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While the 3D printing scene continues to progress rapidly, one of the remaining limitations is also one of the most frustrating: It\u2019s difficult and expensive to 3D print in metal.<\/p>\n
Metal 3D printers<\/a>\u00a0like the\u00a0Markforged X<\/a>\u00a0can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and are roughly the size of a compact car, putting them outside the budget and floor space of most hobbyists. Luckily, you don\u2019t have to print in metal to get metal prints.<\/p>\n A metalworking technique called \u201clost-wax casting\u201d has been used to make jewelry for hundreds of years, and has been combined with 3D printing to make\u00a0metal printer parts<\/a>\u00a0and even\u00a0Academy Awards<\/a>. With lost-PLA casting, you\u2019ll need some DIY skills, and a bunch of materials including a spool of\u00a0PLA filament<\/a>, but you can do your own metal \u201cprinting\u201d!<\/p>\n To give you a brief overview of the process, casting starts with a model (usually sculpted from special wax). The model is placed in a plaster mold and the mold is heated until the wax liquefies and flows out of a hole in the bottom (hence the \u201clost-wax\u201d part of lost-wax casting).<\/p>\n Liquid metal is then poured into the mold, which flows into the imprint of the design left in the baked plaster. As the metal cools, it solidifies and is ready to be removed, cleaned, polished, and used.<\/p>\n Lost-PLA casting takes the same steps, but with one important difference: Rather than sculpting the model from wax, it\u2019s printed using PLA filament, which has a low melting point and will liquefy much easier than other filaments like\u00a0TPU<\/a>. This makes it quicker, easier, and more reliable than wax sculptures.<\/p>\n This article will give you step-by-step directions on how to get started with lost-PLA casting, including safety tips, how to make your own equipment, where to source supplies, casting your first mold, and the finishing touches. When possible, in addition to items that you can purchase, we\u2019ll give you DIY alternatives to keep costs down. At the same time, sometimes there\u2019s no substitute for professional-grade equipment or supplies.<\/p>\n As a final note on supplies, this article recommends casting with aluminum, which is cheap, easily accessible in most countries, and has one of the lowest melting points of any metal you\u2019ll likely be using to start out. If you choose to use other metals such as pewter or silver, you\u2019ll have to upgrade your equipment, as certain DIY options aren\u2019t equipped to handle the higher melting points.<\/p>\n Now, before we get started with making the actual mold, we\u2019ll need to make sure we\u2019re properly and safely set up.<\/p>\n Since we\u2019re going to be working with aluminum, the first thing to know that it has a melting point of\u00a0660 \u00b0C (1,220 \u00b0F)<\/a>! This temperature is more than hot enough to cause permanent damage to unprotected skin in less than a second and can\u00a0off-gas<\/a>\u00a0depending on the source of the aluminum.<\/p>\n Establishing safe practices and purchasing appropriate safety equipment should be your first priority.<\/p>\n A special work area for doing lost-PLA casting is essential. A workshop with a cement or stone floor with vacuum ventilation (where the air is sucked up and out through an exchanger) and protected from the weather is ideal. If that\u2019s tough to come by, a sandy or gravel lot is fine, though molten metal doesn\u2019t like moisture, so casting in the rain, sleet, or snow can\u00a0cause it to explode<\/a>.<\/p>\n Perhaps it\u2019s implied, but it\u2019s very important to keep your work area cleared of debris and the foundry (furnace) away from flammable objects such as wood, paper, fabrics, dry grass, and so on. Put your heavy equipment like your furnace on cement patio slabs, raising them from the floor and minimizing your need to bend or stoop to pour. It\u2019s best if they\u2019re at your lower chest height.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also good to have an evacuation plan, know where your safety exits are, and the appropriate emergency number(s) to call if anything gets out of hand. Additionally, checking online communities like\u00a0Reddit\u2019s metal foundry thread<\/a>\u00a0can be a useful source for tips, tricks, and advice on avoiding costly (and painful) mistakes.<\/p>\n Many cities or municipalities restrict or outright prohibit having open fires on personal property or specifically doing metalworking. If your city or county has a website, make sure to check it for such by-laws before you begin to purchase equipment, or even call your city\u2019s government and ask. You may have to rent workspace in a community workshop or even purchase land in an area zoned for industrial use, such as a warehouse or factory district.<\/p>\n After securing a workspace, the next step is to outfit it and yourself.<\/p>\n One of the best ways to outfit yourself is to get welder\u2019s clothes, as they are probably the easiest to source that\u2019ll do the job. Along with a mask, gloves, boots, and an apron, you should wear only thick cotton or other natural-fiber clothes underneath your PPE as composite materials like polyester can melt to your skin under high heat.<\/p>\n Fires are classed based on their fuel source \u2014 Class A fires result from wood, paper, cloth, and so on, while Class D fires result from combustible metals such as magnesium or aluminum. You should have both on hand.<\/p>\n Now, let\u2019s get to the fun part: choosing the designs you want to cast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In manufacturing, as in fashion, great design is essential. Once you\u00a0learn to make your own models<\/a>, you probably want to get casting as soon as possible. Fortunately, sites like\u00a0Shapeways<\/a>,\u00a0Pinshape<\/a>, and\u00a0Cults<\/a>\u00a0have jewelry sections full of models perfect for casting.<\/p>\n But what makes a model suitable for casting? There are a few things to look out for.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re casting multiple small items like rings or pendants, you can create a\u00a0casting tree<\/a>, where the model is stuck onto the runner with a small bead of wax, like a branch on a tree. This enables you to cast several items or copies of an item at the same time. You can find the\u00a0STL model of a casting tree<\/a>\u00a0on Thingiverse from YouTuber VegOilGuy.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve picked out your design (or designs), it\u2019s time to get stocked up on supplies!<\/p>\n Supplies for this project are the consumables that are used up to make the final product, like wax, plaster, PLA, and so on. While some of these are specially sourced for this kind of work, there\u2019s actually a lot you can do with household items or local vendors, depending on location. Always check to see what\u2019s around to save on shipping costs, if nothing else.<\/p>\n Aluminum is now found in hundreds of everyday items, from baking foil to soda cans. Theoretically, this means an inexpensive and near-limitless supply of metal for casting.<\/p>\n However, melting sods cans is a time-consuming process, requiring extra equipment to get the cans to a usable state. As well, you would need hundreds of cans for only a few pounds of aluminum, resulting in lots of slag (waste material) from the paint and other impurities.<\/p>\nLost-Wax Casting<\/h3>\n
Lost-PLA Casting<\/h3>\n
Health & Safety<\/h3>\n
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Work Area<\/strong><\/h3>\n
General Guidelines<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Local Laws & Ordinances<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)<\/h3>\n
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Fire extinguishers<\/h3>\n
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Designs<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Supplies<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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ALUMINUM<\/strong><\/h4>\n