Lost Wax Casting Information and Types of Lost Wax Casting

Metal Casting

Lost Wax Casting is known as Cire Perdue in French. It is a process in which an artist’s sculpture is used to cast bronze. The Lost Wax Casting method is also known as  Investment Casting in the modern industrial world. This is a very ancient method used for casting small bronze sculptures, but today it is used to make many different artifacts and the process varies from foundry to foundry. Today this developed method of Lost Wax Casting is used to make articles like fine jewelery, show pieces, dental restoration, a few specific industrial parts and also some machine tools.

Process of Lost Wax Casting :
 
Rough Sculptor making: A creative artist makes an original sculptor or mold or an artwork by using raw material like wax, plaster of Paris or clay. A mixture of oil based clay and wax is preferred as these materials retain their softness.

When you hear the term Final Mold Making, you will then know that the mold is made as per the original sculptor. You are going to want to have your mold be made of up two pieces but you really need these two pieces to be put back together so you place a shim inbetween these two pieces. Molds are generally made using plaster or fiberglass or any other material that may be suitable. An inner mold of latex or vinyl or silicone is put pup preserve the details of the original art work. Generally, the original art work made of plaster mold cracks and breaks during the initial phase of deconstruction. Many a times, numerable molds are required to get the exact replica of the original art work.

Filling up the mold: Once the latex and plaster mold is complete and finished, molten wax is poured into the mold till it gets an even coating all around the mold. The thickness of the wax coating is around 1/8 inch. This process is then repeated until the desired thickness is achieved.

Removal of wax replica: The hollow wax replica of the original art work is then removed from the mold. It would be nice if you could reuse the mold a variety of times but becausee there is significant wear and tear it really can only be used one time.

Softening: Each wax mold is then chased or softened using heated metal tools. The metal tools are rubbed around portions that show cracks or the joining line of the mold, where the pieces have come together. Separately molded wax pieces are then heated and attached. All of the imperfections will now be dressed since the mold is finished. The final piece then looks like a bronze sculpture.

Making paths for molten bronze: It is also known as “spuring”, in short the wax copy is then branched with treelike wax, so that the molten bronze reaches the right parts and also it helps the air to escape. The critical and careful spuring begins from the top of the wax copy. The top of the copy is attached to by wax cylinders to different points on the wax copy.

Slurry, burnout, testing, pouring, release, metal-chasing, and painting are the final steps in the process of Lost Wax Metal Casting .

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Die Casting Process, Cold Chamber Process, Hot Chamber Process

Metal Casting

Die casting is the method used for forcing molten metal into mold cavities under high pressure. Casting is very versatile and hence, is the widest used method for casting a metal. Die casting is same as permanent mold casting the only difference is that the metal is injected into the mould at very high pressure of 10-210 Mpa. This results in a more uniform part, usually good dimensional accuracy and also good surface finish.

The different metals and alloys that can be used in die casting are zinc, aluminum, copper, magnesium, tin and lead. Ferrous metals can also be used for die casting, die casting method is generally used for applications in which a large quantity is medium or small sized parts are required with detail, good dimension and fine surface finish.

There are namely two equipments used for die casting cold chamber and hot chamber process.

Molten metal is a huge part of the cold chamber process as you get to fill a cold chamber of each module with this molten metal. The time exposure provided for the molten metal to plunge the walls of the mold is less. This clod chamber process method is very useful for metals like aluminum, copper and metals that easily alloy with iron at high temperatures.

Hot Chamber process: In the hot chamber process method of Metal Casting , the pressure that is connected to the die cavity is forever and permanently in molten metal. As the plunger moves towards the open position that is towards the non - pressurized area, the inlet port connected to the pressurizing cylinder is uncovered.

The die casting molds which are used in this method are expensive and take usually take long production time. These die casting modules are also called as “dies’

Advantages of Die Casting: The method of die casting gives excellent dimensional accuracy. The dimensional accuracy is as good as 0.1mm for the first 2.5cms and 0.005 for the first inch. Smooth cast surfaces can also be provided with Die Casting. Small and thin walls and can be made using the method of die casting walls as tiny as 0.75mm approximately can be casted. Inserts like thread insert, high strength bearing surfaces and heating elements can also be inserted using the Die Casting method. Metal Casting also helps in reducing or even completely eliminating the use of secondary machining operations. The use of Die Casting method also helps to reduce the production time and a huge number of articles can be produced in a very short time. Die casting method also helps to retain as well as increase the tensile strength of the metal. This is what sort of strength this offers as it is as high as 415 MPa and that is about 60ksi.
 
Disadvantages of Die Casting: The casting weight is very less hardly between 30 grams and 10 kgs. Also the size of the material that needs to be casted using the Die Casting method needs to small say around 600mm. the process of Die Casting requires high budget and can pile up high initial cost. Die Casting method makes the metal porous up to some extent. In the Die Casting method the thickest section needs to be less than 13mm or 0.5 inches.

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Learn about Metal Casting Torches and Furnace Torches for Metal Casting

Metal Casting

Oxy-fuel cutting and oxy-fuel welding can be described as the processes of using oxygen and fuel gases to either cut or weld metals.Really, these two processes are very very different. In the first process, a cutting torch is made use of for heating ferrous metal to a temperature of around 980 degree Celsius. An oxygen stream is being trained on a hot metal that combines with iron chemically which later flows from the kerfs, or cut in the form of slag of iron oxide. In the second process, a ‘welding torch’ is made use of for welding metals.

Oxy-Fuel torches are not torches that take the air and use it to burn the inside fuel. They stand out owing to the use of single tank. Welding really requires Oxygen, Fuel, and two tanks which is why this happens. It’s not possible to melt some of the metals with single-tank torches. Hence, these torches can be used for brazing and soldering, but not for welding. A metal-cutting torch is better known as hot blue spanner, blue wrench, hot wrench, smoke wrench, and gas-axe.

Types of Casting Torches: The torch can be defined as the part held and manipulated by the welder to get the weld made. It possesses a valve and connection for oxygen and the same things for fuel gas, a handle to obtain the grip, an integrating chamber (angularly set) where there occurs a mixing of oxygen and fuel gas, with a tip where formation of flame takes place. The fuel gases used along with oxygen include propylene, propane, hydrogen gas, MAPP gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and the most widely used is acetylene. 

Injector Metal Casting Torch: It can be defined as an archetypal oxy-fuel torch, also known as an equal-pressure torch. It carries out the mixing of mere two gases. The injector torch operates in such a way that high pressure oxygen comes out of the tiny nozzle present in the torch head, and the fuel gas gets dragged towards it via the venturi effect.

Rose-bud Torch: The use of this torch is to carry out the heating of metals for straightening, bending, etc. It is generally used where a huge area requires heating. It produces a rose-bud shaped flame at the end, hence the name. This torch can carry out the function of heating small areas like rusted bolts and nuts as well. However, here, filler rod won’t be used with torch.

Cutting Metal Casting Torch: The head of the cutting torch is used for cutting metal. Its identification details are as follows: The inside of the torch consists of a combination of oxygen and acetylene. It helps in producing flame of a high temperature. Its 90 degrees where the three pipes are attached to the nozzle. It also contains an oxygen-blast trigger which blasts away the material during its cutting by the way of providing oxygen.

Welding Torch: The welding torch consists of either 1 or 2 pipes running towards the nozzle without oxygen-blast trigger. As the name suggests, it performs the function of welding.

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Metal Casting Process and Spin Casting and Sand Casting

Metal Casting

There are various casting processes being implemented now days. The oldest amongst them is sand casting. Spin Casting is also widely used. They can be described as follows:

Sand Casting: Sand Casting involves formation of mold from a mixture of sand and to pour a casting liquid, most probably, a molten metal into mold. To remove the mold, you must wait a little while for the metal to solidify. Sand molding consists of two types: green sand method and air set method. The first one consists of mixture of clay, moisture, silica, and many other additives. The second one consists of mixture of dry sand and other materials, not moist clay. They are mixed with the help of a quick curing adhesive. The collective use of these materials is called ‘air set’.

