Casting the lead bulb

The keel is almost ready!! A few posts back, we made a mould for the keel out of concrete and tried to cast the lead ourselves. It turned out to be very challenging to do in our facilities, so I decided to have a professional handle it the best decision. Thanks to Metallivalimo Arnie Oy !

The 3D-printed mould was secured inside a wooden support frame and treated with release agent prior to casting.

Encasing the mould in resin-bonded sand

After the sand had fully cured, the mould assembly was inverted and the guide bushings were fitted.

The sand had fully cured, and the white 3D-printed mould was visible through the casting channel.

                                 
                                       

                                                   The mould was opened and treated with a refractory wash to seal the sand surface, preventing molten lead from infiltrating the fine pores of the mould.

The mould was poured with molten lead, and additional weights were secured along the edges to keep the mould halves closed under pressure.

Once the casting had cooled, the mould was broken apart and the lead bulb was removed.

Finally, the empty mould pieces were cleared away.

We sincerely thank Metallivalimo Arnie Oy  for their expertise in casting the keel bulb and for supporting the thorough documentation of the process. All keel components are now ready. The next step is to attach the bulb parts to the keel and install the keel in its final position. Stay tuned!