Miniature Tool Collection

[flyingtractors1]

Hi David.  No, the mold shown on this page is the rubber mold which is used to create duplicate wax patterns.  Wax is injected into this mold.  Then the rubber mold halves are separated and the wax pattern carefully extracted after it solidifies.  That pattern is then surrounded with plaster into which metal is poured after the mold is baked and the wax melted out.  I'm working on the plaster molds now - pics soon.   Ralph

[flyingtractors1]

The mold halves are lubricated and ready for injection.





Wax is injected.





Wax patterns are carefully removed from the rubber mold, and a "tree" is formed with three patterns.  This will call for a 3oz pour, and that is about as much as I can safely handle at this time.





The patterns are mounted at the bottom of a casting flask (in this case a 10oz soup can.





Plaster is mixed and debubbleized in an improvised vacuum chamber on a custom built vibration table.





The flasks are placed in an oven to melt out the wax (lost wax) and hard bake the plaster molds.





When well baked in high heat, molten metal will be injected (shot) into the cavities in the molds.

[flyingtractors1]

The mold is in the centrifuge ready for casting.  This is the most exciting part of the process and the part with the greatest risk where it can go dangerously wrong.  This machine is a "broken arm" spring wound instrument that slings the molten metal into the cavity in the plaster mold.   Ralph





The cast "button" at the top of the mold is indication of a successful cast. it is from this button that the piece in the mold draws material as it cools and tends to shrink - the reason for using 50% more metal than the castings call for.





After the mold is broken open, there is evidence that it was a good cast.  Next the cast is washed thoroughly and prepared for separation of the pieces.








cutting, filing, sanding, buffing & polishing will follow.


Other operations - drilling and tapping as needed.

[flyingtractors1]

filed, sanded, buffed and polished








Nice tight grained wood accents complete the project, and we have a fine piece of pocket jewelry for the well dressed mechanic.  Or it could be a vest pocket piece at the end of a stylish chain.   Ralph

[Meldonmech]

Hi Ralph

                     Very interesting, and well illustrated

                                                                                Cheers  David

[flyingtractors1]

Thanks David. 

I gathered up more of my miniature tools for a group picture. 

See the video on YouTube.   Ralph

     

[dsquire]

Ralph

It looks very impressive to see your tools scatered about like that. Thanks for showing us how you go about making the moulds and then casting them. 

Cheers 

Don

[Meldonmech]

Hi Ralph,
                Like the video, I have only sand cast aluminum up to now, and am working towards casting gun metal and brass. I have built a new furnace which is capable of heating to 1600 c .  I would like to make some smaller items, using plaster moulds and wax patterns. Is it possible to cast wax using a gravity feed with a shrinkage reservoir above? Is the plaster mould, plaster of paris, and can you gravity pour brass into these moulds, as I think centrifugal casting is beyond my capabilities?

                                                  Cheers David

[flyingtractors1]

Thanks David.

Hi Ralph,     
                 I would like to make some smaller items, using plaster moulds and wax patterns. Is it possible to cast wax using a gravity feed with a shrinkage reservoir above? Is the plaster mould, plaster of paris, and can you gravity pour brass into these moulds, as I think centrifugal casting is beyond my capabilities?

                                                  Cheers David

In a word -- yes.  When I started I used plaster of Paris as shown in my latest video = the split half plaster mold for the ballpeen hammers.  I did it like we do sand casting with aluminum, since that was what I knew, but used plaster instead of sand, and I used a small split half carved wood pattern and small milk cartons as the frame container (cope & drag).  Later I built a wax pattern and suspended it with a strip of wax in a small vegetable tin can and filled it with plaster  then baked the mold in the kitchen oven at 500 degrees and melted the wax out (my wife still hasn't forgiven me for that - I'm glad that you have an alternate oven).  Then I just melted some silver coins (90 % silver - sterling is 92.5%) in an old ladle (ceramic works best but I didn't have one so used an old iron ladle) and gravity poured it in the mold.  It worked ok, and I have been trying to perfect the process ever since.  First I picked up an old oven to use and a better torch (I'd had trouble melting metal with a hand propane torch - mapp gas was better, then I found an oxy/acc set and started using better plaster which had less bubbles (a commercial "investment" called "Satin Cast Investment" from Rio Grande jewelry supply store (800-545-6566)  -  find ordering info on Google, or go to any jewelry supply store.  I have cast many metals from gold (melt temp = 1947degrees) to lead at 650, aluminum at 1200, brass at 1650, bronze at 1900.  Just try it.  You will find the imperfections and improvements along the way.  A book I found helpful is "The  Art of Lost Wax Casting  -  on the net or in jewelry supply stores.  Wear safety gear and Good luck to you.  Ralph