At times, there is temporary plug placed to pour the fluid which is to be molded. Air-set molds usually form molds consisting of two parts-the bottom and the top. After the mix of sand gets added, it also gets tamped down. It does not generate any by-product. After the solidification and cooling of metal, the mold gets usually destroyed. This is because its removal involves a lot of breaking and cracking. The casting accuracy depends a great deal on the sand and the process of molding used. Castings composed of green sand result into formation of rough texture on casting surface, and this characteristic makes them easily recognizable. In reality, studies show that molds that are air-set produce the smoothest castings.

Many a times, the casting process results in losing of components of sand mixture. It is possible to reuse green sand by the way of adjusting the composition to get the lost additives and moisture replenished. The entire pattern itself is eligible to be reused for producing novel sand molds. The method of reuse can be continued for an indefinite period. In 1950, casting process got automated partially. They have been in great demand for developing production lines since then. 

Spin Casting: Metal Casting is better known as Centrifugal Rubber Mold Casting (CRMC). It implies utilization of centrifugal force for producing castings out of rubber mold. As a customary practice, a mold having shape of a disc gets spun through its ‘central axis’ at a pre-decided speed. The material used for casting is usually thermoset plastic in the liquid form or a molten metal. It gets poured into the mold through the opening at its centre. Corresponding to the solidification of metal, or the setting of thermoset plastic, the spinning of the filled mold takes place.

Normally, organic rubber or vulcanized silicone is used as a mold-making substrate in spin casting. Vulcanization takes place in the middle of process of mold-making. After the successful completion of vulcanization process, venting and gating must be undergone by the mold. This implies carving of channels for ensuring proper material flow and air during the course of casting. Your best bet for preforming the proccessed is to either use a scalpel or knife. The mold complexity is directly proportional to the time required in implementation of venting and gating.  

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Blast Furnace and Electric Arc Furnace now Described

Metal Casting

There are several types of Casting Furnace which include Electric Arc furnaces, Blast furnaces, Cornwall Iron Furnace, etc. Here’s a quick review of some of them.

Electric Arc Furnace: This furnace can be described as a furnace heating charged materials by the way of an electric arc. These furnaces exist in all the sizes-right, from the smallest one having a capacity of around 1 ton to the largest one having a capacity of 400 tons. The former one is used in foundries to produce cast iron products, whereas the latter one is used for secondary steel making. The ones used by dentists and in research laboratories might be having capacity of a few grams only. The electric arc furnace can have temperatures risen up to 1800 Celsius. A man in France named Paul Heroult was the first person to creat an electric furnace and the year was 1907. The commercial part of these furnaces was established in the United States of America. Some of the first products that were made such as spring steel and machine tools were made using electric steel. Calcium Carbide was also prepared in these arc furnaces. It (calcium carbide) was used in carbide lamps.

This Casting Furnace comprises of a refractory-lined vessel, normally water-cooled in huge sizes, having a covering of a retractable roof, through which the entry of graphite electrodes takes place. They might be one or many in number. The furnace is divided into 3 sections: the shell, consisting of lower steel bowl and sidewalls, the hearth, consisting of refractory lining the lower bowl, and the roof, that can be water-cooled or refractory-lined, and can easily be shaped into a spherical section or conical section (frustum). A refractory delta is also supported by the roof at its center, by the way of which graphite electrodes make an entry.

The process of operation starts with delivery of scrap metal to scrap bay which is located adjoining melt shop. After that, the loading of scrap into huge buckets or baskets takes place. The next step is to carry this basket to the melt shop. Now is when the charging takes place here. After the completion of charging, let the electrodes be allowed to enter and placed onto scrap. This causes the arc to be struck. Lower voltage is preferred for this part (of operation) to provide protection to the walls and roof against arc damage and excessive heat. After having the electrodes reached the heavy melt, shielding of arcs by scrap takes place. This enables a rapid formation of molten pool, thereby decreasing tap-to-tap times. Oxygen is also allowed to enter.

Casting Furnace : It can be referred to as a kind of metallurgical furnace, through which the process of smelting takes place. This produces metals, normally iron. These furnaces trace their origin to China (around 500 BC). They were also found in Belgium and England later. They do not have any special mode of operation. Heating is the only way that the metals get heated. Generally, iron is melted in these furnaces. The chemical reaction can be explained as follows:
                Fe2O3 + 3CO -> 2Fe + 3CO2

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Spyware: The Lurking Danger On Your Computer

It is not always possible to know whether or not your laptop or computer has become affected by spyware since such malicious programs are something that remain in the background and go about their business in the shadows without letting you become aware that a problem exists with your personal computer or laptop.

Be Aware

Most of us are not even aware about what damage such software can do to your system and you may also not be aware of preventive measures to help block the presence of spyware, which makes matters worse. It is therefore necessary to look a little deeper into the problem and know what spyware actually is and how you can prevent it from disrupting the proper working of your system.

Spyware are essentially computer programs that plant themselves on your computer's hard disk and are known to come in different flavors and types, and they can also even jot down your browsing activities. These programs are able to also send such information to third parties while others will note down your keystrokes and then send sensitive information to people that should not have access to such sensitive information.

Certain types of spyware that are known as keyloggers can steal your password as well as username and provide this information to those who will take unfair advantage of that information. The internet is the most common way of getting spyware on your system--often when downloading software or other programs.

However, not all spyware is actually dangerous--it is nevertheless an unwanted risk that can do damage to your system. Therefore, it has become necessary that you learn how to protect your computer from such programs and your best bet would be to use certain specialized programs that are designed to identify and then rid your system of such unwanted intruders.

Spybot is one such computer program, which can help you keep your system free and your personal information well protected. You need to be aware of certain kinds of spyware that will try and fool you into thinking that they are actually anti-spyware programs when in fact they are not.

To fight the threat posed by spyware it would pay to look at the possibility of using spyware blockers. Of course, some spyware won't do anything malicious though others will try and do harm. It pays to ensure that you don't take risks and use whatever means are available to prevent your system from becoming corrupted by spyware.

It is not always possible to know whether or not your laptop or computer has become affected by spyware. Read this awesome free article explaining the perils of spyware on your computer. View more articles at http://www.spyware.jsgenterprises.com.

What the heck is G-Code and how is a used?

learn cnc

G-Code is the common name for the programming language of CNC Machines.Somewhat of a general, catchall term for CNC programming language.  Very few machines adhere to this standard today.  There are as many varations as there are manufacturers.

This is how I think of G-Code.  It is a simple language built off of the Cartesian Coordinate System for motion control.  That is a mouthful.  I don’t know if that is exactly right, but you will get my meaning in a second when we go through some code line by line.You will remember your high school geometry lessons very quickly.  For the real pros out there, you know there is much more to G-Code then that, but it is a good place to start thinking about it.

You see many different variations of the name G-Code:
Gcode
gcode
G-Code
g-code
G Code
G-Code

Are there other “Codes?”
In a word…Yes.We will get to that information in just a minute.  G-code is also the name of any command in a CNC program that begins with the letter G.  G-Codes generally tell the machine to perform an action.  G-Codes can tell machines to move a certain distance in the X-Axis for example.  Or, make a rapid move to another location.  Or, move in an arcing fashion while milling.  An on and on and on.

Here are some good examples of different G-Codes
Remember these codes change to a certain degree between CAM Software packages and CNC Machine Manufacturers.
G00 Rapid positioning
G01 Linear interpolation
G02 CW circular interpolation
G03 CCW circular interpolation
G04 Dwell
G20 Programming in inches
G21 Programming in mm
G28 Return to home position
G40 Tool radius compensation off
G41 Tool radius compensation left
G42 Tool radius compensation right
G43 Tool offset compensation positive
G44 Tool offset compensation negative

Why does G-Code Change?
We humans like flexibility.  We also like standards.  G-Codes are standardized in a certain sense.Once you're able to read G-Code, you can begin to read different variations on it.  That is the standardized part.
All machines are not created alike.  Even identical machines are different to a certain degree.  They may not have the same tools loaded or they have been slightly modified to produce a certain type of part.  Interesting how people like to customize.

