Desktop Foundry

Desktop Foundry | MAKE Page 1 of 16
MAKE: PROJECTS
Desktop Foundry
By Bob Knetzger Category: Fun & Games, Home, Kids & Family, Tools Time
Required: 4-8 hours Difficulty: Moderate Comments 0 Comments
Here’s another “meta-project:” a DIY project that in turn makes other

projects. It’s a miniature, working foundry that casts real metal parts safely
on your desktop. Make custom jewelry, tiny trinkets, diecast-style game
tokens — then remelt them and recast, again and again.
http://makezine.com/projects/make-36-boards/desktop-foundry/ 27/01/2014
What makes it all possible is a special eutectic alloy, Field’s metal, which
melts at an amazingly low 144°F (about the temperature of hot coffee).
Unlike other low melting temperature metals, this alloy of bismuth, indium,
and tin contains no lead or cadmium and is safe and nontoxic.
The basic foundry is made from wood and metal along with a few
scrounged household parts. If you’re up for a challenge, you can also
dress up your Desktop Foundry with some snazzy brass trim and a twirling
phoenix turbine, just for fun.
The simple foundry design has a center shaft mounted vertically on a

wooden base. The shaft swivels 90° to move the crucible from the heating
lamp over to the mold. The cork handle swivels to tilt the crucible and
pour the molten metal into the mold below. There’s also storage for
molds, metal, and matches. This tiny foundry uses a thimble for a wick
snuffer.
PARTS
White glue
Kitchen matches and striker strip
Nonstick cooking spray
Wood block, about 2"×2"×2-1/2"
Self-adhesive rubber feet
Corks (2)
Sugru molding compounditem #MKSU1 from the Maker Shed,
makershed.com
Hardwood dowels, 1" diameter, 6" length (1); 1/4" diameter, 3" length
(1)
Wood screw and washer
Wood board, 7-1/2"×5-1/2"I used a piece of 3/4" solid oak shelving.
Soft brass wire, 16 gauge, about 2'
Alcohol lamp, about 1oz
Thimble
Wood stain
Glass bottles or vials, smallabout 5ml
Setscrew collars, 3/16" ID (2)
Brass tubing, 3/16", 5" length
Brass strips, 0.030"×1/4"×1-1/2" (2)
Brass brads, round head, small
Field’s metal
TOOLS
Hand drill or drill press

Drill bits: 1-1/2", 1", 7/32", 1/4", 3/32", 1/8", 1/16"
Wood saw
Print Project
Screwdriver
Ruler
STEPS
Locking pliers aka vise-grips
Router with ogee curve bit (optional)
Mill and lathe (optional)
PROJECT
End mills: 3/4"STEPS
and 1/2" (optional)
Micro-Mark
1. Get the stuff! Pro-Etch etching kit(optional) item #83123,
micromark.com, if you’re making the decorative brass parts.
2. Build the base.
Contains 0.005" brass sheet, laminator, etching and stripping
3. Build the base
chemicals, (cont'd).
etching tank and agitator, inkjet printer film, photo resist
films,
4. Build developing tray, measuring cup, safety goggles, and gloves.
the base (cont'd).
5. Build the base (cont'd).
6. Craft the crucible.
7. Craft the crucible (cont'd).
8. Mount the mold holder.
9. Finishing touches.
10. Make a mold.
11. Cast a part!
12. Get fancy (optional).
13. Get fancy (cont'd).
Step #6: Craft the crucible.

Next Prev
• Cut a 14" length of brass wire and wrap the center around the lip of the small
glass bottle. Twist the wire to make a long handle, then cinch it tight on the
bottle using vise-grips.
• Thread the twisted wire through the brass tube. Put a setscrew collar over the
tube, then slide the tube through one of the 7/32" holes in the shaft. With the
alcohol lamp in place, turn the shaft and slide the brass tube so that the crucible
bottle is directly over the lamp’s wick. Hold the collar against the shaft and
tighten the setscrew on the collar.
Step #8: Mount the mold holder.

