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Anyone have large cast iron conical slag molds to sell?

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NobleMetalWorks

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
1,463
Location
East Bay Area, California
I am looking for large cast iron conical slag molds.

I ordered two from Legend that look like this:

http://www.lmine.com/mm5/merchant.m...S&Product_Code=18390&Category_Code=slag_molds

I ordered them last month, after I paid I received an email that said they were back ordered, and wouldn't be in until the beginning of March. So I called this morning to ask where the molds were, and why I have yet to receive them. The woman who took my call told me they wouldn't have them until the end of this month. So I complained, naturally, that's 6 weeks from the time I ordered, I could have ordered something from China, she told me that if it were her who told me when I was going to receive the mold, she would have told me April.

I understand they are back ordered, but 6 weeks is too long, two moths is ever worse, and now she's telling me that it could be April?

I want to cancel my order now, but I fear I'm not going to be able to get them somewhere else for that price. The cheapest I have seen them is $249 on ebay, Action Mining has them for less, but they get them from the same place and they are out also.

So my question is this, does anyone have any large cast iron slag molds they would be willing to part with? And if so, could you message me with details please? I have a customer I need to process material for, and need a slag mold like this to do so.

Thank you in advance

Scott
 
I get them made locally by a foundry, call me and I can get you squared away. I can melt cast iron in my big furnace...just need to get some coarser greensand.
 
I just made my own, 12" square top x 8" deep. Have a steel yard, with a shear, cut some triangles (4 ). Weld up using TIG or MIG, so you get a nice clean weld on inside. Sand or smooth the weld for easy release. Use 3/8" plate at least. Just like what Jason from MBMM uses, the inverted pyramid shape. I couldn't find one either, frustrating isn't it. I think I had $50.oo in materials, + a couple hours welding. Most of my time was spent cleaning up my stick welds with a die grinder/carbide tip, to give a nice round finish to welds. If you don't have MIG or TIG, farm it out to a welding shop that can do the thickness you choose. As usual, the more you have done, the cheaper the unit cost. This way you can make whatever size you choose. More durable than cast iron also, I think. You can beat on steel, Nono with cast. Lighter to move than CI.
Other option is to make a mold of what you want, high density foam will work. Find the most local foundry and find their availability and pricing.
 
Lou, I am wondering if your local foundry still makes cast iron molds for gold smelting?
They will but you have to provide the pattern or pay the pattern fee.

I once dabbled with cast iron and while it’s easy to melt and pour, there’s definitely some considerations on how you do the molding. I actually really like casting iron. Way easier

It’s way easier for infrequent use molds to just do what gold shark said and use thickest plate you can afford.
 
Interesting Lou - I would "assume" having a single mold cast would not be cheap ?

Kurt
Sorta depends. Having one, I could probably take that one to the local iron foundry, if they still exist, and end up with another one, or two, for close to the same price as what it gets shipped for. That is assuming their prices haven't went up too much, which they probably have.

They would do loose pieces pretty affordably with the end of melts.
 
I will add this. After driving to the foundry and back, and explaining the job, I'd again expect it to cost more than just buying one.

I took a multi neck lid to a reactor (one broken connector) to the glassblower last week. He quoted me $200 if it survives the torch. I usually pay $50 for these used...cheap compared to new. BUT...I need an extra on the shelf.

There's times when making your own saves money, and when making your own costs money. Learning the difference, especially with a background in engineering, as well as a full machine / welding shop at my disposal, is really darn difficult.
 
I just made my own, 12" square top x 8" deep. Have a steel yard, with a shear, cut some triangles (4 ). Weld up using TIG or MIG, so you get a nice clean weld on inside. Sand or smooth the weld for easy release. Use 3/8" plate at least. Just like what Jason from MBMM uses, the inverted pyramid shape. I couldn't find one either, frustrating isn't it. I think I had $50.oo in materials, + a couple hours welding. Most of my time was spent cleaning up my stick welds with a die grinder/carbide tip, to give a nice round finish to welds. If you don't have MIG or TIG, farm it out to a welding shop that can do the thickness you choose. As usual, the more you have done, the cheaper the unit cost. This way you can make whatever size you choose. More durable than cast iron also, I think. You can beat on steel, Nono with cast. Lighter to move than CI.
Other option is to make a mold of what you want, high density foam will work. Find the most local foundry and find their availability and pricing.
Goldshark, would you at all be interested in making another one? I would happily pay you up front.
 
Goldshark, would you at all be interested in making another one? I would happily pay you up front.
Any welding shop could fab the mold, if i were to make one I would bevel the edges to where they come together.

Welded from the outside, a good welder would fill the bevel with out burning through to the inside of the mold.

The time to weld this mold is minimal maybe half an hour, it's the clean up time that will add dollars to the project.

I have the same conical mold that Lmine sells and its damn heavy, I purchased this long before seeing the one Jason uses in his videos.

Had I known would have made my own.

As they say a fool and his money are easily parted.
 
Goldshark, would you at all be interested in making another one? I would happily pay you up front.
I would sell the one I just made to you. It probably weighs 50 lbs. so shipping may be costly. I made this for 300 grams of assay ore, + fluxes Probably hold a lot more, haven't even volume tested it yet, hot off the welder.. What are your needs? I don't know if this is big enough for your needs. Like I said, probably cheaper to source the materials locally, then have a welder weld the joints. I would want in the neighborhood of $400 for mine. This because I took a lot more time sandblasting all surfaces, and cleaning up the internal welds, for easier slag/button removal,+ the shipping. Stuff you may not need to do. It is about 3 times the size of Jason's in his videos. PM me if still interested. I won't need it till May/June. I used 3/8" plate.
 
I would sell the one I just made to you. It probably weighs 50 lbs. so shipping may be costly. I made this for 300 grams of assay ore, + fluxes Probably hold a lot more, haven't even volume tested it yet, hot off the welder.. What are your needs? I don't know if this is big enough for your needs. Like I said, probably cheaper to source the materials locally, then have a welder weld the joints. I would want in the neighborhood of $400 for mine. This because I took a lot more time sandblasting all surfaces, and cleaning up the internal welds, for easier slag/button removal,+ the shipping. Stuff you may not need to do. It is about 3 times the size of Jason's in his videos. PM me if still interested. I won't need it till May/June. I used 3/8" plate.
I have no idea how to PM, sorry. I will do as many have recommended and try to find someone near me. I appreciate your response.
 
You can make the pattern if your wood working is up to par. The main cost is the pattern.
I was paying $2/lb for grey iron when I last got something cast probably 7 years ago. I was also buying steel for $0.26/lb in 4,000 lb lifts. The 4,000 lb lift has went to $1.00 / lb.

Finding an iron foundry that will do short run work was next to impossible as well back then too. I got lucky that I found the local place, and they don't advertise that they do it.

Really makes legend seem cheap.
 
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