That is why G-Codes are not the same.  You need some flexibility in the programming to accommodate all situations.  Couple that with the fact that every manufacturer thinks their version is the best and you get a myriad of G-Codes out there.

Many CNC machine manufacturers try to force you to only use their G-Code.  For example, they give you a design interface to make parts and a CAM interface to produce code.  They lock you into their “Black Box” so you can’t go elsewhere for service and support.  They lock you in their “Family.”  Sometimes they make up a completely different kind of G-Code language that no one can understand but them.  They do that to keep your hands tied up.

What is an M-Code?
M-Codes are related to G-Codes.  M-Codes control different machine functions.  Some of these functions are turning the machine on and off.Flipping the spindle on or off.  Turning a plasma torch on or off.  Turning coolant on or off.  You get the idea.  When programming your CNC machine you may need to perform these functions.
Like G-Code, M-Codes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and from machine to machine.  As you can imagine you would need an MCode for turning a plasma torch on and off on a CNC Plasma Cutting Machine.You don't need an M-code to turn a CNC machine spindle on and off though.  Hey, the machine doesn’t even have a spindle.  It’s a plasma cutter!

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My personal CNC tale

cnc machining

One day I knew I had a problem.  I just spent 4 hours with my plasma cutter in my right hand.  I had been cutting out patterns I had traced onto a sheet of metal.These interesting shapes were going to become my coffee table.  Everyone complained to me that I didn’t have a coffee table.  I thought, “I’ll show them” and began to build one.
Why make a coffee table out of metal you ask?  The quick answer is that I wasn’t much of a woodworker at the time.  On the other hand, I used to weld professionally and knew I could make anything out of metal.  That is how it all began, making a coffee table out of metal.

Now if you knew me, you know that I can’t just make something normal.  My brain is the scheming type that has to do things differently then the norm.  I wanted to make a table that would knock people’s socks off.  I thought a funky looking table, made out of metal, with casters and lights would do the trick.  You know what?  It did. 
I really had a ball making this table.  I mean I had serious fun.  So much so that I started to design others.  I began showing photos of my work to everyone I knew.  On top of that, I was getting good feedback.  I had just found a new hobby, furniture making.  Who would have ever thought I would pick up furniture making as a hobby.

While making this first table a problem arose.  It is the one I mentioned above with my right hand.  After plasma cutting all those parts my wrist really began to hurt.  While welding professionally there was always the threat of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.Human welders are continually afflicted by this injury and others because of repetitive motion tasks.
If you repeat something over and over and over and over, your body gives out at some point.  After cutting up these table parts, I knew I couldn’t go on doing this for a hobby.  I knew something would have to change or the new hobby would break my body.

That is when I began investigating CNC DIY.  I call it “Hobby” CNC, because that is how I found it.  There were small groups of enthusiasts on the Internet that were building these machines for the fun of it.I thought this was the way to go. 

My Initial Thoughts on CNC…
I thought, “If I could build a CNC Plasma Cutting Table?”
I could hook my plasma cutter to it
Create a CNC program of the part I wanted to make
Cut out multiple parts to my hearts content
Save a lot of time
And Finally…
Save my wrist from the dreaded Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.

I really wasn’t scared of the technology to start with.  I grew up in fabrication shops across the Midwest and had seen these machines in action.  These machine “Operators” were always held in high esteem at the shop.  They always made more Money and always had as much Overtime as they wanted.  I decided if they could do it, I could do it.
CNC hobby projects were not cheap at the time.  I figured I would have to invest $4,000 - $5,000 to build my table (they have come down considerably).  Keep in mind this was in 2000-2001.  For some reason that didn’t scare me off.  I always liked a good challenge and this was it.  With blind faith, I ordered up a CNC Controller and went down to my local steel yard to fill the back of my truck with steel.

Little Did I know…
There was a steep learning curve with DIY CNC.  Building a frame for the machine is only a small part of the project.  Today it is much easier.  The software, components and suppliers are better.  There is an entire cottage industry that has sprung up around CNC to support it.  Some of the best people in the world make their livings servicing CNC Hobbyist needs.
For some reason I figured if I just build this machine it would spit out parts whenever I wanted it to.  Simple, Simple, Simple ran through my head.  Over time, I started to get it.  I didn’t have a teacher, but I started to learn the ins and out of what I was doing.

Other items I had to pick up along the way:
CAD Software
Designing Parts
CAM Software
Preparing parts for machining
Simulating Machining
Machining Basics
Cleaning parts

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Learn about Casting Furnaces that you Can DIY at Home

Metal Casting

DIY Casting Furnace are nothing but Do It Yourself casting furnaces. One can make variety of furnaces. The procedure of some of them can be described as follows:

DIY Casting Furnace : Theoretically, only three things are required for implementing induction heating: High frequency Electrical Power Source, work coil for generating an alternating magnetic field, and a workpiece-electrically conducive. When you take a look at the practical approach, it is extremely complicated. For instance, the work coil and High Frequency source’ should have a matching network in between, to obtain better power transfer. Use of water cooling systems is very common in induction heaters of high power. This facilitates removal of waste heat from the matching circuit of the work coil and the coil itself. This process involves application of control electronics as well. Control Electronics, as the name suggests, controls the heating action’s intensity, thereby ensuring consistent results. Its the bad working and operating conditions that this will provide protection from.

Usually, the incorporation of work coil takes place into a resonant tank circuit. There are innumerable advantages of this. The first advantage is that any one of the parameters, i.e. voltage or current is made sinusoidal. This causes fewer losses to inverter by the way of allowing it getting benefited from either zero-current-switching or zero-voltage-switching corresponding to the arrangement chosen. The visibility of sinusoidal waveform at work coil gives the proof of purity of signal. There also occurs less interference of radio frequency with the equipment in its vicinity. The various themes that are available can be choosen by the designers themselves.

DIY Bronze Furnace: The making of DIY Bronze Furnace involves taking silica bricks of 9 inches X 4 ½ inches X 2 ½ inches in the first place. After that, one is supposed to put a steel plate having dimensions 18 inches X 24 inches at the place where he intends building the furnace. In other words, the steel plate should be used as a base. The construction of furnace should start thereafter. It is advisable to keep the circumference of the furnace as 14 inches. A small hole of diameter 3 inches should be made at a height of 5.5 inches above the floor. Let the height of the cylindrical furnace be 11 ½ inches (including floor). This hole is to be used for inserting the burner.

The cutting of the burner port should be done in such a way that it acts as a perfect tangent to furnace. This should be done in order to make the flames whirl around crucible, thereby hitting it indirectly. Toxic fumes are what happens when you are casting bronze which surprises a lot of people. Therefore, it is always advised to perform the casting task in the area which has ample ventilation. The process of casting really means that you should wear safety clothing and classes. After the completion of furnace (including the cutting of hole to get the fitting of one’s biggest crucible enabled), it should be permitted to dry. At that time, trawling of water, vermiculite, and kaolin clay on the exterior is recommended. The immediate use should be strictly avoided, as it may develop cracks. After drying, let the furnace be heated slowly to reduce ‘kaolin paste’ cracking.
 

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CRT Monitors

A CRT Monitor is one of the most common types of computer monitors used today. The other most common monitor being the more recent invent, the LCD monitor. But what are the differences between the two models? How can you be sure that a CRT monitor is right for you? The main step is understanding the difference and the benefits of each type.

 

What is a CRT?

 

CRT is an abbreviation of cathode-ray tube. A CRT works by moving an electron beam back and forth across the back of the screen. Each time the beam makes a pass, it lights the phosphor dots on the inside of the glass tube. This illuminates the active portions of the screen, and by drawing many of these lines from the top to bottom of the screen, it creates the image or images you see on your computer screen.

