Backyard Foundry E-Zine: PIRATE KEYS!   Posted 10-09-12

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My favorite grandson is turning 2 and having a pirate party...so I made him some pirate keys...I am a locksmith by trade by the way.  I would have made them out of brass, but the Mrs' was afraid they would be too heavy for his little toes.  I took two short dowel rods and rammed them up in the drag.  (See first picture) Then, I turned it upright and coped down half way.  Then I dusted the drag and rammed the cope.  I pulled the flask apart and free handed the bow, bit and runners and sprue.  I carved the crossed bones into it too.  They didn't come out perfectly, but it is fine for this little project.  Can you believe I did something other than lost foam!!

This picture is of the keys as poured...one key cut off already.

Next is one of the keys finished

Other one finished

Here are both of them

Next, I made a foam pattern to cast the key ring from brass.  Here is the pattern.

and here it is as poured.  As you can see, it didn't fill completely...so I just made it smaller.  next time, I may just use a rod as a pattern in the flask to make the ring too.

Here it is done with the keys on it

Here is the final result with one of my favorite little pirates!

Well, that was a fun little project.

 I put my burner into a larger tube and lit it with kerosene.  Here is a video of that.  It is only the raw video, I will edit it and post that soon!

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Some of my Past E-zines (Click on picture to visit page)

CNC Router Pewter Bell Video Part one..You can click on the next two from there

Swedish Horse Lost Foam Cast in Brass

Dog Plaque Lost Foam Cast in Brass

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