Casting and Machining step pulleys 

Thank you!

Maybe I can act as inspiration to help with the first, but that may require you to keep doing the second.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like the machine, it’s a great size for a garage shop. I’ll eventually get it working the way it should.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like the machine, it’s a great size for a garage shop. I’ll eventually get it working the way it should.

I have intentions of some day doing a full rebuild on the mill, but that’s a ways off. The mill and the lathe are such nice small but “real” machine tools for a home shop.

@@JeremyMakesThings I agree completely. I tore my mill down and cleaned it and painted it. Did not restore.

"Controlling the hydrogen bubbles isn't easy " The backyard foundrymen I have seen in Pakistan and India leave the dross on top while pouring and simply hold it back, I'm guessing it does inhibit gassing somehow, but since these guys also use molasses as binder for their sand, anything goes but it seems to work well enough for them.

Well, a problem did come along, so it was inevitable.

@@JeremyMakesThings But in the end, you managed to shape it up and get it straight.

I had way too much moisture in sand on the first one, so I dried out the sand a lot. I still don’t the right amount figured out exactly, but it was good enough

@@JeremyMakesThings Is any kind of sand, I have one used to make concret, fine grain, it will works?

Pretty I any sand will work, finner is better, it’s worth running it through a sieve in case there are some stray course pieces. You’ll need to mix in some ground up bentonite clay (kitty litter). There seems to be a good bit of debate on what the best ratio is, so you’ll have to experiment with that.

@@davideliasfloresescalante8840 The ideal sand is crushed and not beach sand. The sharper corners on crushed allow steam to escape easier. Adding some small holes with a piece of straight wire will also help venting (for two part mold.) The ideal moisture content is just enough to make a "solid" piece when squeezed in your hand. Look up K-bond sand on the net. It works nicer.

I honestly don’t remember. It was maybe a two weeks of mostly working evenings?

🤔

I made a makeshift foundry out of a pile of bricks and a propane brush burner.

They’re called “double taper” or “universal” collets. They come in a few different sizes, mine are “z” size (1.5” long, 1.16 diameter). The best price I found on them (about $32 each) was from: www.gpcollets.com/products-collets/universal-collets/

@@JeremyMakesThings sounds like we got the same ones thank you for the info and excellent channel content

I tried it once, but with so much surface area, there’s too much oxide and too much contamination to make it worth trying to recover again.

It’s a 1/2hp, and it really damn heavy, I’d guess 80lbs?

I did some salt in the second one, and it definitely came out better.

@@JeremyMakesThings thx ill give that ago

You can get it cheaper used, but I went for fresh.

you just dig out the turds, the piss bricks and bury your hands in there to check if there are any remaining, after that, you make yourself a sammich and some tea, mix the sand with litter and much on your stuff while in the process... the best way of doing it i have come across...

I’ve done a few pulleys like this now, each from castings. It might not be faster overall, but it does save a lot of actual machining time at the lathe, since you’re not hogging a 7” diameter piece of stock down to 3 or 4” for the smallest sheave. The big thing it saves though is money. If I bought 6061 round stock for these, it would have been $50+ for each one. Ductile iron would have been substantially more. The scrap aluminum I used was free, I only paid for the cost of the propane ($10 maybe?). Also, unlike the one I made from 6061, the cast aluminum chips break really easily, so it’s easier to machine. And each time I cast one, I get better at casting, so I feel more comfortable casting other parts.

@@JeremyMakesThings Good point! if you're learning how to do something like casting then you are gaining a lot more then just a part. Well Done

Pretty awesome feeling though spinning it up at high speed and it sounding so smooth. Very nicely done.

I actually just got one (kind of a funny story for another video), and OH MY GOD WHERE HAS THIS THI MG BEEN ALL MY LIFE????

@@JeremyMakesThings I can't wait to see the videos of how you use it. Near the top of my project list is making a table and mount so I can use it as a stationary saw.