Casting Bronze Fittings

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WoodyP

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Does anybody know if it is possible (and practical) to take a moulding of an existing bronze deck fitting and then melt down and recast to sort out stress fractures, or in this case, damage caused by an over enthusiastic crane operative. If so, any ideas who could do this sort of work?

The boat and fittings are from the early 1970's, Kingfisher Yacht. The other boat came off worst, so I am lead to believe.

TIA.
G.
 
Some of my older "build your own boat and sail off round the world" books talk about having custom fittings cast by a foundry based on home made wooden patterns so it's definitely feasible. Not sure about reusing all the same bronze though - I think you'd need a little bit more than is in the fitting itself.

Also no idea where you find a small-run foundry in the UK these days.

Pete
 
+1 for Classic Marine. I had some portholes cast to a pattern I supplied. All good, if a trifle expensive. They may even have a similar fitting in stock, depending what it is of course
 
I have done bronze casting as part of my art degree and after had a wee foundry. Yes you can use the old bronze but you will loose a percentage through slag and waste, runners etc. If you use the old fittings as the pattern the finished item will be 10% smaller (hot metal poured in will shrink). I assume there are no cut backs under-hangs. as in cleats, If so sand casting is the way to go. If there are then a lost wax method is needed more complicated to do. There is a book "Backyard foundry" it has a blue cover, very good and has all you need to know to make and set up a foundry (done at you own risk).

It is probably not worth doing if you only intend to do a dozen pieces. Unless it's for the fun. If you get the chance to stir metal or watch then I advise you to go for it.
 
Wooden Boat magazine has an excellent article on pattern making in issue 39 and another on casting in issue 130, both issues downloadable at very reasonable cost. Full searchable index on line.
 
WoodyP said:
Does anybody know if it is possible (and practical) to take a moulding of an existing bronze deck fitting and then melt down and recast to sort out stress fractures, or in this case, damage caused by an over enthusiastic crane operative. If so, any ideas who could do this sort of work?

The boat and fittings are from the early 1970's, Kingfisher Yacht. The other boat came off worst, so I am lead to believe.

TIA.
G.
Click to expand...

What is the fitting ? If it happens to be a fairlead I have a couple of that age.
 
WoodyP said:
Does anybody know if it is possible (and practical) to take a moulding of an existing bronze deck fitting and then melt down and recast to sort out stress fractures, or in this case, damage caused by an over enthusiastic crane operative. If so, any ideas who could do this sort of work?

The boat and fittings are from the early 1970's, Kingfisher Yacht. The other boat came off worst, so I am lead to believe.

TIA.
G.
Click to expand...

casting moulds are made over sized to allow for the material ( bronze/ iron whatever ) to be the correct size when cool
Pattern makers have ruler`s with markings adjusted for different metals, so then they just measure in the normal way,with the appropriate ruler for the metal they are casting
 
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The Rival Owners Association had some new tiller fittings cast in bronze from my original a couple of years ago, the key reason being a member who had suffered a failure on Easter Island and needed help. Classic Marine put us on to the foundary they used who in turn were very helpful for such a small job (couldn't have made much from it). I can't rememebr the foundary but I guess Classic Marine will be helful again. We did suffer a slight shrinkage effect which required a little work with a Dremel to resolve but copying from an existing fitting was much cheaper than making up an oversized plug.
 
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