The Hot metal Ezine

Extract From: Decorative Metal Work.
Chapter Two: What Metals Really Are.

Iron, Cast and Wrought—Silver—Tin—Zinc—Copper—Bronze—Brass—Gold
Silver—Nickel—Aluminium—German silver.

The science of Mineralogy is beyond the scope of our present volume, but is necessary, nay important, that every beginner in the art of metal working should acquire some knowledge of the material used, both as to its origin and nature, and adaptability of the several kinds used in the work.

Minerals from which we obtain our metals belong to the inorganic world, and the words “organic” and “inorganic” are used in reference to living and non-living matter. Minerals are formed frequently, and they increase rapidly, but they cannot be said to be born or to grow. Many minerals are remarkable for their beauty of crystalline form, their wonderful lustre and their special adaptability for ornamental purposes, their variety, colour and brilliancy: these are gems or precious stones.

Others are obtained and used chiefly in their conditions as metals, some are valuable such as gold, and are found chiefly in a native state: These are called precious metals. Others such as silver, copper, etc, are less valuable, are also found in a native state, but in combination as ores.

Some of the most useful metals, as iron, lead, zinc and tin, are never found in a native state as metals, but are abundantly mixed with earthy or other matter - these are also ores. These ores are sometimes metallic, but more frequently earthy, and are buried in the earth, sometimes regularly deposited in beds, but more generally occupying cavities in rocks.

The most useful as well as the most common is iron, and is found in abundance throughout England, South Wales, Canada, and the united States of America.

Update Note: Australia also has some of the largest known deposits of Iron ore, located in the Kimberly - Pilbara region of Western Australia) http://www.hamersleyiron.com/about_rio.asp
http://www.pilbarairon.com/SiteContent/aboutus/industry.asp

Iron is the hardest of metals, of a livid grey colour, insoluble in water, fusible by heat, and is a conductor both of heat and electricity. Iron is of two kinds, cast and wrought: The former is the metal separated from the ore by smelting sand run into moulds; the latter one of the lightest, strongest, and most tenacious of metal, and generally used for all kinds of domestic and manufacturing purposes.
There are many kinds of iron ores, of which mention must be made: ....... Learn More here: http://www.myhomefoundry.com/metalwork.html

Toowoomba Metal Technologies.

For over 130 years, the name Toowoomba Foundry (renamed Toowoomba Metal Technologies) has had special importance because it reflects the history, development and nucleus of one of Queensland's largest manufacturing companies.
Read More about One Of Oldest Foundry Operations In Australia at Toowoomba Queensland.

Core Making.
http://www.tmettec.com.au/core.htm
Melting:
http://www.tmettec.com.au/melting.htm
Machine Shop:
http://www.tmettec.com.au/machining.htm
Moulding Operations.
http://www.tmettec.com.au/moulding.htm

