aluminum on YouTube. I would imagine the process is the same for lead. You may check it out. I offer no real.info other than I have looked a lot into the aluminum stuff because I think the kids would love it. And I'd love to have a forge and play with fire as well.
     

    1DOWN4UP

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    Lead melts at 600 degrees.Polystyrene will work fine for a pattern.Stay away from closed cell foam because it is made with butane.50 grit clean sand will make a course finish.150 grit will have fine finish.Add water to sand till 6 % moisture.Have good ventilation.
     
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    1DOWN4UP

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    Also you can melt Zinc(melts 800 degrees )with a kitchen stove or a torch(you do not need a kiln.).For anyone wanting to play,learn to ID Zinc,from Aluminum and Magnesium (both melt at 1200 degrees)Also,learn to ID Magnesium,because you can not mix it with Zinc or Aluminium.It will cause a fire which is VERY hard to put out.You can mix Aluminum and Zinc.
     
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    femurphy77

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    We did some sand casting in 7th grade shop class; of course that was back in the dark ages before electricity when they still taught those types of things in public schools.
     

    dprimm

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    Also you can melt Zinc(melts 800 degrees )with a kitchen stove or a torch(you do not need a kiln.).For anyone wanting to play,learn to ID Zinc,from Aluminum and Magnesium (both melt at 1200 degrees)Also,learn to ID Magnesium,because you can not mix it with Zinc or Aluminium.It will cause a fire which is VERY hard to put out..
    For another chemistry note, mix in the right amount of Iron Oxide and you can make thermite!
     

    Fargo

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    Please be careful burning zinc. The fumes can get ya.
    I have done some research on this when I was getting into building smokers. From everything I could find zinc melts at around 800° and vaporizes into the air at around 1600°. The way people usually get sick from it is via the intense heat of a welding arc which is way hotter than that. The vapors or fumes are easily and inhaled and cause welders fever. There was also a blacksmith who tried to clean the zinc off of some fittings in a Forge and ended up poisoning himself pretty badly, he died shortly after from pneumonia as a complication.

    From what I could find, it is quite safe to melt it if you keep your temps at a reasonable level (well under 1600 degrees).
     
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    Rookie

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    I think I'm going to melt it and pour it into square tubing. That way I can weld it shut and not worry about exposed lead.
     

    bwframe

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    I know you are likely more sophisticated than this hillbilly. I recycled some old blue jean legs, filled with sand and zip tied the ends. That was enough weight for my lead sled, but I bet you could plant an ingot or few in the sand if more weight was needed?
     
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    Rookie

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    Yeah, I honestly have no idea how much weight I need so I'm going off the lead sled description which said 50 pounds. I don't know if that much weight is necessary, but I've got about 75 pounds of lead, might as well use it, I guess.
     

    freekforge

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    I did it when i was highschool. super easy with fine sand and quality foam.

    i would worry about the exposed lead you breath in worse when you go shooting.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    I picked up a couple of barbell weights for my lead sled. I think I've got a 35 lb. and a 10 lb.. The 35 lb. just fits between the front and rear supports and the 10 lb. "nests" on top of it.
     

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