As an old wise man told me once, Dont hit the blue steel.
A newb to the forging arts you will at some time make this mistake. keep the forged metal hot, as in cherry red hot whenever you smite the steel.
If you are going to melt Aluminum. make sure there is absolutely no presence of moisture in the pot with the metal being heated and in the mold if your going to be using a green sand technique.
A good pattern making material is that thick blue or pink foam insulation board you get from home depot, its for cladding out side of houses underneath the siding. With that stuff, make your part,drill, cut, glue pieces to expand parts, whatever... then place it in the casting flask and pour sand over that. make sure to have your sprue, gates and vents( use a coat hanger to poke a few holes into the casting form, from the top)
Try to get some welding leathers or foundry gear. A face shield and safety glasses is a must aswell as heavy leather gloves(pipeliners). Do not wear anything synthetic for clothing aswell as footwear (wear work boots).
One thing that i think about whenever I do some casting, weather lead for bullets or getting a bigger melt for aly, is have an exit plan if something goes wrong. Making sure the area is clean and clear to move about unobstructed is a good work setup. if your on fire you want a clear run to the hose to douse your self out, not having to move junk or trip on tools, wires or hoses while in an emergency situation. also have a helper or closely watching audience with out protection is not a good idea unless they are far away (10-15ft is a good start).
Well those are just some of the things off the top of my head. any more questions ask or pm me. good luck and stay safe.