Next Prev
• Next, swivel the shaft 90° counterclockwise and position the mold holder
underneath so that the crucible will pour directly into it. Carefully place the mold
supports on either side and mark their positions on the base.
• Also hold a small dowel next to the dowel on the shaft, mark its position and drill
a 1/4" hole 3/8" deep. Glue the third 1/4" dowel in place — that will make a
positive stop for the shaft in the pouring position. Glue the mold supports to the
base, too.
Step #9: Finishing touches.

Next Prev
• Cut a 10" length of brass wire and wrap the center around the lip of the thimble.
Using vise-grips, twist the brass wire tightly to make a handle as before.
• Drill a 3/16" hole through a cork and thread it over the end of the twisted wires to
make an insulated handle.
• Finish the wood parts with a thin coat of dark wood stain to bring out the grain.
• Drill some 1/16" holes in each end of the 2 small brass strips. Cut a piece of
striker material from the side of a box of kitchen matches.
• Place the striker on the base as shown and put the brass strips on each end.
• Mark the holes, drill 1/16" pilot holes and then gently tap in the small brass brads,
holding the striker material to the base with the brass strips.
Step #10: Make a mold.

Next Prev
• Find a small coin, trinket, or object you’d like to mold. I sculpted a tiny MAKE
robot from a piece of styrene.
• Spray some nonstick cooking spray onto the top of the mold holder (you don’t
want the Sugru to stick to it). Open up a pack of Sugru and knead it, then form it
into the mold base. Spray your object with nonstick spray as a mold release,
wipe away the excess, then carefully press the object into the Sugru. Leave it in
place for about 24 hours for the Sugru to firm up.
• Carefully remove the object; you’ll have a mold with every tiny detail and surface
texture reproduced in it. The Sugru will stay flexible and forgiving so you can
easily unmold your cast metal shape, even with a bit of an undercut!
Step #11: Cast a part!

Next Prev
• Clean the oil from the mold, and dust it with a tiny bit of talcum powder to help
the molten metal flow better. Put your mold in place on the base.
• Place a small quantity of Field’s metal in the crucible and swing it into position.
Light the lamp. Gently twist the cork handle to rock the crucible back and forth
as the metal melts.
• When ready, swivel the crucible over to the mold and twist the handle to pour
the metal into the mold. Give the mold some gentle taps to help the molten
metal flow into details and to release any bubbles.
• When cooled, flex to unmold the metal part. You’ve cast a real metal treasure!
You can remelt and recast again and again.
Step #12: Get fancy (optional).

Next Prev
• If you like, add some brass trim (Figure W) and a whirling phoenix turbine to
make your Desktop Foundry worthy of your office or den! You can download my
brass trim and phoenix design templates templates.
• If you’re lucky enough to have a local shop with a “fiber” laser cutter you could
have some brass parts laser-cut for you. But many shops will not cut brass — it’s
too reflective and can damage their laser’s lens. Instead I made detailed brass
parts by chemical etching. It’s similar to etching a PC board except there’s no
“board.”
• Photo-etching brass takes several steps: Print out your artwork on clear film and
place it over the photosensitized brass.
• Expose it to a light source, then remove the art and place the brass in developer.
The areas covered by the black image wash away, leaving an acid-resistant
pattern. Place it in ferric chloride solution to etch away the unprotected areas,
leaving your brass part. I used Micro-Mark’s terrific all-in-one etching kit, which
comes with complete instructions. (Watch for a future article on that!)
Step #13: Get fancy (cont'd).

Prev
• Trim and assemble the turbine, and mount it to the base atop a pointed wire.
The rising air from the burning lamp makes the flaming phoenix spin around.
• Attach the etched brass trim parts to the base using small brass brads. I painted
the areas underneath first with flat black paint for best contrast with the shiny
brass.
CONCLUSION
This project first appeared in MAKE Volume 36, page 100.
BY BOB KNETZGER
Bob Knetzger (neotoybob@yahoo.com) is an
inventor/designer with 30 years of experience making fun
stuff.
Comments
Kevin Groce says:
November 13th, 2013 at 6:45 pm
Please give us a good source for the your metal.
Seth Meyers says:

