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Venting tweaks gave me cleaner metal parts
Lately, I notice a lot of folks paying more attention to where they put vents in molds. My own casts used to come out with ugly holes and weak spots. A guy at the shop taught me to add vents right at the highest points. Last month, I tried it on a bracket mold and the aluminum filled in perfect. Now my pieces look solid and need less cleanup. It's a small detail that makes a big difference. I'm happy I learned this.
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sage_murray6mo ago
Yeah that high-point venting trick is solid. Something I wonder about is if placing them there wears the mold out faster from thermal cycling, since that's where heat builds up most. Might be worth tracking over a few hundred cycles.
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amyg296mo ago
Isn't it typical that the spot taking the most heat gives up first? Reminds me of car brake pads wearing out faster in city driving from constant use and heat. I had to replace mine every year when I commuted daily, but on long trips they held up fine. Tracking those cycles would probably show a clear spike in wear at the stress points.
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uma_jenkins636mo ago
Heat concentration at vents caused cracks after 400 cycles, @amyg29.
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