The Hot Metal Ezine. The International Hobby Metal Casting ezine. Brought To You By: Col Croucher, administrator of: www.myhomefoundry.com Australia. September 2007. Volume: 04. Number: 47.
Hello There. Well wouldn't you know, we are here again, I wonder where last month disappeared to, and I guess that's what happens when you are busy. Welcome if you have just signed up to the ezine, it doesn’t matter whether you are just beginning to cultivate an interest in the metal casting game or you have already dipped the toe in the water so to speak, all are welcome here at the ezine. Last month we mentioned that some big changes were going to happen to the web site and other things, unfortunately we have fallen behind schedule, and there have been glitches with the new software we were going to use, but never fear, we'll get there, we need to some more time to sort things out, but we will let you know when everything is in place. People from around the world continue to seek our hobby foundry ebooks, just this week we had our first customer from Iceland, hey, you guys in the states, if you reckon the northern winter effects your furnace temperature, spare a thought for our customer in Iceland, one thing he will enjoy is the heat generated by the furnace, lookout Mr Gore, the ice cap is about to melt!... All jokes aside, we look forward to hearing more from our Iceland metal caster. Each month we get several help request tickets sent through our contact form, we don't mind in the least as we like to help where we can, but every now and again the email address is typed incorrectly into the contact form, now this creates a bit of a problem, if we attempt to reply to the request, the system simply rejects the email address because of incorrect syntax, if this has happened to you please understand we are not ignoring you on purpose by not replying, the fact is we cant reply if we don’t have your correct email address, so please check that your address is correct before hitting the send/submit button. Technology has made the world a much smaller place, the internet kind if removes the boundaries from the vast distances between people, at times I wonder what it would be like to get all of our customers together at the one time to share and enjoy and also exchange stories about your metal casting challenge, of course that would be difficult to achieve... but just imagine for a minute how fantastic that would be. But then, you don’t need to travel any further than the keyboard of you computer, because if you can type out a shopping list then you can type out a story and email it to us to share with other readers of this ezine, we have had some marvellous stories about all kinds of things that people have used the techniques and methods of hobby metal casting to make so many different things. So how's about I dangle an ity bity carrot in front of you just to get the juices flowing. For the first four metal casting success stories received over the next couple of weeks we will give away for FREE "The Pattern Making Workshop Practice" book, this ebook has sold exceptionally well and is valued at $27.97US. If you haven’t got this ebook then this could be a great opportunity to get your copy for nicks, just email us a story (400-500words) about your metal casting journey, plus a few photos of stuff you have made and that's all you need to do, sound like a bit of fun... what say you. And yes, that includes all the Aussie ezine subscribers to, c'mon fella's, how about it, let's see some of that good old Aussie ingenuity that we're famous for. But really, it doesn’t matter where you are from, we'd love to hear from you, our customers are now spread throughout 46 countries, so this could be fun... but it is not a race, but to qualify for your freebie you'll need to send your story to us in the next couple of weeks.
If you are unable to write a story about your metal casting success, but you would like a copy of the pattern ebook, just click here. Are you ready to make that quantum leap into building your own hobby foundry and begin melting & pouring metal? Then click here now to get all of the info you'll need. Rolling sheet metal is not easy if you don't have a roller, but you can build your own low cost roller. Learn more about metal rollers here.	Jabiru 4 Cyl Aircraft Engine. ers and bronze tappets. Die Cast Piston Half. Two Part Lead Sinker Die.
The Lead Fishing Sinker. Not that long ago, a friend happened to call in during one of our frequent metal casting sessions, he had a mate with him and after the intro’s the mate, too intent on watching what I was doing made the remark that he used to melt lead and make sinkers for fishing, "metal casting is as easy as pie" he said, I nodded in acknowledgment and kept on with tending the furnace and melting and pouring metal. It wasn’t until after they left that I got to thinking about what he said about comparing casting lead fishing sinkers to melting aluminium and casting some serious parts, while the two are very similar in the principles and methods employed, as you know the heat required to melt lead is pretty damn low compared to melting Aluminium, but the bloke had a point... before he went he commented again, "anybody can do that", well err yes, anybody can do that (melt metal) after a bit of practice & hands on learning. I just wish I had the time to have a lend of his ear's for a bit longer, we could have enlightened him a lot more on the finer points of hobby metal casting, we may have even had another convert? Now you might think that making a lead sinker for fishing is pretty low key and unexciting, but to the beginner metal caster there is a lot that can be learnt from this humble process. For starters, it will be the first lesson and exposure to basic die-casting using a two-part die. The sinker die is mostly always made from aluminium, it is rectangular in shape, and has registration lugs and indents top and bottom, and notice the draft on the walls of the cavity inside the die, there are also no undercuts and snags that will prevent the casting from being ejected from the die. It is pure simplicity but it works. Now also take a look at the pouring cup or sprue, it is very short and the hole is designed to let a certain amount of hot lead pour gently but quickly into the die, if the metal is too cold it wont pour, but when it's at the correct temperature, it will pour freely and form a nice casting. The end result is a neat lead sinker (Or several if you want) you can take with you on the next fishing holiday. Note also the intricate