Foam pieces being machined for glued assembly of final form.
Stirrup pieces being machined before assembly with decorative features and sprue.
Stirrups were machined in two halves due to limit of 3 axis mills available.
Assembled stirrup halves, sanded to final finish before lettering added.
One investment iteration being applied. A total of 8 variations were attempted to obtain optimal surface finish and mold flow.
Another iteration of investment, an undercoat was applied to improve surface finish from the foam core.
A rather large sprue was needed to provide enough flow pressure to fill the mold completely.
An early failure showing poor surface finish and the need to refine the process.
Cooling the cast.
Leftover finished parts partially finish sanded.
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Casted Stirrups
This was a combination of an independent study into casting methods and material properties while attending Oklahoma State University and a present for my, now, wife. The image above are the two leftover prototypes, the final product has since been painted by my wife. Various casting methods were attempted, leading ultimately to a combination of lost foam and investment casting for the finished product.
