What kind of business you can open with metals. What metal products are in demand among the population? The most demanded metal structures and the advantages of using them

Beginning entrepreneurs are faced with a number of problems in addition to finding start-up capital. One of the most pressing issues is the availability of a production facility. And it doesn't matter what you do - production of goods, trade or services. The premises are needed in cases where it is impossible to implement a home business due to the specifics of the activity. Then entrepreneurs think, what if you open a business in a garage, the idea of \u200b\u200bproducing goods or services in it is not so bad, especially if you take into account the absence of the main obstacle - the financial component. If this garage is yours, then you are very lucky, because often it is the high rent of the industrial premises that prevents novice businessmen from going forward to a brighter future.

What business ideas come to mind when you hear the word "garage"? The first association for many is, of course, a car repair shop or, in other words, a service station. A lot of garages are equipped for this type of business. They start with the simplest repair and maintenance, and later, as they develop, they acquire special equipment (for example, lifts, equipment for tire fitting, camber - convergence, etc.), expand the premises, and hire personnel.

However, our article will focus on another, no less effective, direction of small business, which can be absolutely easily started from the garage - this is the production of metal products such as gates, grilles, fences, stairs, and so on.

A welding machine and a garage business - a production idea available to many!

So, the first thing that is needed for the development of this business, in addition to the garage itself, is a welding machine and your ability to work with it. The task will become more complicated if you are not friends with him, but we will not put an end to this. Finding worthy welders will not be difficult, but you still have to learn to understand the intricacies of this work, since the control functions will be entrusted to you. In addition, you will need to look for customers, meet with them, go to objects, take measurements, etc. Fortunately, now there are ample opportunities on the Internet in terms of offering their own services. You can place ads, you can use social networks, you can create your own website. It all depends on your desire, time and, of course, money.

What else is needed to adapt a garage to a metal workshop? This is the ability to connect to a 380 volt line, as well as additional equipment - a metal cutting machine, a milling machine, a work table, a grinder for stripping and grinding, a drill, accessories and other tools. In addition, it does not hurt to acquire a small portable welding for 220 Volts in the case of direct installation at the customer's site. Finished products must be painted. But do not do it with a brush, especially for large volumes of work? For these purposes, you will need a compressor and a spray. Perhaps that's all you have to fork out for in the beginning.

Who are your potential clients?

These are, first of all, buyers looking for inexpensive options. Such production does not provide for exclusivity or "show-off". These are tenants of new buildings, owners of private houses and secondary housing, tenants of small offices from apartments taken out of the housing stock. The budget product is especially in demand during the crisis. If the customer does not need a door or gate for a couple of thousand dollars, but needs a reliable alternative for two hundred, this is your client. Minimalism, simplicity and at the same time reliability, affordable price segment - all this will definitely help you find your buyer very soon.

If you work independently and you do not need to pay wages for someone else's work, then you can freely lower the price of finished products by 10-20%, because it is no secret that half of the cost of a product is exactly work. Thus, your price offer on the market will be one of the most attractive, which will help to increase your client base in the beginning.

In conclusion, it should be noted that quality is the strong point with which you can hook your customer. Despite the great competition in this industry, it is very difficult to find a decent price / quality ratio. Even if your business is in the garage at the beginning of its journey, the idea of \u200b\u200bproduction should not be focused on average or low quality. Fight for your reputation, over time the number of customers will grow thanks to positive reviews and recommendations. Try not to miss the moment when, when expanding and recruiting new staff, in the pursuit of profit, individual approach and adequate service are lost. All this will help you in the future not only to develop successfully, but also to master a number of related areas. Anatomy of Business wishes you all success and effective implementation of your business ideas!

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In our time, one cannot do without metal products. They are used in different areas of life. For example, the work of banking institutions cannot do without them. Due to the fact that the work of financial institutions and banks is associated with very high risks, they cannot do without security equipment made of metal. Metal safes are in demand, in which you can store both money and important documents. There are fireproof safes for sale. Also today there is a demand for depositories and metal trays for cashiers.

