Casting cast iron-anyone ever done it?

Tried a search and came up empty. Did a Google search and found a little info.

I've got an Ansen Bellhousing and its missing the bottom, as a lot of them seem to be. Got to thinking, if you can cast aluminum, can you cast iron?

Has anyone ever tried making any parts? Just curious of the process and their outcome. Hell, if I can figure it out maybe I'll cast a bunch of them. Seems to be enough demand for them.


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Here's some info:
http://stephenchastain.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4

 

I'm thinking you'd have to heat iron way to hot to make it feasible.

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iron has to be at 1800-2000 degrees to be fluid, aluminum may be something easier to start with

 

Nothing wrong in making your missing piece from Alum...Does not need be iron...you want the explosion to go out the bottom anyway..

 

Just go to a company that works with sandcasting cast iron parts in small series, with some luck you can get them to do a number of copys of whatever stuff you bring to them for a resonable price. Most likely cheaper than getting the equipment you need to melt any significant amount of cast iron yourself, and better done since they actually know what they are doing, what type of cast iron to use for diffrent things and so on.

 

This can be very cost effective if they can use your part to create the master for the mold operation. In low quantity, they may be able to use plaster. Higher quantities they may have to cast it first in aluminum. Either case, it needs gates, runners, etc. And a parting plane has to be established.

Bob

 

There's a foundry here in Houston, if you bring the sand mold ready to pour, they'll pour it for you on a per-pound basis. Shipping a rammed up sand mold would be a bitch!

 

Pretty sure they were actually cast steel.

 

Iron and aluminum both shrink at different rates after they cool from a molten state. if you use the existing part for the mold, the new part will be smaller in all dimensions.

 

ok, my father has dealt with castings since I was a kid and amazingly I picked up a few things!! First off, you will need a pattern, if you want to make a production run, you will need a sturdy pattern of hardwood or aluminum. OR if you only want one, see if you can track down someone with a 3D printer for a one time only pattern. BUT either way you will need a sample to work from. Although I have seen hobbyist sandcasters doing very small runs of aluminum cast parts. Hope it helps, if you have more specific questions, feel free to PM me.

 

Shrink ruling will get you every time. I was figuring if someone else was doing the molding, they would be doing the pour in cast steel. For the removable master to set the cope and drag sections, that can be plaster, aluminum, wood, horse shit, etc.

Hmmm... what about lost-wax casting? That might be the way to go in this case.

Bob

 

A friend of mine cast some big block MoPar covers like that from extra hard plastic.

 

Here's Brian G's thread about modifications to an A2 Golf. [not hamb friendly, but relevant] He's a casting genius, it's a long thread with loads of pictures, but worth your time for the detailed casting info later in the thread
Brian's engine mod thread

 

you could weld one up from 1/8 steel plate, lots cheaper

 

I've had several parts cast for my other hobby, hit/miss farm engines. If you can find a small foundry, they can likely use the original piece, although if you're missing a part of the original piece, you'll have to somehow make the part whole for use as a pattern...perhaps bondo will work.

Anyway, I know that if you cast a reproduction of an original piece in cast iron, it will shrink 1/8" per foot, so you will also have to build up the original piece slightly to compensate for that shrinkage. I know that you can buy sheet wax for that purpose.

It can be done, but it will take some homework and fabrication to make the finished piece come out to the same size, or close enough to work.

Chris

 

Hard to tell what you are driving at. If you have a broken cast iron bellhousing how about welding it?

Or are you talking about making a production run of duplicates? In that case could you make the new parts out of aluminum? Bellhousings can be made of either iron or aluminum.

You say "missing the bottom". What does that mean? Was it a 2 piece bellhousing and the bottom piece is missing? Is a piece broken off the bottom?

A lot of bellhousings were open on the bottom with just a sheet metal cover to keep out dirt and rocks. If that is all it is, it should be possible to make a cover.

 

Cast some iron off into the woods once
Think it's still there
That will teach it not to bust my knuckle again

 

This is (probably) what he is talking about - a two piece cast scattershield ...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9121839

 

Katuna .....is the bell housing for a tri 5 Chevy ?
If so....you can borrow my bottom piece to make the mold ..
Dave

 

Thanks to everyone who has responded. Lots of info here. It may not be a bad idea to do it in aluminum. Like it was stated, you would want everything that comes apart to blow down. Aluminum would surely be the path of least resistance.

Never thought of the castings shrinking.


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Dave Lewis - Man, that's a generous offer! If I decide to cast a piece I may take you up on that. I definitely need a sample.

Yes, mine is a tri-5 housings. Sad thing is the bell, trans and shifter came out of a '55 parts car someone had. Had a 327 and Muncie. Guy didn't want it so he stuck it all in a corner. He figured he probably threw the bottom piece in the car, which is probably on its way to China to become bridge beams.


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This is a cool thread. I'm not into VW Rabbits, but he is building a custom machine for milling heads, it's 20 pages long, I haven't even got to the casting part yet.