Finishing Castings

[hemmjo]

My son is refurbishing a rowing shell trailer for a team he used to row with.
When loaded the shells rest on 2” square steel tube. It is amazing how
many critters use those tubes to build nests. Plastic tube plugs slow them
down, but the critters easily chew through them. Sun degrades them leaving
the tube open for rodents to inhabit.

Friends helped me up with 3D printed patterns for making some cast aluminum plugs
(Thanks to Carl and Steve)


Another thread described how these patterns were used to make aluminum castings
Link Casting Aluminum Parts


After casting, the parts were separated from the sprue.
Parting line defects were removed with a belt sander
Link Lathe Belt Sander Attachment




The parts then required some milling to remove the runner
remnant and some of the casting draft angle.
This was done using a lathe milling adapter.
Link Simple lathe milling adapter







All 4 sides are milled for good fit in the tubes


Test fit


Six of the plugs are drilled to for clearance lights.
This operation required soft jaws for my chuck.
LINK Lathe Soft Jaws


The backs bored to reduce thickness for the light grommet.






The plugs were sprayed with etching printer and painted


LED clearance lights press into a rubber grommet