Wheel weight build

[George Willer]

But how do you make the sand castings?
David

David,

Here's an explanation, but it is much more sophisticated than IH used to make the wheel weights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_casting

The casting quality of the weights suggests most molds were made by employees their first day on the job. It isn't rocket science... they were only interested in HEAVY.

[Boss Hog]

Thanks George
David

[400lbsonacubseatspring]

Gentlemen,

Melting lead for any sort of casting needs to be done OUTSIDE....or in an arrangement that the lead fumes are taken out with the stove exhaust.

When I made leaden fishing sinkers, I just melted small amounts in a casting ladle in our old jackstove in the cellar......any fumes went right up the chimney.....

Melting a pot full of lead needs be done in a heavy iron pot that is banked in hot coals.......one just keeps the fire going, and keeps banking the coals under, and around the pot.

Make / obtain yourself a good fire ring, and choose a day that is not too windy, or it'll never melt.....

Basically, sand casting is done by ramming sand (with a conditioner to make it stick together) as tightly as possible around an existing Iron wheel weight, and then carefully removing it (I don't think there are any undercuts, are there, George??)

Oh wait, the back side of the weight is dished in, to allow stacking, so it would need to be a 2 part mold....nonetheless, it's still an easy enough process.....

I helped cast some Iron and aluminum pulleys some years ago here on this farm, and I was amazed at how (relatively) easy the process was. My uncle had lathed masters out of wood.

With a 2 part mold, of a single-bodied object of that size, one needs perhaps 3 or 4 places to pour the lead in, and a couple of places to let the hot air and steam out.

These places later need to be cut off and ground flat with a grinder, but it is not a big deal with any common metal.

[Eugene]

I tried to make weights for my cadets out of concrete,but they were not heavy enough. Bruce

Somebody (commercial manufacturer) made concrete weights, plastic coated that fit rear wheels on lawn tractors. I have a set on a 105 Cub Cadet. They are about 3 or 4 times as thick as the front wheel weight on the Cub.

Wouldn't it be faster, easier and perhaps cheaper to fluid load your rear tires?

Eugene

[Buzzard Wing]

Interesting, especially since I need a set for Rufus and $100 for a couple of chunks of iron is pretty steep in my frugal mind.

I started cleaning up the weights for Cathy today.... But I don't have a sandbox so not sure I could get a good mold before they get mounted. And I still have a lot to do on the 'snowplow'.

Larry

[JBall8019]

this is another good post! i have seen construction companies make weights for alot of different machinery. i watched a field repair tech use a 55 gal drum full of old tire balance weights to make square shaped ballast for an earthmover. he used what i think is a large propane torch and a cast iron pot to melt the stuff down. the molds were made of wood coated in grout.
john

[TractorChick]

i would say, just spend a little more and just buy weights... much easier

[Boss Hog]

We use mound clay to build up around home plate and the pitchers mound. this stuff is prety easy to work with. Do you think a mold could be made out of clay alone housed in wood?
David

[George Willer]

We use mound clay to build up around home plate and the pitchers mound. this stuff is prety easy to work with. Do you think a mold could be made out of clay alone housed in wood?
David

Maybe it would be possible, but certainly the time honored sand would be much better. Sand will faithfully copy the shape of the pattern and separate cleanly. I've made a lot of castings using properly prepared sand and wouldn't consider clay.

There's a source for books with a lot of old technology reprinted covering this subject as well as many other nifty ones.

http://www.lindsaybks.com/

I'm sure many will have fun browsing his catalog.

I'm fortunate to have many of the original books he has copied in my archives.

[Ironchef]

Keep in mind ,moisture and molten lead, Bad mixture.

[400lbsonacubseatspring]

Keep in mind ,moisture and molten lead, Bad mixture.

Well...

if a little dampness in the sand didn't kill anyone pouring molten iron, then molten lead should go much easier, being that it's about 3000 degrees cooler..............

Honestly, this can be done happily and safely.......Even if George and I have to do a casting demonstration for you all next year at Redman's.............to prove the point.

[Rick Prentice]

i would say, just spend a little more and just buy weights... much easier

C'mon TC, take away man's ability to daydream, and we're "SUNK"

We like challenges , even if we spend $50 to save $1

Rick

[kinelbor]

i would say, just spend a little more and just buy weights... much easier

C'mon TC, take away man's ability to daydream, and we're "SUNK"

We like challenges , even if we spend $50 to save $1

Rick

I agree Rick! To me the challenge is more enjoyable, and usually end up with tools I dont have too!

[kinelbor]

Even if George and I have to do a casting demonstration for you all next year at Redman's.............to prove the point.

Please do! I would be really interested to see that done!

[George Willer]

Even if George and I have to do a casting demonstration for you all next year at Redman's.............to prove the point.

Please do! I would be really interested to see that done!

Here comes another long winded story but I don't know how to tell it briefly...

I had been dreaming about the possibility of making my own castings for a long time, but it seemed like an impossible pipe dream until i received an unlikely inspiration. On a visit to the Sauder village museum at Archbold, OH one item on display caught my eye. It was a familiar Craftsman plane, but it was BRASS!

It seems this guy was doing woodworking back in the boondocks somewhere in South America. He didn't have the plane he needed but he did have a spare plane iron. Someone he knew had a plane he could borrow for a short time.

This little country had recently had a violent revolution and he went out in the jungle and collected a bunch of cartridge casings for the brass. He used the borrowed plane as a pattern and rammed up a mold . He melted the brass somehow and poured his own plane.

So... if this guy could do it out in the jungle with very limited resources (but probably a lot of time) why not try it using the equipment in a pretty complete shop? The rest is history.

Wheel weights? No problem! What color?