# Casting an aluminium slingshot



## The Art Of Weapons (Mar 8, 2013)

Hi again!
in this video i will show you how i made my first aluminium slingshot!
i hope that you enjoy it!




also how do you pot videos on the forum? can you embed them or do I have to just put a link?


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## Jim Williams (Jul 6, 2011)

Great video and well done young chap! You can embed your video just by posting the link


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

You make some fine videos, and do some great work.

Jim is right about just posting the link. I fixed it for you

LGD


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## Danny0663 (Mar 15, 2011)

Nice job man, really nice .... you have a decent belt grinder, use fresh 36-40grit aluminium oxide or ceramic belts, it will do quick work depending on the RPM.


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## The Art Of Weapons (Mar 8, 2013)

lightgeoduck said:


> You make some fine videos, and do some great work.
> 
> Jim is right about just posting the link. I fixed it for you
> 
> LGD


thanks!

so do i just post the URL but not tell it to be a link????


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## GHT (Jan 22, 2013)

*great vids you are sharing thanks, would love to see an outside view of your treehouse*


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Very well done...I didn't even know it was possible to melt aluminium without an industrial furnace! I shall watch your future endeavours with great interest


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## SHTF Slingshots (Feb 4, 2013)

considering you made it out of tinfoil.....real nice.


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## Jim Williams (Jul 6, 2011)

The Art Of Weapons said:


> lightgeoduck said:
> 
> 
> > You make some fine videos, and do some great work.
> ...


Yes, just post the URL


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## quarterinmynose (Jan 21, 2012)

good stuff man. I love that you get on it, and just make it happen. I have seen a couple of your other vids on the tube before, nice work. (I'm pretty sure I commented, and distinctly remember that I "liked") Keep it up, with your knack for taking the initiative to make things happen you have my attention for sure.


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Nice!! Great Job using what you got!! In answer to your question about the mold, you can make a mold by using plywood, cut it a little bigger then what you want, have a separate piece for backing, drill holes to screw them together later (this is so if it gets stuck you could unscrew it to help break it out), then coat it with quick cement about 1/8", let dry, if you like you could even sand out some bumps if you have any before you pour. Remember the smoother your mold is the less you'll have to sand off later.


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## bigron (Nov 29, 2012)

very well done young man i would like to see a video of your tree house work shop also very impressed with your newly aquired skills you can only get better little brother :king: :wave:


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

so well done, really nice

thanks for showing


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## Sst der Kleine Steinschlag (Dec 5, 2011)

Great Young Craftsman! Don´t worry about using Clay as molding material, just make sure it´s 100% dry. The mini explosions is water enclosed in the clay that evaporates instantly when you cast in the hot metal. Dry your next mold slowly and thoroughly and then try baking it in the oven so there´s no moisture is left - that should work ot fine.


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## The Art Of Weapons (Mar 8, 2013)

GHT said:


> *great vids you are sharing thanks, would love to see an outside view of your treehouse*


ok i will show one in my next vid!!!


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## The Art Of Weapons (Mar 8, 2013)

Sst der Kleine Steinschlag said:


> Great Young Craftsman! Don´t worry about using Clay as molding material, just make sure it´s 100% dry. The mini explosions is water enclosed in the clay that evaporates instantly when you cast in the hot metal. Dry your next mold slowly and thoroughly and then try baking it in the oven so there´s no moisture is left - that should work ot fine.


ok thanks!
i tried to do that in my last clay mould but when i oven baked it it just turned to dust.... i need better clay to make a clay mould but next time i am going to try and do lost foam casting


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## The Art Of Weapons (Mar 8, 2013)

PorkChopSling said:


> Nice!! Great Job using what you got!! In answer to your question about the mold, you can make a mold by using plywood, cut it a little bigger then what you want, have a separate piece for backing, drill holes to screw them together later (this is so if it gets stuck you could unscrew it to help break it out), then coat it with quick cement about 1/8", let dry, if you like you could even sand out some bumps if you have any before you pour. Remember the smoother your mold is the less you'll have to sand off later.


thanks i might try that but next time i am going to do lost foam casting


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## tnflipper52 (Jan 26, 2012)

A forever frame. Nice work on the video and the piece. Looking forward to the finished product. It's gonna be a beauty. Thanks for sharing.


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

pure awesomeness on a stick my little friend! cant begin to tell you how impressed i am!

also, +1 on the 'i'd love to see more of your treehouse' list

greetings from across the north sea,
remco


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

Hey dude! Don't know how I missed this... But AWESOME first attempt! I really liked you video. Thanks for taking the time to make it. It was done very well. And even though that slingshot looks pretty rough, you worked really hard on it! .... I think it's really freakin awesome dude! good job! :thumbsup:


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## Joseph (Feb 14, 2013)

That was an excellent video, for the mould the explosions are steam coming from damp clay. The best thing to use for casting is greensand you can make it yourself using bentonite clay and sand, I'll put a link up. Also for the aluminium you might find it cheaper to just buy a cheap aluminium cooking pot and just cut it up although the quality of the aluminium foil ingots were pretty good. In regards to the oxidising I'm assuming if you stuffed lots of foil into the pot and used a lid it will remove enough oxygen to stop oxidisation an alternative might be to use a shallower crucible and fiercer fire so the flames have the opportunity to use the oxygen. A simple way to improve the forge would be to cut a hole out of the bottom, put a grate in place, connect a pipe (~3-4 foot) to the grate and have the hairdryer on the other end. Looks like a good start to casting though. 

Ratios for greensand - http://www.foundry101.com/archive.htm

An in-depth greensand casting tutorial - http://www.foundry101.com/new_page_7.htm


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## Lee NZ (Apr 9, 2013)

That is an impressive great DIY project! Nice one.

You mentioned that you were looking for a better way to blow air... I've looked at portable forge designs before where you use adobe to line an old wheelbarrow, then you set a pipe with holes in it into the bottom so only the holes are visible above the abobe. That allows you to blow the air into the coal / charcoal to get a high heat. I can't find the exact page I looked at ( it was a few years ago ) but this page gives you a rough idea of how you can do the pipe:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/green51.html

I think the design I looked at was even simpler. It was just a long straight pipe with one end blocked with adobe and the other sticking out the side to be attached to a blowing vacuum cleaner.

If you're not familiar with it, adobe is a material made from sand and clay, and in modern times often concrete. I've helped build some adobe structures and seen ( and stayed in ) homes made out of hand-shaped adobe. It's pretty cool stuff. Because it is made from clay it can withstand high temperatures, and makes great pizza ovens etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe

Good luck with your future castings... and keep those electrical cables away from the molten metal! 

EDIT: Here's another link to an adobe forge with blowing pipe:

http://www.dfoggknives.com/charcoal_forge.htm


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## The Art Of Weapons (Mar 8, 2013)

Btoon84 said:


> Hey dude! Don't know how I missed this... But AWESOME first attempt! I really liked you video. Thanks for taking the time to make it. It was done very well. And even though that slingshot looks pretty rough, you worked really hard on it! .... I think it's really freakin awesome dude! good job! :thumbsup:


thanks!

i am really glad that you enjoyed it!


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## hotshotb123 (Jul 15, 2012)

nice one, well done! how much does it weigh?


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