The practical hands on creative person will enjoy
personal rewards of ancient craft of metal casting.Armed with correct knowledge, it is quite feasible to melt and cast metal in home workshop, thousands of people world over are involved in it right now... there's no reason why you couldn't try your hand at hobby metal casting too.
But don't attempt metal casting if you have no prior knowledge or experience in this field, first of all you need to learn about basic techniques, and methods used in this ancient metal craft.
There are also many personal safety aspects to consider, remember, you'll be handling molten metals at extremely high temperatures. There is an element of danger involved in hobby, but with a commonsense approach to safety, and by being extremely careful, accidents should not happen.
So just where do you learn about hobby metal casting techniques?
There are many books available about subject, some are highly technical and perhaps difficult to understand. Many books are written purely for metal casting industry. The ordinary hobby worker would find industry specific technical writing difficult to understand, and find it next to impossible to reduce high-tech writing down to a hobby level of understanding.
One of best ways to learn craft is to have, or arrange for someone to train or coach you over a period of time in your own small foundry... you'll quickly learn how to create sand moulds, how to build equipment, and many other things that you need to know.
But, for most people, one on one mentoring is just a dream. And, as time goes on, there are less people around to provide a personal hands on method of teaching metal casting.
The only way most people can obtain this kind of training is by enrolling in a foundry course at a trade school, trade school tuition, while being very good, could be an expensive option for many people. Some people, due to distance from trade colleges, may find it impossible to attend a trade teaching facility.
