dennism
Member
Hey what's up guys, I gave it a shot today. I did however have some problems. I've been thinking about how I want to do this for a while and I decided to try a method called "lost foam". I made a pattern and cut it out in some foam. I tried to get some pictures of that process for you guys but my phone died and I didn't have a ton of time to mess around. I did however take some pictures today.
OK so this is the new pattern I've made, the foam I used, and the foam pattern covered in 20 min. bag mud
Next thing I did was fill a bucket with some play sand than put the pattern in then fill to the top with more sand. Then put a soup can over it to pool aluminum above the spruce to give more down pressure.
Well I've read that there is to be a flame that comes out of the spruce as you pour which is the foam getting burned out, but what I wasn't expecting was the amount of gas that I didn't allow a way to escape beside up the spruce. So what I had was molten aluminum bubbling like crazy as the gas was trying to escape. Of coarse not all of it did escape and I was left with this.
I was pretty bummed out, I've been planning this for a long time and can't believe I overlooked putting some vents to let the gas escape. But then it is the first time I've tried to do anything like this. There is a couple other things I learned besides the vents. This thing doesn't need to be an inch thick, this aluminum is not joke it is hard as heck and very lite. That big ol' step I just made is lighter than a screw-in! I just sorta cleaned it up a little bit just so I could strap it to a tree and finally stand on the thing!
The biggest bubble was right where the spruce met the step. That's why there's a void in the bottom corner where it meets the tree. I think I've got it figured out I'll try it again and post a part 4
It did however work, felt great to stand on, and so far hasn't cost me much to make. The only real cost has been the charcoal. So about $8 worth. I'll get back at it soon.
OK so this is the new pattern I've made, the foam I used, and the foam pattern covered in 20 min. bag mud
Next thing I did was fill a bucket with some play sand than put the pattern in then fill to the top with more sand. Then put a soup can over it to pool aluminum above the spruce to give more down pressure.
Well I've read that there is to be a flame that comes out of the spruce as you pour which is the foam getting burned out, but what I wasn't expecting was the amount of gas that I didn't allow a way to escape beside up the spruce. So what I had was molten aluminum bubbling like crazy as the gas was trying to escape. Of coarse not all of it did escape and I was left with this.
I was pretty bummed out, I've been planning this for a long time and can't believe I overlooked putting some vents to let the gas escape. But then it is the first time I've tried to do anything like this. There is a couple other things I learned besides the vents. This thing doesn't need to be an inch thick, this aluminum is not joke it is hard as heck and very lite. That big ol' step I just made is lighter than a screw-in! I just sorta cleaned it up a little bit just so I could strap it to a tree and finally stand on the thing!
The biggest bubble was right where the spruce met the step. That's why there's a void in the bottom corner where it meets the tree. I think I've got it figured out I'll try it again and post a part 4
It did however work, felt great to stand on, and so far hasn't cost me much to make. The only real cost has been the charcoal. So about $8 worth. I'll get back at it soon.