Metal fences and fences are in demand among the population. They are in demand mainly by the owners of cottages, garden associations and summer residents. The peak of sales is in the spring-summer, when many start building. Such fences provide protection for a flower bed, lawn, summer cottage or site. They do not create the feeling of a closed space, as they have a lattice structure. Metal fence-peaks up to two meters high are popular. Metal fences are not afraid of corrosion, precipitation, wind and mechanical damage. In addition, they are inexpensive to operate (photo 1).

There is a demand today and metal products that are used in the construction industry - pipes, fittings, metal sheets, curbs, pillars. There is a demand for decking, which is made of metal sheets. It is used for organizing fences and as a roofing material. It does not rot, corrosion does not take it, and it does not need to be painted periodically. Thanks to the latest technology, it retains its color for a long time (photo 2).

Metal doors are also popular. They protect well from intruders. In addition, the metal door has excellent sound insulation properties and does not allow cold to enter the room. The population is often interested in bulletproof and fireproof doors. Although they are expensive, the townspeople prefer them. Therefore, the manufacture of metal products, in particular metal doors, is a very profitable and profitable business (photo 3).

The population also buys metal racks of various shapes and sizes. Mostly in demand are trade, warehouse, archival and office metal racks. For the home, such racks are bought less often. In turn, trade racks can be universal, for hypermarkets, sales areas and demonstration, and for a warehouse - cantilever, shelf, cargo and for long cargo. In the office, such racks are bought for storing books, documents, folders, catalogs. Archival racks can be mobile (photo 4).

Metal furniture is in demand. Such furniture has a long service life. It can be disassembled and reassembled many times without losing quality and functionality. In addition, metal furniture has no volatile resins, is water-resistant and easy to operate. Most often, people buy metal cabinets. Today, such cabinets have become an integral part of offices and organizations. There are file cabinets, office cabinets, archive cabinets, filing cabinets, deposit cabinets. They are made of steel. There are different colors. Office cabinets differ in design. They are durable and designed for storing business information, material values, folders. There are also wardrobes. They have a special hole for ventilation, as well as a lock that will protect against theft of things. Accounting cabinets are also made of metal. In appearance, these are durable and lightweight structures (photo 5).

An organization engaged in the manufacture of metal products to order may have its own specialization. For example, equipment and personnel can be optimized for the production of stainless steel tanks, or for the manufacture of aluminum structures, or metal ladders and fences. An enterprise can produce standard metal products: supports, embedded parts, fences, trailers, but also have production resources to place orders for the manufacture of non-standard metal products. It is important to understand which orders are profitable and which are not. In this article, we will consider an organization with a staff of up to 30-50 people capable of producing a wide range of metal products, including one-time orders.

Who is the client.

Clients can be divided into two categories: legal entities and individuals. Legal entities, in turn, can be divided into subcategories: one-time customer and potential regular customer.

With physical faces are simple. Small orders for bath tanks, fences for summer cottages, a bracket in a single copy, a metal cabinet according to its dimensions. In fact, there are a lot of such orders, but in terms of profitability, this group of clients is significantly inferior to legal entities. persons. Although there are exceptions, the amount of an order from a private client can reach several hundred thousand rubles.

You can find such clients:

through free bulletin boards (avito);
by launching contextual advertising on a business card website;
by registering in directories of organizations (yellow pages, 2gis);
By placing a banner in places where summer residents and motorists gather.

If you decide to start a metal products business, private customer service is the best way to gain loyal customers and explore the market. Finding such clients is easy, especially in the season from May to September.

To work with a legal entity

Business in metal production: promising ideas

persons you must first of all have your own legal entity. face. It is advisable to have a website on which photographs of completed works and a list of clients will be posted. The main customers for the manufacture of metal products are construction companies, so in your portfolio you can focus on orders for construction organizations.

