Casting Aluminum Plate Surface at Home: Even Spread on Uneven Mold & Properties After Melting

Hello everyone. I need to make a cast of a certain aluminum plate. I admit that I have never done it. Of course I read similar topics on the Internet. I found 2 people who reportedly melted alu at home (with a burner) But I have a few questions that I found the answer. that aluminum melts at a temperature close to 660'C, as I do not have a suitable furnace, I would try to melt the alu in a cast iron crucible under a gas or electricity burner. heat such a metal so that at 180 degrees the alu finally melts. I hope some of you have done something similar before. My casting is a bit different. My point is to only cast the surface of the casting - not the whole thing! Will the molten aluminum decompose evenly on the "not flat" surface, or is it rather impossible? The last question - does this aluminum have the same properties as before melting?
Greetings

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Hello!

First thing: in order to melt anything you MUST heat it above the melting point. ATTENTION! Aluminum must be melted in a protective atmosphere because it oxidizes easily!

Second case: obtaining a thin layer of molten and then solidified metal on an uneven surface is possible using the spray metallization method, but for this purpose other metals are used, not aluminum.

Third case: the mechanical properties of castings depend on the composition of the cast metal, usually good mechanical properties conflict with castability, therefore, for aluminum castings, alloys of the ZNAL (pressure cast) or SILUMIN type are used. You can read about the properties of these alloys in Wikipedia.

Copying the surface of metal objects is possible in a slightly different process:
- you imprint the copied object in plaster;
- after removing the item, you pour Wood's alloy on it (you can buy it at the Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals). After removing the "pattern", you hang the casting for electroplating and you get a thin shell of electroplated copper;
- now you melt Wood's alloy in hot water, and fill the empty "shell" with, for example, epoxy resin or other liquid, polymerizing material;
- after the polymer has hardened, you can now paint the object with the car paint "silver metallic".
To strengthen such epoxy castings, you can also use "reinforcement" with glass fiber or steel inserts.

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. Maybe I will describe what the problem is. So I have a certain form. Rounded. There are edges in some places. The surface is quite large. (Photo attached) I can see that the alu melting at home is not that easy. At the beginning I wanted to punch this form out of 1mm-1.5mm sheet metal, but I quickly came to the conclusion that it was bordering on a miracle. Then there was an idea for a casting. It is also not easy to make. Now I have a new idea. I don't know if it is, but I think there is something like plasticity between the solid and the liquid. Tell me what your view on this matter is. Maybe it's a strange case, but I do. I take it quite seriously. It's a cover from a motorbike. They've already shot me 3 and I'm thinking what to do here ...

https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/viewtopic.php?p=3080068#3080068
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Impress the mold in the plaster, impregnate the plaster with paraffin, and then form this cover with a glass cloth and liquid epoxy resin.
When it hardens, you need to sand it with sandpaper, then fill it and paint it with varnish.
Papping on the plaster is an artistic job + burner, and the result does not have to be so beautiful.
The atom won't touch it!

I hear they did just that.
But it would be original metal
Maybe make some form and put it into some plant where aluminum is being cast?

franz87 wrote:

I hear they did just that.
It would be original metal
Can he make a form somehow and put it into some plant where aluminum is cast?

In factories, they make molds themselves, but if you do the mold right, they probably won't get angry

Do you know plants that specialize in castings?
It would be difficult to make such a form yourself, but for sure much cheaper and xD satisfaction
The thickness of this casing is 1-1.5mm, so you would have to make one casting and another one 1-1.5mm thicker, pour the molten metal in between.
If I were able to make such a casting, I would most likely give it to a plant for further processing

Hello.

franz87 wrote:

Do you know plants that specialize in castings?

Yes, I know.
Technocast from Kędzierzyn-Koźle.

Castings with a wall thickness of 1 - 1.5 mm are made as die castings in a die, because sand casting molds do not allow for such thin walls with this size of the object. The technology of such a mold is completely beyond the reach of "home methods", unless you have a numerically controlled milling machine and workshop experience in a tool shop.
You might as well try to make a mold (die) for stamping on the press, then the wall thickness of 1mm is not a problem, because it is pressed from such a sheet.
I used to read about the possibility of forming objects without a die, with a die only, using explosives.

Rzuuf wrote:

I used to read about the possibility of forming objects without a die, with a die only, using explosives.

With the use of explosives? You have to do them first Could you elaborate on it?

These were research topics carried out some 40 years ago by the Military University of Technology. You can search their library.

Probably about shaped charges.
Primary shaped charges are used to pierce thick armor. "Modified" are used for cutting steel (eg when dismantling bridges etc.).
With proper construction, they can probably be used to form objects, but that is a completely different topic.

These were not shaped charges.
The charge exploded in a vessel (barrel) of water and there was an object at the bottom to be molded. Formation was due to the shock wave in the water. This method was also used to achieve a composite of, for example, two sheets of materials that cannot be welded or soldered together, such as copper and aluminum.

Hmm. Now it is done with petn water only transmitting impact. Kumule cuts and holes. Now there are pools and molds for this. It wasn't only used experimentally, it is still used today. And about MW, look for google and I do not wish you good luck, because they will not be useful because I assume that no one will synthesize MW here Regards In general, the topic of pressing with MW is quite interesting, artificial diamonds with MW are made, appropriate chambers where the pressure does not escape, and high temperature.

artificial diamonds explosive method? what sizes are you talking about? - diamond dust?
you can bond metals with explosives dry, but it is unprofitable - for joining a few-centimeter plates, 2-3 cm, you need a hexogen layer with a thickness of 30-40 mm depending on the type of metals - it is very loud and very expensive.
The liquid forming method is used to stamp thick sheets and I've never heard of joining unless it's impossible.
Alumina can be sprayed, in principle, even on paper, of course in a protective atmosphere, a few years ago in the Warsaw IMP, such services were performed and they were quite cheap.

Explosive forming also uses ammonites - and this can be done for pennies. But treating broken members costs a lot ...

Hmm poultry? for the war industry, 1 kg of sea trout is PLN 2 .. no PLN 1.30 Buying in dark spheres about PLN 20 / kg but it is worth the life of people who choose it from misfires And ammonites are pennies and the availability is even easier, but ammonites are not that cool ...

Quote:

Such a cover is when you want to make aluminum, it is better to weld the pieces where and what you can pat, sand the butt and even you can polish it
A colleague at work made a fuel tank for his Suzuki he polished and it looks like from the factory you can not see anywhere that it was connected urzywal all a piece of pipes, hammered sheet, etc.
welding performed by the tig method.

Well, that would be a good idea, I understand my friend made a form of concrete or plaster and welded the pieces? Strange that it had such an effect!

PS: Do you know something like that? How is the soldering paste - so that the solder "catches" faster, is it something like that for alu?

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