[Manxmodder]

Hi Ralph,

Thanks for sharing these, they are lovely items.

I don't know about you merely recommending a book on lost wax casting,I think you could write a very credible one yourself.

I have also heard of people using a slurry of dry wall finishing compound, or mud as it's referred to in USA, to coat wax patterns and then followed by baking to melt out the wax and dry the mud.

I intend to have a go at lost wax process myself to reproduce some finials and other ornamental components missing from the cast iron railings outside my house.

I'll be attempting them in aluminum or brass and then attaching them with threaded spigots and epoxy and after fettling and painting they should match in perfectly.

Thanks for a very informative thread and I'll Google that book on lost wax.....Cheers,OZ.

[flyingtractors1]

Thanks OZ. 

I appreciate your thoughts.  I'm still exploring the art.  There must be many ways to cast and many materials that can be used.  Evidence has been found that dates back to antiquity and is believed to have been in use at different times on different continents suggesting that the casting process was independently discovered by many cultures.  My understanding is that the lost wax casting process had become a forgotten (lost) process in the Western world, though is is now believed, based on advanced archaeology, that variations of the process have been used in the old worlds as far back as 3700BC as per items found in Southern Israel and later in South and Central America - not to mention The Far East. The process is believed to have been lost in the Western world due primarily to selfish zealot rulers who, not only had molds of unique precious items destroyed so that no one else could have such items, they ultimately had the artist put to death to ensure that no other copies could ever exist, and the art died with the artists. It is my understanding that the process was rediscovered in the West only recently (19th) century by a dentist looking for a better way to make false teeth. If the process had been known before that, George Washington would not have had clumsy wooden or ivory teeth. Archaeology and further research may yet teach us more. These are the primary reasons that I decided to explore the art - to demonstrate that it could be done with limited equipment and materials. In the Bronze age forms were scratches / carved out of rocks then filled with molten copper and alloys like brass, bronze.  It islikely that there are other truths to be learned before I publish.

Ralph

[Manxmodder]

Hi Ralph,
I guess it was the low melting qualities of bees wax and other waxy substances produced by plants and fruits that caught the ancients imagination sufficiently to experiment with them.

I see by some of your photos that you were using a raw unvulcanised rubber material,can't say I've ever come across that stuff before.

Have you ever tried 'Vinamold'(Vinyl Rubber) which is melted down and poured as a hot molding liquid and left to set?

It is available in different shore hardness which are defined by various colours for softer/harder compound.
It also has the benefit that it can be re-melted and used again when the mold starts to loose sharpness of detail,2grades can also be mixed to give an in between consistency.

I found the book on wax casting you refer to and I'll be having a copy of that.....OZ

[flyingtractors1]

Hi OZ.

I think that you are right about the ancient's use of bee's wax.  I read somewhere that they also used tar and pitch to build patterns.  And I have even used real insects (spider) encapsulated in plaster and burned to powder then vacuumed out whatever remained and shot molten gold into the cavity just as an experiment, and a most beautiful gold spider came from the mold with fantastic detail.  Even the hairs on its body were evident.  I've cast little live flowers and even a cricket this way.  Makes one wonder what all is possible.

Uncured rubber of many sorts is available at jewelry supply stores.  I have heard that Latex molds are easier to build and use, which I must try, but hadn't heard about "Vinamold".  I just might try that.  I learn new things every day - thanks.  Rubber molds work great but are so labor intensive.

Ralph

[Meldonmech]

Hi Ralph

                   Thanks for your advice, and details of your casting experiences.