 

Comparing CRT and LCD

 

Size-wise, the CRT monitor is much larger than the newer LCDs that are more compacted and lightweight. Due to the presence of the cathode-ray tube unit inside, adequate desk space must be allowed for CRT monitor that offers an added advantage of a larger viewing display size. LCDs, however, are becoming increasingly comparable in size to CRT monitors.

 

Many CRT monitors are able to display unlimited colors as well as multiple video resolutions. Both of these factors give CRT a leg up on LCD monitors that are limited in color capability and resolution. The CRT monitors can display multiple resolutions at the same quality while LCDs are limited to what is known as a Native resolution (the best display resolution).

 

CRT monitors generally do not have an issue with brightness due to the construction of the unit itself. The CRT also has the benefit of being able to be viewed from a very wide angle and from just about ever side.

 

While CRT monitors are generally cheaper than their LCD counterparts, the long-term costs of the CRT over the LCD are higher. CRTs consume much more energy than LCD monitors.

 

CRT Monitors in the Workplace

 

While LCDs have decreased in prices over the years, CRT monitors still have their fans in industry. The printing and broadcasting industry as well as other graphic fields (where higher resolution and viewing capabilities are needed) still use, almost exclusively, CRT monitors. Professional video and photography businesses are also still using CRTs because of the better color and contrast abilities.

 

Finding CRT Monitors

 

Deciding what type of monitor you purchase depends on your individual needs. Many major manufacturers of CRT monitors have discontinued or plan to discontinue production of these monitors. So, if you wish to purchase a CRT model, you may find yourself having to search harder than originally hoped.  However, be diligent, even with the newer models of LCD monitors becoming available with new capabilities, CRT monitors still have them beat in many important areas.

Let's go under the hood of the G-Code program

g-code tutorial

Next, we are going to go through an example of cutting out a 2” square with a CNC Machine.  Then we will look at the G-Code to see what is happening.

2” Square G-Code:
The numbers on the left of the G-Code are the sequence numbers of the code and the order it will be executed in.  I have added notes after different actions to let you know what that line of code means.  My note starts with a “-“ then continues.  A “-“ means nothing in G-Code Programming.

N0000 (Filename: 2INSquare.txt) – Name of File
N0010 (Post processor: Plasma.post) – Name of Post Processor Used
N0020 (Date: 8/1/2007) - Date G-Code was generated
N0030 G20 (Units: Inches) – Measurement Units Used
N0040 G53 - Machine co-ordinate system
N0050 G90 – Absolute Programming
N0060 G40 – Tool radius compensation off
N0070 F1 – Feedrate of 1” per min
N0090 (Part: Square) – name of the part
N0100 (Process: Plasma,  DEFAULT, Plasma, 0.01 in kerf) – Tool to be used
N0110 G00 – Go to Home
N0120 X0.1113 Y-0.0904 – Move to this exact X, Y position
N0130 G04 P2000 – Pause for 2 seconds, this is in milliseconds
N0140 M03 – Fire the plasma torch
N0150 G04 P500 - Pause for .5 seconds, this is in milliseconds
N0160 G03 X0.0000 Y-0.0050 I-0.1113 J-0.0298 F40.0 – move to this X, Y position in an arcing movement at a feedrate of 40 inches per min
N0180 G01 Y2.0000 – Travel in the Y+ direction for 2 inches to X0, Y2
N0200 G01 X2.0000 – Travel in the X+ direction for 2 inches to X2, Y2
N0220 G01 Y0.0000 – Travel in the Y- direction for 2 inches to X2, Y0
N0240 G01 X0.0000 – Travel in the X- direction for 2 inches to X0, Y0
N0250 G03 X-0.1113 Y-0.0904 I0.0000 J-0.1152 – move to this X, Y position in an arcing movement
N0260 M05 – Turn off the plasma torch
N0270 G04 P2000 – Pause for 2 seconds, this is in milliseconds
N0280 G00 – Move to Home
N0300 M30 – End Program

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World Of Warcraft Game

The World of Warcraft Game to put it quite simply, is a game. Itís a very large game with a very large player base but it is nevertheless still a game, and when you get right down to it, it spans continents, races, ages and even worlds.

There is nothing quite like it anywhere else although many others have tried. They havenít failed, but they canít exactly live up to the standards set by the World of Warcraft.

First released to the world (as we know it, that is), in November of 2004, World of Warcraft is what is known as an MMORPG. Thatís Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game to those of us who are slightly clueless in that respect.

World of Warcraft is a fantasy game where players can take on the guise of different characters in the world known to all as Azeroth, the place where World of Warcraft is set.

If youíre a gaming addict then this game is one of the better MMORPGís which you should try if you get the chance to. Itís not a free game and to play it you will have to pay for it.

However, you do have the choice of playing the World of Warcraft trial version for free. This can be downloaded from the World of Warcraft website, or from numerous other official World of Warcraft websites.

If you decide to go with this option to experience the World of Warcraft game in all its game playing glory then you also get the chance to create your very character, which can be fun and interesting in and of itself.

Also if you decide to go with World of Warcraft and get yourself an account, the character you created for the trial version can still be used. But now that you have a better idea about the game you might want to create a different character, then again you might want to stay with your first World of Warcraft creation.

Whatever takes your fancy you will find that you have what amounts to an unlimited number of characters in the ridiculously high number of 50 characters. Think about it, 50 characters? Now go even further with the thought that you will also be unable to play with more than one character at a time. It seems unlimited now doesnít it?

Most people will in fact play with more than one character though. This means that they will create a handful of characters, (some people will take full advantage of the complete 50 character allowance).

This will in turn allow them to expand their playing range in the World of Warcraft game unlike in some other MMORPGís. And ultimately thatís what the whole thing is all about ñ getting the most you can out of your game playing and the various characters, places, things and quests available in the World of Warcraft.

World Of Warcraft Strategy Guide

If youíre one of those people who are super organized and who wonít move a pencil out of place on their desks, then there ís a good chance that you would prefer to go through the World of Warcraft game with a good sound World of Warcraft strategy guide at your fingertips. 

Unfortunately to actually do this you need first to go through the game. Which kind of defeats the purpose, if you go to think about it.

However, help is at hand in the form of guides and walk throughs which have been compiled by other people who have already gone through World of Warcraft themselves.

You will normally be able to find one or two guides which can help you to build up your very own World of Warcraft strategy guide to help you through the game. You will want to think first about where you want to go and how you want to go about it.

For instance, many of the existing World of Warcraft strategy guides involves the strategy of getting as much gold as you can, because you guessed it, gold pieces make the World of Warcraft of go around at a much smoother pace than if you didnít have as much gold to your name.

You will also be able to find out which are the best quests to take, and which ones will give you the most trouble. With a World of Warcraft strategy guide with you as you go through the lands of Warcraft you will also be able to find the best spots for fishing (yes, you read that correctly!), and the best spots for mining.

You will also find at hand, little details like the fact that some objects in bodies of water donít actually turn up on your personal map, until youíre actually in these bodies of water!

You can also use the expertise of these other people with their own World of Warcraft strategy guide, to help you build up your own one where you can also add more information which these guides might not have contained.

The proper use of a World of Warcraft guide will also help you to pass through the levels faster, meaning that you level up at a faster. This means that you wonít be stuck endlessly at level 10 or 15 grinding away.

And the best part of these World of Warcraft strategy guides is that they are not cheating nor do they use hacks. Instead they rely on the experience of the user writing them to help you through the various levels.

World Of Warcraft Guides

Wow Guide

For the dedicated game player there are many World of Warcraft guides which they can use to help in the game play. These can be found in many places although one of the best World of Warcraft guides, called World Of Warcraft Mastery, can be found at http://www.wowmasteryguide.com.

This website contain pretty good World of Warcraft guides and you will find that they are very informative as well. This site aside you will also find that you have a staggering number of other websites to choose from if youíre interested in finding World of Warcraft guides.

Itís just a simple matter of doing a quick search on the internet for World of Warcraft guides and choosing a few which look promising. You can even continue to do this until you find the sites which satisfy your World of Warcraft needs.