detail just under the sprue where the eye of the sinker is formed so that the nylon line can be tied to the sinker. The Lessons. Once you have some experience with sand casting under your belt, you could begin to investigate and explore the possibility of actually producing a die casting object in aluminium, it is not as hard as you might think, if you remember to keep the object shape a relatively simple shape as in the lead sinker, you will find it is quite easy to carry out die casting in the home workshop, the equipment you have already will be fine, the only thing you will have to put some thought & time into the manufacture of the die. If you want to make an aluminium die casting, you will need to make the die from mild steel, naturally the die needs to have a higher melting point than the metal you are pouring into it. Die casting is quite a challenge, and is an excellent casting method if several exact replica items need to be made very quickly, as once you have the die sorted out you just keep on pumping as many castings out as you wish. Have a think about it; if you want a challenge then die-casting will provide it. But remember to keep the shape uncomplicated, complex shapes can be made but then you are getting into multi-part die moulds and that will really try your patience. Speaking of which, take a look at the piston slug photo above which has been cut in half to show the intricate work and shape of the inside of the piston, how do you think the internal shape of the piston was done? Bearing in mind that the inner die has to be removed after the metal has solidified and cooled somewhat. It looks kind of tricky, but it is really quite simple... but that is another story. Don’t confuse gravity die-casting with pressure die-casting; the two casting methods are entirely different. Gravity die-casting is also called permenant mould (Mold) casting. New Technology Twin roll casting of magnesium sheets. A new sheet roll casting process for magnesium can help manufacturers meet, and assist in growing, the demand for the metal, in particular by reducing cost. Read More here: http://www.csiro.au/solutions/ps1a5.html Jabiru: An Australian Success Story. Jabiru Engine Philosophy: It is said that "aircraft are designed around available engines". Jabiru believe that the Jabiru range of very light engines will now offer new opportunities for light aircraft designers to develop a new generation of light aircraft. Now read the story. http://www.jabiru.net.au/enginesbodyFrame-1.htm Industry Acknowledgement. Someone Likes What We Are Doing. Amongst the many emails we receive everyday asking about all manner of things, one recent email that stood out said: "We are a rapid prototyping/tooling company specializing in stereolithography (SLA). We work with thermoplastics, epoxy, nylon, urethane, and many different metals. Continuous research of the different areas of engineering brought me to www.myhomefoundry.com; it stands out as one of the few credible resources covering similar engineering/tooling facets. You have a variety of links pointing to useful casting services, and it demonstrates your interest in providing quality informative websites. Regards. Christopher Loman. Yes, this company was looking for reciprocal web links of which we were only to happy to agree with, so if you are looking for some expert advice in this field then visit the web site to see what they do: http://www.dpt-fast.com Extract From: Decorative Metal Work. Chapter Two: What Metals Really Are. Iron, Cast and Wrought—Silver—Tin—Zinc—Copper—Bronze—Brass—Gold Silver—Nickel—Aluminium—German silver. The science of Mineralogy is beyond the scope of our present volume, but is necessary, nay important, that every beginner in the art of metal working should acquire some knowledge of the material used, both as to its origin and nature, and adaptability of the several kinds used in the work. Minerals from which we obtain our metals belong to the inorganic world, and the words “organic” and “inorganic” are used in reference to living and non-living matter. Minerals are formed frequently, and they increase rapidly, but they cannot be said to be born or to grow. Many minerals are remarkable for their beauty of crystalline form, their wonderful lustre and their special adaptability for ornamental purposes, their variety, colour and brilliancy: these are gems or precious stones. Others are obtained and used chiefly in their conditions as metals, some are valuable such as gold, and are found chiefly in a native state: These are called precious metals. Others such as silver, copper, etc, are less valuable, are also found in a native state, but in combination as ores. Some of the most useful metals, as iron, lead, zinc and tin, are never found in a native state as metals, but are abundantly mixed with earthy or other matter - these are also ores. These ores are sometimes metallic, but more frequently earthy, and are buried in the earth, sometimes regularly deposited in beds, but more generally occupying cavities in rocks. The most useful as well as the most common is iron, and is found in abundance throughout England, South Wales, Canada, and the united States of America. Update Note: Australia also has some of the largest known deposits of Iron ore, located in the Kimberly - Pilbara region of Western Australia) http://www.hamersleyiron.com/about_rio.asp http://www.pilbarairon.com/SiteContent/aboutus/industry.asp Iron is the hardest of metals, of a livid grey colour, insoluble in water, fusible by heat, and is a conductor both of heat and electricity. Iron is of two kinds, cast and wrought: The former is the metal separated from the ore by smelting sand run into moulds; the latter one of the lightest, strongest, and most tenacious of metal, and generally used for all kinds of domestic and manufacturing purposes. There are many kinds of iron ores, of which mention must be made: ....... Learn More here: http://www.myhomefoundry.com/metalwork.html Toowoomba Metal Technologies. For over 130 years, the name Toowoomba Foundry (renamed Toowoomba Metal Technologies) has had special importance because it reflects the history, development and nucleus of one of Queensland's largest manufacturing companies. Read More about One Of Oldest Foundry Operations In Australia at Toowoomba Queensland. Core Making. http://www.tmettec.com.au/core.htm Melting: http://www.tmettec.com.au/melting.htm Machine Shop: http://www.tmettec.com.au/machining.htm Moulding Operations. http://www.tmettec.com.au/moulding.htm

The Lead Fishing Sinker.