what every boy needs - yeah seriously

On Jan 10, 1:44*pm, "Maxwell" #$$9#@%%%.^^^ wrote:
wrote in message

If you can reference any hobby process that will made it "simple" to cast
custom air cooled VW heads at home. I can assure you, I'm not the only
person on this group that would like to see a link.

Couldn't find the site I discovered a few years ago - even had some
pictures - but I did find these this afternoon after a quick google.

http://www.plansandprojects.com/My%2...am_casting.htm
https://duckdeco.dkgnet.com/Molds.htm
http://www.tempo-foam.com/engineerin...ands_index.htm
http://www.wowessays.com/dbase/af2/skx196.shtml
http://www.mate.tue.nl/mate/showabstract.php/3871
http://www.answers.com/topic/expande...yrene-foam-epf

Combine this info with the fact that we can buy silicone casting
compound that lets us directly cast low melt metals like zinc and
pewter and I'll leave it up to the reader to connect the dots.

My only problem now is finding a source of the EPS beads again. One
of the local hobby-n-craft stores had them, but they went the way of
the missing web site.
=====================
Leon McAtee

wrote in message
...
On Jan 10, 1:44 pm, "Maxwell" #$$9#@%%%.^^^ wrote:
wrote in message

If you can reference any hobby process that will made it "simple" to cast
custom air cooled VW heads at home. I can assure you, I'm not the only
person on this group that would like to see a link.

Couldn't find the site I discovered a few years ago - even had some
pictures - but I did find these this afternoon after a quick google.

http://www.plansandprojects.com/My%2...am_casting.htm
https://duckdeco.dkgnet.com/Molds.htm
http://www.tempo-foam.com/engineerin...ands_index.htm
http://www.wowessays.com/dbase/af2/skx196.shtml
http://www.mate.tue.nl/mate/showabstract.php/3871
http://www.answers.com/topic/expande...yrene-foam-epf

Combine this info with the fact that we can buy silicone casting
compound that lets us directly cast low melt metals like zinc and
pewter and I'll leave it up to the reader to connect the dots.

My only problem now is finding a source of the EPS beads again. One
of the local hobby-n-craft stores had them, but they went the way of
the missing web site.
=====================
Leon McAtee

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm well aware of the lost foam and lost wax processes Leon, as well as
their limitations. Do you have any examples of something being cast as
complex as an air cooled cylinder head? Coffee cups, duck decoys, and alike
are useful items, but hardly good examples for the task at hand.

On Jan 12, 8:58*pm, "Maxwell" #$$9#@%%%.^^^ wrote:

Do you have any examples of something being cast as
complex as an air cooled cylinder head? Coffee cups, duck decoys, and alike
are useful items, but hardly good examples for the task at hand.

You ever heard of something called an internet search engine? Try
Google, Yahoo, Altavista, Ask, or Dogpile. (add a "dot"com to the end
to make 'em work)

Examples of lost foam casting of the complexity required are quite
common.
=====================
L

On Jan 12, 8:13*pm, "
wrote:

Examples of lost foam casting of the complexity required are quite
common.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alas, I haven't found any.

The stuff is a casting and the fin length is approaching 4 inches.
Volkswagen apparently uses metal molds and sand cores, this based on
working with a few VW heads.

Trying to TIG additional fins onto the existing finds proved
impractical for two reasons, the material used, and the expertise of
the welding. (I'm not that good a weldor -- I had to keep the things
in a box and use a bare electrode to get at the joint, even after
cutting away the existing fins on an angle so as to give me more room.
Once the chamber was heated to approximately 450*F, the welded portion
of the fin started to move around, typically 'leaning' over to touch
the adjacent fin, which shut off -- or upset -- the air-flow. I tried
1/8" 3003, some 5052 (I think .120) cast tooling plate (1/8) and fins,
salvaged from other heads. The latter gave the best results... but
only on the short sections, where I was TIGging to a fairly heavy
section (ie, adjacent to the exhaust stack or to the portion of the
head bearing the valve guide) But that didn't give enough fin area to
make much of a change in the temperature of the cooling-air. (I
measured it going in & coming out.)
After a LOT of effort I got two heads. Two STOCK heads. Which didn't
fit my jigs :-) ...one of those little details I sorta overlooked.
It was a bit discouraging.
Reading about Kyoto Ceramics and their efforts to produce a precision-
ground crystal for use in a wrist-watch, I figure I just didn't try
hard enough. Perhaps the isolated heads hold the answer, although I
recall the amount of effort put into their development by the
helicopter guy -- who was no dummy. (George(?) somebody? He knew his
engines and it looked like a shop to work in... except for its
location :-)

-Bob

wrote in message
...
On Jan 12, 8:58 pm, "Maxwell" #$$9#@%%%.^^^ wrote:

Do you have any examples of something being cast as
complex as an air cooled cylinder head? Coffee cups, duck decoys, and
alike
are useful items, but hardly good examples for the task at hand.

You ever heard of something called an internet search engine? Try
Google, Yahoo, Altavista, Ask, or Dogpile. (add a "dot"com to the end
to make 'em work)

Examples of lost foam casting of the complexity required are quite
common.
=====================
L
----------------------------------------------------------------

You're the one that quote them, and you're the one that insists examples of
such are quite common. So where are they?

I have seen a lot of foam, wax and sand casting, and never seen process that
would let you whip up a simple foam investment of something as complex as a
VW head, and cast it at home. Nor am I interested in reviewing all the "make
a furnace and cast a slug at home" examples strung out all over the
internet. Anyone with a propane tank and a hair dryer can melt metal. Anyone
with a shovel can mix up a home made sand that will cast an ash tray.

Casting your own VW head can be done, but it's not nearly as easy as you
would like to suggest. If you have examples to the contrary, as I said
before, I'm not the only one on this news group that would love to see them.

On Jan 12, 9:53*pm, "Maxwell" #$$9#@%%%.^^^ wrote:
wrote in message

Casting your own VW head can be done, but it's not nearly as easy as you
would like to suggest. If you have examples to the contrary, as I said
before, I'm not the only one on this news group that would love to see them.

As I said it it depends on your definition of easy. Sounds to me like
your one of those builders that is best sticking to a quick build RV
with a FWF package since everything has been already worked out.
Independent and creative thought apparently is a challenge for you.

If an RV is in fact the path you have chosen my condolences go out to
Mr. VanGrusvens customer service staff.
=======================
Leon McAtee

wrote in message
...
On Jan 12, 9:53 pm, "Maxwell" #$$9#@%%%.^^^ wrote:
wrote in message

Casting your own VW head can be done, but it's not nearly as easy as you
would like to suggest. If you have examples to the contrary, as I said
before, I'm not the only one on this news group that would love to see
them.

As I said it it depends on your definition of easy. Sounds to me like
your one of those builders that is best sticking to a quick build RV
with a FWF package since everything has been already worked out.
Independent and creative thought apparently is a challenge for you.

If an RV is in fact the path you have chosen my condolences go out to
Mr. VanGrusvens customer service staff.
=======================

Nice smoke screen, but hardly related to the discussion at hand.

You insist there are easy ways to cast a head with cooling fins using lost
wax or lost foam, but you still can't provide any examples.