A guide is also what is called a walkthrough and to find more on the subject all you need to do is to do a search for this as you would for World of Warcraft guides. They will ultimately yield up the same or similar results.

World of Warcraft guides are good in that they can help you find your way through the many quests, lands and towns of Warcraft without putting you to too much trouble. These are not in the way of cheats or exploits as they only help you through the various parts of the game.

They are in effect, detailed descriptions of how to get through certain portions of World of Warcraft, and they have been compiled by other gamers such as yourself.

You will find World of Warcraft guides for just about everything that you can think of, with the most popular being that of how to get gold. If you look, just about everywhere you will find that there are references to obtaining gold.

With the World of Warcraft guides however, you can go about these in a legitimate manner without having to resort to hacks and cheats. World of Warcraft guides can also help you to level up faster as you can by taking advantage of the other gamersí experience and knowledge of the World of Warcraft.

If you spend even just a little time away from the game and pay attention to some of the World of Warcraft guides you will find that you can progress far easier through your quests than if you went into them ignorant of what lay ahead of you. Then again, that is part of the fun, being able to explore the game on your own.

how can I learn more about G-Code

gcode

In a word, no.  You will probably need to know how to quickly scan your G-Code if you are having problems during your machining simulation.G-Code and CNC programs are throwaway programs for the most part.  What do I mean by that?  Let me explain.

Let’s look at a specific design.  Let’s say a 12” by 12” square.  You build your model, run it through your CAM Software and create a CNC Program made up of G-Code instructions to your machine.  Say tomorrow the job requirements change to a 24” by 24” square.  Do you go into your G-Code line by line and change the code?Most people would not.  They would go back into their CAD or CAM program and scale the square up to 24” by 24”.  Then post-process the job again to get their new gcode.

There are some people that would do this editing line by line because the design is simple.  Now think of a complex shape and what scaling it up or down would entail.This would include changes to the G-Code and reviewing it line by line.  We are talking thousands of lines here vs. going back and quickly scaling the model and spitting out some new G-Code.  And that is why G-Code is throwaway.  Use it over and over when you can, but don’t fret over archiving it if something changes.  It is much better to make a copy of the design (CAD File) in its original state and save that somewhere.  That is much more useful.

Post Processing??? - Now you have me worried.  With all the variations in G-Codes and M-Codes, how will I ever keep it straight?

Don’t worry about that.  The CAM program you choose will have many Post Processors.  Post Processors are like translators.  They help the CAM Program spit out the right CNC Program for your specific machine.What you have to do is select the right post processor before you create the G-Code.  That is simple.

Most CAM programs have many machine specific post processors already loaded.  All you do is go to the list of them and click on your machine to select it.  If you build your own CNC Machine, there are generic post processors loaded for different types of machines.  Usually you pick a generic one and modify it a bit with a little testing.  You are making sure a move in the X-Axis positive direction really means what you want it to mean.

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Design software for CNC art work

CNC Metal Artwork

What I used to do…
I was living in the past before I found design software.  I would actually hand lay out a template on a piece of paper.  Then cut it out.  Next, I would tape the design onto a piece of steel and trace around it with a Sharpe Marker.  Finally, I would cut out the piece I wanted.

No matter what, it was never exact.There was always something wrong.  Things like wavy lines, gouges and “unique parts” were the norm.  Measurements were never as exact as I would have liked either.  That usually caused some fit-up issues, followed by some grinding.  If you know anything about fabrication, grinding is the enemy of your time.

Why use creative design software?
I knew there had to be a better way so I found some design software to try out.  Yes, it does take some time to learn.  Think about it, like anything else in life, something that is worth it takes some time.  This is also the situation of taking one step backwards to move ten steps forward.

Here are some benefits of using creative design software:
Saved file you can use over and over
Transfer the design to others
Can use exact measurements
Repeatability in design

Disadvantages of using design software:
Cost money
Takes time to learn
May not be the quickest way of making something if it is a “One Off”


My Definition of Design Software
If you are an engineer, you will probably consider CAD Design Software as design software.  That is true.  But what I am talking about here is “Creative” Design Software.  These software packages are used by creative types for print, web design and logo design.This software is great for creating CNC artistic designs that flow in some way.
Design software can be boiled down to what it is good at.  If you want to make a square with a hole in it or a triangular gusset, then CAD type design software works great.  If you want to cut out a Cowboy on a Horse, then “Creative” Design Software is the only way to go.

Here are some examples of work for “Creative” Design Software:
CNC plasma art
CNC CNC plasma art
Signs
Engraving

CNC Information Free Community Site:
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You can join and get two free CNC eBooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series...Image to CNC art work when you join the free CNC community.

Importance of a Free Spyware Scan

If you have a computer and use the Internet regularly, you are going to need to understand the importance of having a free spyware scan. Spyware protection is essential if you want your computer to stay clean of bugs and viruses, and run at its full capability.

Before you can find the best free spyware scan however, you are going to need to understand more about spyware in general and what it has to offer you.

Spyware

Spyware is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are quite a few different large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from the banner sales.

Doing a spyware scan then means that you are scanning your computer to ensure that it is free of spyware. This is important because you are often not able to tell just out of nowhere when there is spyware on your computer.

If there is spyware on your computer, it may end up causing it to run slower than normal and even cause serious problems to your computer if not removed.

Getting Free Spyware Scan

You can pay for a program and have it installed on your computer so you can do a spyware scan whenever you want, but if you want to get a free spyware scan there are a few companies in particular that you can go through and a few websites that you are going to want to check out.

If you want to get a free spyware scan, you can check out Tenebril for one. Here you can do a free spyware scan on your computer and not worry about having to pay one red cent. This is great because then whenever you want to check your computer for spyware you can just head here and know that you can do it for free.

Another website that you can go through if you want to get a spyware scan for free is the Trend Micro HouseCall site. Their application is used for checking whether your computer has been infected by not only spyware but also viruses and other malware. It performs additional security checks as well in order to identify and fix vulnerabilities to prevent reinfection.

Checking regularly for spyware is a crucial part of any computer protection program so make sure that your computer is free from spyware at all times.

Safely operating CNC equipment

cnc project

Every topic that deals with working in a shop should start with safety.Yours and other people safety should be at the top of your mind.CNC is not different than any other shop topic that you will encounter.  In fact, the highest levels of safety awareness should be maintained when using a CNC machine.

CNC machines don’t have a mind of their own.  A computer gives them a command and they execute it.CNC machines don't care if they are cutting steel or a part of your hand.  They don’t differentiate between materials.  You need to be aware of this.

When you are Learning CNC you should take it slow.  Do tests on a small scale, then watch and learn what happens.  For example, why don’t you let your machine “cut air” for a while when you first get it.  You don’t need to put it right to work cutting material.  Why not create a simple program, and let the machine cut the air instead of material.  Better yet, why even run the spindle during the test.

Every CNC Machine has quirks that you need to learn.CNC machines have different working areas.  Every CNC machine is just a little bit different then the rest of them.CNC safety requires that you learn about your machine before you use it.

Generally, with a CNC Router, we are machining something.  While machining, “chips” are being thrown off.  Sometimes at a very rapid speed.  Here is where safety glasses, face shields and material barriers come into play.  Use them!The CNC machine doesn't know that you're standing there in its way.  In the words of every boxing ref before a match, “protect yourself at all times!”

A few ideas to keep you safe in the shop:
Always read the instruction manual before using your machine
Always follow manufacturers recommendations
Always wear safety glasses
Always wear the correct safety equipment when working
Use shields and barriers while machining when it is appropriate
Test your machine before full production
Perform proper and routine maintenance on your machines
Perform maintenance checks on your machine for damage

Always think safety!

CNC information site:
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CNC overview process

cnc overview

Quick Explanation of the Process
This is how I view CNC Machining.  I break it down into simple steps that I can remember.  Now, they all interact, but it is good to keep them in boxes for simplicity sake.  I also like to keep them in a logical, progression type order.  Here they are: Design, CAD, CAM, Control and Machine.

