Castings

Should anyone be in need of having castings made now or in the future it could be worth making a note of Owl Castings. They contacted our club recently, they have been supplying model engineers for 10 years and can supply one offs/small numbers. They cast in iron, aluminium, brass and bronze.

I have no experience of using them but thought it worth passing on.

Webite: www.owlcastings.co.uk

Ron

Thanks, Ron

The website is nicely done ... which I think bodes well for the quality of service.

Duly bookmarked.

MichaelG.

Where are they based as there are no postal or physical address.

David

... by deduction, I would say Margate

MichaelG.

Not too far out Michael, actually based in Cornwall. I'll let you find where it says that on their site

Their eBay listings show Liskeard.

[This posting has been removed]

I was just going by their named associates

... can’t win em all

MichaelG.

As they only seem to be offering a service from drawing/file to finished item and don't mention being able to cast from your own patterns location is not such an issue. Quite likely the CAD and possibly printing is done in one location and the casting in done in one or more others.

The fact all their photos seem to revolve around lost wax casting suggests that may be inhouse(s) and the other services outsourced.

Based in Kent, pretty much a one man operation, but using other external foundries on a sub contract basis. Website implies a full in house one stop service from drawing to casting but this is not the case. Used them once for CI & GM sand cast but wouldn't do so again as quality, communications and delivery left a great deal to be desired. It appears they have blanket e mailed the majority of ME clubs and model associated e.mails/ websites, to drum up business. Not trying to be negative, just saying what my own experience was. Caveat Emptor and all that.

We got the email and I had been thinking if anyone had experience of them. Without a full address, just a landline starting 01843 and a mobile on the website I wondered if they were a front for a Chinese or Indian foundry.
A source of iron castings would be nice but some idea of price would be interesting. Having to produce a CAD drawing with draft angles etc gets a bit more difficult than making a wooden pattern.

01843 Phone code is Thanet and surrounding area.

Mmm ... Margate is about four miles from Thanet

Not, as JB points out. No draft angles required for lost wax (or lost PLA) castings? I note they are aiming at ‘on-off’ castings, mainly.

If they are, indeed, simply making 3-D printed patterns and subbing out the metal casting, their website is perhaps misleading (but likely very carefully worded to give certain impression to readers).

Our vision is simple... provide a single resource that can design, prototype and cast a part for the hobbyist or small volume engineering facility.

”and have a part cast” might be a more understandable of what their ’resource’ actually means?