I was looking at prices for rearsets, just the main V shaped part with nothing else is $64 dollars. So I'm going to cast my own. I've looked into sand casting, but you have to remake the mold everytime. I cant find much information on permanent mold casting. does anyone know how to make a permanent mold?
It would be alot easier and stronger to have it milled from billet. You'll need a fair size tree if you want a foundry to do it. I would not recommend casting something like rearsets in your garage, especially if it's your first go. 2024 ALALY if you use powdercoat (it oxides and ages quickly if left uncoated) or 6061-T6 if you want to anodize. If you can make up the drawings yourself and bring in the material, any good machinist with an end mill and drill press should be able to make them within a few hours for not too much $, but I bet it's more than $64. Permanent molding requires a blank be made first from which a ceramic mold is then taken to produce the actual items. If you're making less than 50 then it's not worth it.
I guess permanent mold casting wont work out then. what if I do sand cast? i found oil-bonded sand for the drag, but where can I get the dark looking sand for the cope?
I don't know much about casting alum, but isn't it alot weaker when sand cast. I thought there were bubbles or something when casting it. Just curious.
Green sand formulas or suppliers can be found with Google. Again, I think it would be much better to have it machined, unless you have foundry do it. Porosity of the casting, handling of the crucible, impurities/slag getting into the molten Al, yada yada WILL bite you in the ass somewhere in the process (or on the bike). Not to mention holding your tolerances for bolt holes etc could be a PITA.
If they are still in business, try Pyramid Products. But if you are going to found them yourself, figure your first set will cost in the area of $1000 in parts, material, labor and fuel. You aren't going to do this on the stove! You'll need a crucible, tongs, boxes, sand, patternwork, aluminum, flux, furnace, fuel source and the list goes on ad nauseum. I whittled my last set out on my mill and if I don't count my labor, they cost about what CFm would cost. They are however, exactly what I wanted.
Try Hjelm Motorsport. $75 a pair, I think, in stock and +3cm lengths. They are very nicely done and John Hjelm is a fast 125 guy to boot. www.hjelm-motorsports.com Merle
Hjelm rocks. I just got my stuff from him; nice. Fast, friendly and amazingly he sent my stuff and asked me to send him payment on arrival.
Buy some Sodium Silicate from Ebay. A bag of Bank or Lake sand from Home Depot. Blend with a kitchen mixer and Gas with Co2 to make a No bake mold. One time use but cheapest and easiest. Find a small jobbing shop foundry in your area to pour your mold. Dont forget to add shrink and draft to your pattern.
Nick, here's a bit of advice, take it if you want. When he gets home, beg, borrow or pay to intern with Britt. The dude has forgotten more than I know about metal. Sweep the floors, take out the trash, be a fly on the wall over at MotoR.
I am jumping on the "you should have it milled out of billet" bandwagon. If you have it cast you still will have to do fnal maching, and a big one is heat treating it. But it would be kinda cool to cast your own parts in you garage.
small scale casting isn't that big of a deal, it's just propane with a blower. the neighbors already love me enough, like today, i melted 120g of kno3 and 80g of sugar together and put it in a coke can in side an old christmas tree base. Coolest smoke bomb ever, not to mention to the 2 foot pink flame that comes out of it while it burns. The coke can was liquid when it was over. some soccer mom lady in an suv drove by with her mouth open. lol, i smiled and waived at her.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution May 29, 2009 Suwanee Man Arrested After FBI, ATF, NSA and Homeland Security forces raided the home of Nick Cesar and transported him to federal facilities for further questioning, Cesar's neighbors reported that he had always been an odd child. Neighbors said they "knew he'd be gettin' in trouble onenna theses days". Cesar had a reputation for creating a stir in his neighborhood with a variety of "experiments" that frequetly left his neighbors reeling from smoke, fumes and in laughter.