                                                                      Keep up the good work

                                                                                                               Cheers David

[flyingtractors1]

Hi, everybody.

I am a builder of miniature tools, and also collect tools of sorts.
There are many vises in my group - most of them are small,
although also have several large blacksmith vises and vises of other sorts which are often used in my other shop (the barn).

My wife says that I should have as many virtues   ; )

Pictured below are some of my smaller table vises if is the actual proper name.





Proper scale:





My intent is to build a 2/3 scale of the smaller vise.  It should end up about 2 1/4 inches tall.
This will be a long build due to the many operations that must be preformed and the exacting nature of wax model building and the "lost wax casting process".
I will post as it develops.

Ralph

[ieezitin]

Ralph…..
I don’t know why but I love those type of vise’s, If I see them at the auctions I snatch them up, strangely I can’t keep them long enough people just buy the heck out of them…….


Anthony..

[flyingtractors1]

Hi, Anthony. 

I know what you mean.  Vices of that type (all sizes) sure appeal to me.  I search for them everywhere I go and on the net but find few - that I can afford.  And I like miniatures, but have never seen or heard of any.  So I'll have to try and build one.  What is it about them that makes them so attractive and desirable?

Ralph

[ieezitin]

Ralph..

In my mind they are very functional.

when a tool works they way it should it always appeals to me, to other people they just like the look, they have the appearance of being old worn and used even if there brand new..  another reason why i like them is back in the day when they made them and were needed more, the quality of materials and workmanship was first class.

I live in the middle of Maryland surrounded by farms and old time industry, i am an avid auction attendee, i come across these all the time, people now at the auctions are waking up to the appeal factor of these things so my market is drying up.

I cannot wait to see your scaled down model of one of these.

Anthony...

[flyingtractors1]

Hi, Anthony.  Yes, these table vises are very functional.  I use mine daily in my hobby work, and I collect them - when I can find any.  They do look antiqueish, and I think that some of mine really are.  Any way, I like the looks of them, and since my hobby is building miniature tools, I just had to try and build one.  I've had this in mind for quite some time and finally just jumped in and have a good start.   It will be 2/3 the size of my smallest and should be 2 1/4 inches tall.   Ralph


I can visualize it.





From a solid hard wax block, a close approximation was cut





Then, as Michelangelo once replied when asked how he could sculpt such a fine elephant out of a block of marble, " All that needs to be done is to remove from the block everything that doesn't look like an elephant."  I'm no Michelangelo, but I think that I know what a table vise looks like, and removed from the block of wax all the parts that didn't look like one and added flow channels and cosmetic touches.







There are many procedures to be sequentially followed.  I plan to cast a solid metal master pattern from which a master rubber mold will be made to produce identical wax copies - the front and rear jaws are very similar.  etc., etc.

[Manxmodder]

I'm paying attention....waiting for the next instalment.....OZ.

[dsquire]

Ralph

I've got a fresh bowl of popcorn here so I'll be along for the lessons as well. 

Cheers 

Don

[flyingtractors1]

Progress is slow.  The master wax pattern is placed in a flask (used a 10 oz soup can)





The investment (plaster) is mixed in precise proportion.





Then the molds are degasseg in a vacuum chamber on a shake table.





And cured at room temperature then baked in incrementally higher temperature to solidify and to melt out the wax (lost wax)

[flyingtractors1]

Now while the mold has been in the oven, I found time to work on other essential parts - the nuts and bolts of it all.  Three sets will be needed.  I could have purchased these components commercially; in fact, I do have some on hand - 2-56 threads at 1/2 inch long.  But I am after an authentic look like an old vise in the barn.  So I've decided to make my own hardware of square head bolts and square nuts of silver since I don't know where such can be found and wanted the total experience.


 

[flyingtractors1]

The casting of the master pattern went well.





And when the mold was broken open it revealed a good cast.  It looks a little crusty but will clean up nicely.








Next comes the creation of the rubber mold for the production of soft wax patterns.

Ralph

[flyingtractors1]

progress every day.  The rubber mold turned out good, and nice soft wax patterns resulted.