Today you are going on a journey.  You are going to learn about the basics of CNC.I hope you are as excited as I am.

I have been using CNC equipment in my home shop for six years now.The technology gets better every year.  The software gets better every year.  At one time large companies could only afford this technology.There are hundreds of thousands of machines working in shops everywhere.

There are basically five elements to a CNC Project that you need to know:
Design - designing what you want to build
Computer Aided Design - translating it into the computer
CAM - converting it into machine language
Controlling - controlling your machines movements
Machining - building the part to specifications

These five elements are really the building blocks to a CNC project.  As you see them above, that is generally the order people associate them in.For example you can't control your CNC machine until you have a design ready.  You can't use your CAM software before your CAD software.One of the things you need to take into account is how these different elements interact with one another.
This may cause some confusion right now.  Over time, it will seem very basic.The more you use these CNC elements with one another the more their order will become apparent.

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Information on Metal Casting and DIY Metal Casting

Metal Casting

Casting can be defined as a process of manufacturing, which implies pouring of a ‘liquid’ material into ‘A Mold’ containing a desired shaped hollow cavity, and then made to solidify. What needs to be done to finally complete the process is to take out the casting and break it apart so you can see your finished project. The use of casting is ‘forming hot liquid metals’ or numerous metals that are cooled after having the components like clay, plaster, concrete, and epoxies mixed. A lot of times, you will find complex shapes being casted because casting allows you to do this. Casting came into being around 6000 years ago. ‘Copper Frog’ is the most ancient casting existing till date since 3200 BC. The process of casting has two distinct subdivisions: non-expendable and expendable mold casting.

‘Non-expendable’ mold casting: This technique is inclusive of at least 4 distinct methods: continuous, centrifugal, die, and permanent casting.

Continuous casting: Continuous Casting can be defined as a refined process of casting for high-volume, continuous production of ‘metal sections’ with constant cross-section. The pouring of molten metal into a water-cooled, open-ended copper mold takes place. This allows a ‘layer’ of ‘solid metal’ to be formed above the ‘still-liquid’ center. Continuous casting is widely accepted due to its cost-effectiveness. The metals continuously cast are aluminum, copper, and steel.

Centifugal casting: Centrifugal Metal Casting is independent of both-pressure and gravity. This is because its own ‘force feed’ is created by the way of using a ‘temporary sand mold’ in ‘spinning chamber’ at 900 N. Lead time is variant with respect to application. True- and semi-centrifugal processing allow 30 to 50 pieces/hr. The batch processing has an upper limit of around 9000 Kg (practically). Before, this method that is being discussed was used to Cast Railroad Wheels. A company knows as Krupp is who it was developed by. It had a German origin. The thing that is most cast by this method is Jewelry.

Die-casting: Die Casting can be defined as a process of ‘forcing molten metal’ into cavities of mold under high pressure. The castings that we are talking about are really made of various types of metals such as aluminum, copper and zinc. It is even possible to make die castings of metal. The method of die casting is used where finer parts are needed.

‘Permanent Mold Casting’: This casting is made up of non-ferrous metals. It requires some time to set up (some weeks), after which the production rate of about 5 to 50 pieces/hour-mold is achieved. The coating of ‘acetylene soot’ is applied to steel cavities. This helps in removing the work piece easily and promoting longer life (of tools). Permanent molds possess a limited life span. For worn molds, replacement or refinishing is required.

Expendable mold casting: ‘Expendable Mold casting’ can be referred to as a standard classification inclusive of the following:

Sand casting: It is amongst the simplest and most popular casting types used since ages. It involves very small size operations. The bonding of sand takes place by use of clays (as in ‘green sand’) or ‘polymerized oils’, or ‘chemical binders’. Recycling is easily possible.

Plaster Casting can be easily compared to Sand Casting except that instead of sand, you use Plaster. Similarly, there are also plastic and concrete castings.

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Art Casting Information

Metal Casting

Metal Casting is one form of excellence, put with diverse craft skills. It should be perfect and graceful at the same time. One should have unique craft skills which can produce a perfect art casting. There are several websites which can provide a person with information on art casting technique, their sculptors and the craft skills which are required to be a sculptor.

The websites that showcases the Art founders combines to provide advanced foundry techniques and similar superb craft skills. One can thus understand the sculptor’s needs and vision after viewing the art form. Before, you would see these sculptors around museums, high profile galleries and some free exhibitions. Even today, at large the sculptors are used in public places, galleries and such art casting are made out of modern equipments and casting techniques.

Types of art casting: There are many types and kinds of art casting. Wax art casting, sand art casting, lost wax casting and many more. These websites that offer a client the art casting images and its services, offers concept design, Marquette works and enlargement of certain sculptors. The creative department has created new work for their clients and have provided enlargement of the miniature sculptures.

Typically, an assignment would begin with the concept stage and wherein the creative department makes drawings for approval. After this, a Marquette is done and the scaling procedure is done to work up the required size and alignment of the sculpture. Such work undertaken is done under one roof with involvement of clients who accompany in decision making of the design, creating stage and also through out the casting and finishing of the sculpture. These websites provide their clients with full installation service and with delivery of the sculpture to other countries.

Lost Wax process: Most of the art casting of lost wax is processed by use of lost wax ceramic method of casting. This can make it a possibility of reproduction of maximum detail from original concept. Such facilities can make the sculptors to keep the original core in mold and allow the production of the largest wax in the country. A perfect cast is very much demanded by the clients. Smaller works like the abstract works, animal figures and many more are designed on such department. These wax shops are bright with daylight bulb.

Sand casting art form: The Metal Casting shops which focus on making sand sculptures use sand pieces and they make sure that there are deep undercuts on the making process. The team which undertakes the process are experienced and they strive to create some of the magnificent works that ranges from life size horses to full sized boats and such letter signs. A lot of the works with right to sand casting provide great dimensional stability and less reduction of metal.

Strengths of the art casting work shops: One of the key strength of the Metal Casting shop is the depth of skill set and experience in the department. The Bronze one's are collected and finished by master craftsmen. The final touch up process is one of the most important processes in the art casting process because this is where the scuplture is colored and patination takes place. These workshops provide lots of patinas and colors which a client may require right from traditional browns and green to blue, white, black and red color.
  
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DIY Casting Information

Metal Casting

People who like to make their own artifacts and are enchanted with the idea of building new and useful things from scratch are sure to enjoy ‘do it yourself casting’ that can be done at home using simple methods and techniques. Many amazing things can be produced and created using you home made metal foundry. A good understanding of some basic foundry knowledge and few simple tools can help you make metal casting at home possible. Many people find it difficult to get special parts for their cars or bikes or even find it very costly to modify their cars, house or even bikes. If you develop your hobby of Metal Casting , then you can easily make special parts for your cars and bikes and also will find it easy and save a lot of money. Casting can be used to make many things like, simple ornaments knobs and even handles. Hand wheels and small machinery or tools can also be made. Small articles like brass name plates, statues, vintage motorcycle and car parts, etc can also be made at home.

Furnace Designs that can be made at home:

Coffee Can Metal Casting : This is very easy to build and even a large coffee-can will serve the purpose. This is one of the things that can be used to build a very simple and non complex gas fired furnace.

The “2 bucks” furnace: Is not as the name suggests, the furnace can’t be built in two bucks.  It refers to the design based on two buckets. It is very useful and a good experienced person can build it with a budget that is below 10 bucks. What you are getting here is that it effectively burns propane which is a plus.

Flowerpot crucible furnace: This furnace can also be built very easily and most importantly, it can be built using the waste material from your back yard. All you need is an old flower pot and a few metal cans. Melt the metal cans and coat the inside of the flower pot with the melted metal and you furnace is ready.

Other types of furnaces that can be built at home are dirt and brick furnace, chimney pipe furnace and breaking metal in barbecue.

Tools and material needed:

Home made Aluminum pulleys: Pulleys of different size and shapes can be made by bending aluminum rods or plates. They are very simple to make and once you get the hang of it, you’ll enjoy making them.

