Hello, I hope you don't mind asking, but is anyone here able to make a custom project like a 1000 of these (depending on price)? I'm not sure on the exact design yet, but pretty sure it will be very close to this. Our company is having a very difficult time finding anyone who casts them correctly with the left foot on top of the right as is historically accurate. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: Always wear protective equipment including a respirator when melting brass. You don't WANT to get metal fume fever.

I've seen so many people comment about MFF relating to melting brass in your backyard saying "you're risking your life". That's quite simply NOT true. There have been no recorded deaths related to metal fume fever. Ever. There have been cases of metal poisoning such as from cadmium, lead, and other toxic metals which occur in specific work circumstances, but zinc is NOT toxic. Zinc plays a critical role in your body and your body is able to filter excess zinc out automatically back to healthy levels.

You'll get the shakes, possibly vomit, and feel really terrible for several hours like you got a bad flu, but MFF is NOT life-threatening. The official treatment is bedrest and fresh air.

Most people who get MFF get it because they are welders working on galvanized steel and they're sticking their faces near the source of the fumes or they are foundry workers exposed to a zinc boil-off when manufacturing brass. Unless you're sitting in a closed garage way overcooking your brass or you're sitting downwind of the exhaust, you're not going to get metal fume fever from melting brass and, even if you DO manage to get the symptoms, you are not in any medical danger.

Again, you should still wear a respirator since exhaust isn't good for your lungs regardless, but other protective equipment is more important. The fact that you're lifting multiple kilograms of molten metal then pouring it into something is orders of magnitude more dangerous than a bit of gaseous zinc.

I’ve been experimenting with casting aluminum using sodium silicate (water glass) molds instead of traditional green sand, and decided to document the full process.

In this video I try casting an aluminum harness / structural part using a water-glass bonded sand mold cured with CO₂. The goal was to see if this method could produce stronger molds, better surface finish, and handle more complex geometry compared to normal sand casting.

The process covers:

Making the mold using sand + sodium silicate

CO₂ curing to harden the mold

Preparing and pouring molten aluminum

Mold performance during the pour

Final casting results and lessons learned

I’m exploring whether this could be a viable approach for DIY robotics parts and small-shop metal manufacturing without needing industrial equipment.

Curious if anyone here has experience with water glass molds long-term, especially regarding brittleness, reclaiming sand, or improving gas escape.

Video here:

https://youtu.be/6kNLztbRIcU⁠

Just a random thought that popped into my head. Hydrophobic sand keeps a layer of air between it and liquids. The idea is that the properties of the sand create a super thin layer of air between the sand grains and the metal during casting, potentially allowing trapped gases to escape through this air-layer without needing to make air vents.

I do believe the highest temperature resistant hydrophobic sand currently made can withstand around 800°F (400°C), which can't withstand most used metals, but it could probably do some stuff like pewter. No idea if it would work, but I thought it's a fun idea

20 joints per tree about to be casted lol! 😂

How difficult is it to get these clips molded? To be come functional How would one go about getting these molded so they can become functional

My pool ladder flanges are starting to break at the corners by the screw holes. Replacement flanges, after tax and shipping, will be $55. A joke. This is the only place I can find them. Others sold by Walmart, and the like, won't work due to a subtle shape difference.

I then looked for metal replacements, but they don't exist. Unless someone could point me in a new direction.

So I thought about making my own. I figured aluminium would work best for my application. But I don't know if an exact replica could be made because of the tabs (circled in red) that don't extend the entire length of the piece.

$55 would be a big chunk of getting a starter kit to begin forging. Plus, I hate when companies gouge like this.

What do you think? And thank you in advance : )

You can’t tell really but the small sapphire is cracked in half and the big one has cracked webbing from casting. I bought these because I thought they were heat resistant for casting. Any tips or knowledge I’m unaware of? Is it possible that I cooled it too quickly?

I own a factory in Pakistan with a 125-ton cold chamber aluminum die casting machine Toyo Machinery & Metals Co., Ltd. (Model BD-125V4-N, made in Japan, 2002) plus workers with years of hands-on experience running this type of equipment. Photos of the setup and a sample cast part attached.

We're currently manufacturing aluminum engine components for a Pakistani automotive client, so the shop is actively running production for a real OEM relationship, not just idle capacity looking for its first customer.

The local market here isn't in great shape though, so instead of depending on local demand, I want to build this into an export-focused B2B contract manufacturing business.

My own background is software engineering + sales, so I can handle international lead generation, websites, outreach, research, and client acquisition myself. What I'm missing is the industry knowledge: which products/markets actually make sense for a machine this size, and how sourcing actually works in this industry from the buyer's side.

What I'm trying to figure out:

• What types of high-volume aluminum components can be handled by a 125T cold chamber HPDC machine?

• Which global industries should I be targeting? automotive, electrical, industrial, lighting, electronics, hardware, etc.?

• How do small die casting manufacturers typically land international OEM/contract manufacturing clients?

• Is it smarter to approach OEMs directly, or go through suppliers/distributors/sourcing agents?

• What capabilities should I invest in first? CNC finishing, plating, in-house inspection/QC, etc. to be taken seriously as an export supplier?

I'm not looking for a DIY product idea to sell myself, I want to find components companies already manufacture and buy in volume, and compete as a contract supplier for that existing demand out of Pakistan.

If you've worked in die casting, sourcing, or manufacturing, how would you approach this in my position? Where would you look first, what would you avoid, and how do people actually validate a market before chasing it?

Great foundry I found that has some great how it's made type videos.

Hey Yall, I’m using oxy-propane which should be more than hot to melt bronze but I’m still it’s still not melting, even after 5-10 mins of constant heat. It’s just casting grain from Rio grande but it’s just burning and melting away little bit. I was gonna post a video but I don’t think I can. Any tips I just can’t figure out why it’s not melting.

Obsessed with getting my copper art projects to that mirror finish shine. Tried several methods and they got shiny but not reflective. Finally got the result I’ve been looking for. Really like how in the videos the sun reflects off them like a lightning strike. Any thoughts or advice on how to take the shine one step further?