Roto Metals, on Amazon, has a bunch of cool low melting temp
alloys including Fields Metal, Woods Metal and others. Cheap? Can’t
tell: I bet not the cheapest source. But a good starting point.
zack says:
solder will work just fine with a melting temperature of about 360
degrees.
Greg Tucker says:

November 14th, 2013 at 5:59 am
What is a good electric substitute for the alcohol lamp?
My son would love to do this for science fair but there is no fire allowed.
Drew says:

a Soldering Iron would work, a hairdryer might be worth at least
trying as well.
Vincent says:
I recommend Kanthral or Nichrome wire. I would buy it on Amazon,
you might be able to find a few deals there.
Ron says:
December 9th, 2013 at 5:47 pm
For 40 years I have used the elements from old Toasters and the
likes, salvaged from dumpster diving excursions. A 110 v toaster
element makes a great 12 v heater that will not burn you if you
play with the length you can make a plastic or foam cutter and
many other goodies like a speed or voltage controller.
Michael Fusion says:

as vincent said, nicrome wire is very useful. but don’t spend the
money buying it online, get a toaster from goodwill and ripout the
element.
Kim Holleman says:

I simply cannot handle the AWESOMENESS OF THIS.
Adam says:
@Greg Tucker maybe you could take out the heating thing from a hot
glue gun.
Rahere says:
At those temperatures, even a candle should work!
Mike says:
You might be able to use a potpurri pot. Wasn’t there a ‘toy’ like this in
the 70s? It was either metal or some type of plastic that you melted and
then poured into molds to make jewelry and toys.
jamesfloydkelly says:
Field’s Metal is VERY expensive per ounce. The cheaper low-temp
metals all seem to have lead in them. Is there any issue of fumes if one
of these substitutes is used outdoors? What is the risk of the lead-
based low-temp metals for something small like this project?
Ron says:
I have used 95/5 solder for years in casting many parts from gears to
pulleys, etc. This stuff is cheaper and comes out of a mold as shiny
as polished, can be filed and trimmed with a knife. Use plaster of
paris or spackling paste, 10 or 20 minute setting time- from Lowes.
Rachel says:
make your own monopoly pieces!
Greg says:
I can’t seem to print the template pictures. I’m using windows photo
viewer with windows 7 on an HP pavilion. I can view them but all the
boxes except set as desktop background or delete are grayed out. Any
ideas? I really like this project. I’m using some low melt allow w/33%
lead that melts between 152-190 deg F. Got it for $14/lb from a place in
S.F. CA. Figure it can’t be any more dangerous than soldering or
casting lead bullets in a mold. Making my own alcohol lamp and going
to put a lighter in instead of matches to save the mess. Using shim
brass for the fancy stuff, I can cut it w/ scissors or snips and get very
clean results. Looking into buying or making a closed mold to eliminate

the flat sided objects. How about casting a glue stick sized piece and
putting that into a glue gun so as to extrude metal & die cast it???
abdullah shah says:

nice copter
ed win says:
December 12th, 2013 at 9:34 am
wheres the video of the desktop foundry in action ?
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Desktop Foundry | MAKE Page 1 of 16

Here’s another “meta-project:” a DIY project that in turn makes other

The simple foundry design has a center shaft mounted vertically on a

Hand drill or drill press

Step #6: Craft the crucible.

Step #8: Mount the mold holder.

Step #9: Finishing touches.

Step #10: Make a mold.

Step #11: Cast a part!

Step #12: Get fancy (optional).

Step #13: Get fancy (cont'd).

Seth Meyers says:

Greg Tucker says:

November 14th, 2013 at 3:55 pm

Michael Fusion says:

Kim Holleman says:

clean results. Looking into buying or making a closed mold to eliminate

abdullah shah says:

Trending Shared Commented

Seventeen Sneaky Secret Hides

Teardrop Camper Trailer

$150, 12″ Swing, Metal Lathe/Mill/Drill

Wooden Espresso Machine Case Mod

Behold, The Noodle Copter!

Agnes the Knit Bot

How-To: Cut a Wine Bottle in 30 Seconds

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