Bronze-casting coins from 3d-printed parts

14 thoughts on “Bronze-casting coins from 3d-printed parts”

1. waldo says:

   October 2nd, 2010 at 3:26 pm

   It’s in Davenport, Iowa, guys. Iowa.

1. Matt Mets says:

   October 2nd, 2010 at 7:35 pm

   Right, thanks.

2. jarkman says:

   October 3rd, 2010 at 3:16 am

   I tried a bit of lost-wax bronze casting using a Makerbot-printed part in ABS, with promising results. In a ‘this will be great when I learn how to do it properly’ kind of a way.

   Unlike sand casting, the process destroys the master, but it does allow parts to have undercuts and so on which would be impossible to sand-cast. The resolution should be better, too.

   Here’s a few pictures and process notes:

   http://picasaweb.google.com/jarkman/100923_lost_abs_casting#

3. MadRat says:

   October 4th, 2010 at 12:19 am

   Isn’t it easier to cast things in zinc, due to its lower melting temperature?

1. netmagdave says:

   October 4th, 2010 at 4:25 am

   Nahh, 3d-printers let you print in incredible fidelity in plastic. See the Objet Alaris30 (http://bit.ly/aJBtDs) for an example.

2. MadRat says:

   October 4th, 2010 at 10:23 am

   What I meant was isn’t it easier to use zinc instead of bronze?

1. jarkman says:

   October 4th, 2010 at 10:47 am

   It would be easier to use zinc, and even easier to use pewter or one of the low-melt alloys sold for casting model soldiers. You can cast pewter and cooler alloys into silicone moulds, which give you great resolution.

   But bronze does make a much nicer thing.

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