Building steel crucibles: Steel crucibles are a bit difficult to make. You need to cut the steel and weld it using a welder, so it is a bit risky job and can cause injuries. It needs to be done with utmost care and precaution.

Home made ladle: A ladle can be made at home using a small portion of a steel water pipe; you can select the water pipe according to your needs and then cut it in the desired dimensions to create your home made ladle.

After doing all this basic work and gathering all the required information, you can now start your own Metal Casting and make desired articles. One other thing that needs to be done is to make the molds for the shapes and sizes that you want to make and then you are done. All types of metals and alloys can be used and melted for home casting, only their degree of heat required varies.

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DIY Gravity Casting and How to Gravity Cast

Metal Casting

Research and development in Metal Casting has taken an important step in making metal products a part of our day to day lives. The products used in homes, aircrafts, artifacts, automobiles have become more durable and less expensive. Cast alloy parts are formed by melting the alloy and then pouring it in a mold under heavy pressure or vacuum. Metal Casting this is know by another term as well and this term is Vacuum Casting. It is a technique in which large diameter filaments are used with adequate separation. This ensures that no clusters are formed and also good metal wetting of the fiber is guaranteed. This technique was first used in 1970. The gravity casting method has advantages like cost effective, good quality, and process control over other casting techniques.

Gravity casting is done in ceramic molds, sand, permanent casting and also in investment or lost wax casting. The Casting process was started with common steel after successful implementation it was further tried on heat resistance super alloys. With recent development and with more refined methods today even titanium alloys are being cast using the gravity casting method and using ceramic crucibles. The use of desired mold designs and also specially made unique designs enable a reduction in the metal cast to yield the given part. This also helps in reducing the amount of energy that is used in making such casting articles.

With new developments, today even computerized control of the vacuum pressure and rate is possible. What this does is to allow the person using the equipment to control the rate of fill. This makes casting of high quality metals like and viscous metals like metal matrix and composites of aluminum casting possible. This gravity casting method is used to produce casting worth of more than $200 million. The industry is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years due to the increase in production of automotive exhaust manifolds in stainless steel.

This computerized technology was made and used by a man named Howmet from Michigan. They used this technology to precisely cast and design turbine blades used in aircrafts. This technology is also being used by Ford Motors to develop and improve the casting process of light truck and automobile engine blocks.

Today, metal parts fabricated using gravity casting method is being used in 90 per – cent of all durable goods. Goods like stoves, washing machine, automobiles, refrigerators, lawn mowers, cars and even boats. Many other articles like badminton rackets, tennis rackets, and even football studs are made by using light weight metals which are gravity casting method. This gravity casting method has been used to develop metal alloy parts, which are used for the auto and airline industries, which is said to make vehicles lighter though much stronger and extremely efficient.

Alloys like ferric cast metals, casting grade iron and steel are typical metals that are used for gravity casting. Also die cast grade zinc can be cast using gravity casting method. Also other raw materials like sand, spin or plaster are used. Aluminum is also used, but it is very difficult to gravity cast aluminum a lot of care needs to be taken and proper pressure should be applied to obtain the desired shape and effect. 

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How to Cast Jewelry, Casting Jewelry, and Cast Jewelry Information Described

Metal Casting

Casting Jewelry is a process in which liquid material made from heating metals, is poured in a module, to give the liquid a desired shape. Then the liquid is cooled and a solid object in the desired shape and size is obtained. Casting Jewelry is the latest “in-thing” in the fashion markets. This jewelry is made from different materials like silver, aluminum, gold, bronze, alloy metals and even plated casting jewelry is available.

Casting Jewelry is very attractive and delicate. Sometimes out in the local markets you can find very very nice hand made jewelry but these are made using machines. This type of jewelry can be available at a very low, as well as high costs, depending on the design and material and design that you choose. Casting Jewelry is very fragile and should be handled with out most care as it can break easily. With the advent of casting jewelry, the fashion world has benefited a great deal. Today, free flowing designs, multicolored jewelry and even a special made to order jewelry is available in the market.

Before this, it was difficult to cast a metal in a desired shape but today it is as simple as it gets, all you need is a creative mind to create new designs and a group of well qualified workers and good machinery to make your own casting jewelry. This also gives you an option to make your own series of new designs. Everwhere you go in this world you can find people Casting Jewelry. With the prices of gold increasing day by day and with the entry of new metal jewelry like platinum, casting jewelry slowly but surely is making a mark in the fashion world. With the cost silver plated casting jewelry, the dream of wearing a new necklace or a new ear-ring everyday is a reality. You can actually afford new set of jewelry everyday. There are also costly models made of pure gold and delicate designs and with embedded diamonds that are available. 

Casting Jewelry is not only about fashion, it has also opened a new avenue for small scale businesses. With proper knowledge and machinery, you can start your own company and make casting jewelry. This is very nice because anyone can get started because you don't need a lot of expensive material or a lot of money to get the process started. A small store room in your house will also be sufficient to set up your casting jewelry work-shop. You can then design your own range or hire a professional jewelry designer to create your range of jewelry.

Casting Jewelry has also helped the educational branch of “jewelry designing” grow considerably. Today it is considered in par with “fashion designing”. Many young students are nowadays looking at jewelry designing as a full time career.

Sometimes you will find that plated casting jewerly may lose its shine or the coating if it is used heavily or on a daily basis. If they come in contact with water regularly, then they can turn black. You can get them re-plated and use them. As casting jewelry is very fragile and delicate, even a slight mishap can change its shape or even break it.

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CNC Machine Controllers

CNC Drivers

Machine Controllers take your machining instructions from your G-Code and converts the G-Code into motion.  You are off to the races.  The controller interprets the signal pulses from your Control Computer and instructs the machine to move.

The CNC Controller is made up of various electrical parts.  Remember earlier that I said some electronic junkies flock to CNC.  This is why.  Machine controllers can be built if you are savvy with a soldering iron.  I myself am not.  I personally always default to ordering up a Machine Controller from one of my sources.

Controller builders to me are electronic gods.  They mix power sources, match up Amp, Volts, etc into the item I need.  Generally, you can pick the number of Axis you want before they build the controller.  For example, if you are building a CNC Router you may want a two-axis controller.  Possibly a three-axis controller if you have a Torch Height Control.  If you have a milling machine or a wood router in mind, then a three axis is your ticket.  If you want to machine with a rotary axis, then you need a four-axis controller.  So on and so forth.

Here are some example controller prices
Here are some prices you might see in the marketplace.Most come with motors and cables as well.  Really, you purchase a whole kit at once if you go this route.Another way to do it is to assemble it yourself.  I wouldn’t suggest this for the beginner.

Prices
2 Axis – $1000–$3000 - Movement in the X and Y axis, dependent on the size of motors you order
3 Axis – $1500–$4000 - Movement in the X, Y and Z axis, dependent on the size of motors you order
4 Axis – $2000–$6000 - Movement in the X, Y, Z and A axis, dependent on the size of motors you order

Note: The A-axis is the rotational axis.  Why is it called that?I do not know.  It is also sometimes called the B-axis.  I have even heard it called the W-axis.  A-axis is the rotational axis around the X-axis. B-axis is the rotational axis around the Y-axis.

Buying a completed CNC Machine
If you purchase a CNC Router outright, it will have a machine controller as part of the package.  Everyone does it a bit different though.  Some try to make it a black box that only they can fix.  Other use commonly used components so you could repair it if need be.  You will just have to ask the manufacturer and see what they say.  My experience says they usually tell you that it uses common components that you can get anywhere if needed.  If something goes wrong, it seems you can only get the part from them.  You will have to decide.

Internal Machine Controller Parts
There are many different electrical components that go into a machine controller.  I won’t pretend that I am an expert on this.This is a component I buy premade so I don't have to make it.If you are electronics wizard you could build your own.I know my skills and it isn't assembling and understanding electronics.

Here is what I know about the guts of a controller.  There will be drivers.  One for each axis.Gecko drivers seem to be the best on the market right now and they also have great support.  I have used Gecko drivers in two of my creations and they work great.  Next, is a processor to do the computing work.  A power source to power the controller.  Finally the external cableling that heads out to the motors at each axis on your machine.
There is more to it than that and I probably left out something.  Those are the basic parts of machine controllers.

CNC Control Pendants
I did not know where to put this section.  The Machining Chapter or Machine Controllers Chapter.It ended up here because the pendant is hooked to the controller.  Any pendant automatically gets a gold star from me.  I love them.  If you use one, I guarantee you will love it.

Pendants are a true lifesaver when machining.  They give you access to commonly used functions about anywhere you want them.  You can jog the machine to a new location.  You can zero out your axis with a click.You can even change your machining speeds while machining.  All pendants are different and are usually associated with a purchased Machine Controller.

Pendants can be made.  There are a number of people out there that have pieced them together.  Generally these are the electronic types of people involved with CNC.  They like this extra challenge.Many of these homemade CNC pendants come out very nice.Many of these folks are proud of their designs and will share them with you.The trick is to find them.

CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you would like to know more about CNC, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com
You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series...Image to CNC Art when you join the community.

CNC computer

CNC Controllers

The CNC Control Computer generally resides in the shop somewhere near the CNC machine it is controlling.  Control Computers don’t have to be the top of the line, every bell and whistle type of computer.These are what do the work.  Save your money for a good design computer.  You will save much more time having a fast computer for your designing.

A control computer doesn’t have to be that powerful for a few good reasons.  It doesn’t have the workload.  It takes G-Code and turns it into signals that it transmits to the Machine Controller.  Turning G-Code into signals is not that labor intensive for a computer.

I have used multiple types of control computers.  Everything from a 486 DOS running “$30 special” to a modern Dell with Windows XP.I have yet to try one out with Windows Vista.  I will keep you posted.  Generally I like to find a good used computer for a couple hundred bucks, wipe the hard drive and only load the control software onto the machine.That way you know what you got.

There is another good reason you don’t want to spend a lot of money here.This computer is generally located out in the shop.  Dirt will be located in your shop.  Using logic here, dirt will be located in your computer.If the computer dies, you aren't out your child's college tuition.

Here is my strategy in a nutshell for Control Computers.  The dirtier the job, the less money I spend on the computer.My CNC plasma cutting computers are purchased for about .They suck up a lot of dust and dirt.  I blow them out frequently.  My wood routing computers are in the 0 dollar range.Generally my CNC Mill control computers are about 0.  Truth be told, they all last a very long time if you keep dirt, dust and plasma smoke out of them.

How is the CNC Control Computer used?
The CNC control computer has the CNC control software loaded on it.  You start up the control software then load up the CNC Program you created.  When you do this, the G-Code will be visible and ready to go.  Once you prep your CNC Router and zero it out, you can begin your “cycle.”  A cycle is usually completing one CNC Program, which is a machining sequence.  You will also hear the term “Cycle Time” on the professional side of CNC a lot more.  The quicker you can get the cycle time, the more parts you can make.  And yes, that translates to more money.

Back in the good old days of Home CNC, everything was transferred on a disk.  Now I have seen people include their Control Computers on their home computer network and transfer the files needed wirelessly.  At a very minimum, get a good jump drive and transfer things back and forth that way.

CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you would like to know more about CNC, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com

You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the free image to CNC art video series...Image to CNC art when you come into our free community.

Why One Should Be Reading The 20gb Mp3 Player Review

If you are thinking about getting a discount mp3 player that you have come across there are some things that you are going to want to take into consideration. The first thing that you should really be considering is how much storage space you really need in a player. While the player that you are looking at seems to be a good deal, you may find something better if you are really not in need of such an excessive amount of storage space for your music. This is a personal choice and one that you should be thinking over for a good bit before you go spending all of your money on something that you could really do without.

So before you go and spend all of your hard earned money it would be a good idea to check out a 20gb mp3 player review or two. This will give you a good idea on whether or not that type of mp3 player is really something that you would want to have. Also, the 20gb mp3 player review that is brand specific is a great way to make sure that the overall product is something that is worth any money at all. Make sure that you are reading at least one good 20gb mp3 player review before you make your purchase.

Finding Good Mp3 Player Reviews That You Can Trust

Once you are finally ready to start paying close attention to a 20gb mp3 player review it is important that you are finding the right ones. There is absolutely no way that any company can make everyone out there happy so you want to make sure that the reviews that you are reading are true and to the point. Avoid the ones that appear to be someone who is just generally upset with the company for one reason or another because these people are most likely just blowing off steam and telling lies in order to make the company look bad.

Start your search on the Internet for a 20gb mp3 player review that you can trust. You will find once you find the reviews that there are a lot more then you probably thought there would be. This is typical so just try to surf through a few of them in order to find the most detailed ones. The detailed 20gb mp3 player review is what you would want to keep an eye out for and pay attention to. The more information you have the better off your choices will be.

What is Bronze Casting?

Metal Casting

Bronze has been the most sought-after metal for cast metal sculptures in the bygone years. Bronze alloys have a desirable and unusual property to expand slightly prior to their setting. This helps a great deal in filling every corner of the mold. Their ductility and strength causes them to be molded into any form. However, bronze has a basic disadvantage of not being durable. Hence, there are hardly any traces of ancient bronze statues found. Bronze Metal Casting generally takes place by a process called lost-wax casting. Though, centrifugal and sand castings are also employed, around 90% of bronze casting takes place through lost-wax casting.

Lost-wax method: Lost-wax Metal Casting , in the industry, is better known as investment casting. It is costlier than die and sand Metal Casting , but outshines them in terms of accuracy. It is easily possible to make complicated structures through ‘lost-wax casting’. The process can be described as follows:

Sculpting: First, the original artwork is created by the artist from clay, wax, or some other material. Since Clay and Wax have a retention of softness, you will see them being used most often.

Mold making: Majority of molds consist of 2 pieces, along with a shim placed between 2 halves at the time of construction in order to put back the mold accurately. Its the keys that are usually stored in the shim area. Plaster is generally what makes up small scuplture molds. Fiberglass is also another item that can be used. To have the minute details preserved on the surface of original artwork, there exists a mold inside. It is made up of vinyl, silicone, or latex supported by plaster part of mold. Generally, the destruction of original artwork takes place during making. This is due to the solid nature of the originals. The other reason is the rigidity of the originals at the time of removal of plaster mold. That’s why; the original is cut off into thin, long pieces and separately molded. At times, a number of molds are required for recreating the original structure.

Wax: After the completion of latex-and-plaster mold, the pouring of molten wax takes place. Then, swishing is carried out till a uniform coating is obtained. The thickness of the coating is 1/8 inches. It is the inner surface of the mold that gets covered by it. You will continue to repeat this process over and over until you get the thickness that you desire.

Wax removal: Artwork’s ‘hallow wax copy’ is detached from mold. This mold may be reused by the artist for making more copies of wax, but its use gets restricted due to frequent ‘wear & tear’. Around 25 copies can be made for tiny bronze artworks.

Chasing: The chasing of each copy starts. Rubbing of the marks is done by a hot metal tool. The marks showing ‘flashing’ or ‘parting line’ are rubbed out.

Spruing: The spruing of copy generates paths to flow (for molten bronze) and causes air to move out.

Slurry: The dipping of sprued copy into a liquid silica slurry, and then into sand-like ‘stucco’ takes place. If its 1/2 inch that you are going for in your coating, you will want to continue this process until this thickness is obtained.

After these steps, the out-and-out processes like burnout, testing, pouring, releasing, metal chasing, and patinating are carried out.

Metal Casting ZOne is a new community website all about Home and DIY Metal Casting. Stop Around MetalCastingZone today to get your free reference guide on Metal Casting just for signing up! Come by MetalCastingZone.Com right away to receive your own Ebook on Metal Casting Basics for Free.