What are the highest priority customers:

Development companies (investing in the construction of Business Centers and Shopping Centers);
General contracting construction companies;
Furniture companies (sometimes they need metal frames, underframes, stainless steel worktops, metal fittings according to their own drawings);
Organizations involved in the sale of commercial equipment (metal items of commercial equipment);
Companies for the production of: equipment for building materials, chemical and food industries;

The above organizations can potentially become regular customers. Therefore, it makes sense to complete the first order, even if it is not so profitable in terms of profit. If you manage to establish partnerships with a large industrial or construction company, then in the future you can receive regular orders from them.

There is also a large number of one-time customers:

Food production (order carts, containers and other equipment made of stainless steel);

Restaurants (air ducts, stainless steel shelves, metal decor elements);

Shops (ramps, canopies in front of the entrance, shelving);

Educational institutions;

Design studios (underframes, frames, benches, MAF, entrance portals);

Transport companies (ramps, ladders, sheds, trailers);

Small manufacturing companies;

In general, the market for the manufacture of metal products is on the rise, especially the manufacture of stainless steel products. This is due to the fact that now significant funds are being invested in the creation of infrastructure and modernization of production. Ideally, you need to find your specialization and produce the same type of product, but in large quantities. At the same time, continue to look for new directions, fulfill one-time and non-standard orders, expand the customer base.

If you are looking to start a metalworking business, the best way to learn the necessary knowledge is to work as a customer acquisition specialist. You can get such experience at Stroy Metal. We will teach you how to find customers, what to say, how pricing works, and other important issues. Call or write to the email address.

Innovative technologies for welding.

Everyone is looking for ways to make money, the best way to do this will be their own business. Metal base is a rather specific but profitable business. Let's try to figure out the main points of this activity.

The metal warehouse buys metal from large industrial enterprises, factories that specialize in its production. It can be various products - steel angle, wire rod, pipes, fittings and substandard metal. The clients of the metal warehouse can be both large industrial enterprises and individual individuals, depending on the trade policy of the enterprise.

Some metal warehouses can sell volumes of only one or more tons, while others cut metal into meters and kilograms. A metal warehouse that meets the customer halfway has great advantages over competitors. Clients can be suppliers who work in large factories, traders, private entrepreneurs and individuals. This activity is licensed, so you should count on it. Immediately, we note that scrap metal in Krasnodar is available at the link to the site http://metallsam.ru.

Purchase of products

Buying products from manufacturers plays a major role in the profitability of a business. It is not so easy to find a manufacturer's plant on favorable terms, because they work only with large buyers.

Location

A metal warehouse in Moscow should be located close to metal producers, and at the same time close to customers who need metal.

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Most often, it is advantageous for a metal warehouse to be located nearby large highways, at the exit from the city in industrial regions. The area should be large, preferably with a gantry crane for loading. Some owners of this business prefer to locate their metal warehouse closer to other metal trading enterprises. But it is better not to do this, since there is a possibility of intercepting the client by them.

Transport

The main cost item of this type of business is the cost of delivery and transportation, therefore it is worth considering this.

It will be necessary to rent or buy a lengthy car with a heavy load, which will carry out the delivery. It is convenient if there is a possibility of loading into railroad cars on the territory nearby. Electronic scales on site will assist in weighing the shipment correctly.

Psychological attitude

Metal base is a rather serious business, about which there is a subjective opinion, as about a gangster, therefore people with weak nerves are not advised to do this.

How a client makes a choice of a metal warehouse

How does a potential buyer choose a metal warehouse? If this is a large enterprise, then it sends applications for the necessary metal to all metal depots in the district. To learn about the metal warehouse, you can advertise in the media. Having your own website on the Internet will also contribute to business development.

The client chooses steel products at suitable prices and quality, as well as fast delivery as possible. Some buyers ask to cut metal parts, so it is necessary to have tools and qualified personnel for this. Many construction and heavy industry enterprises work only with those metal depots that can provide them with the opportunity to rollback.

Most of the buyers of the metal warehouse are legal entities, therefore it is worthwhile to take a responsible approach to accounting and legal registration of relations with each of them. You will need to have qualified personnel and computer equipment to write invoices, invoices, contracts.

The assortment is also of great importance for the client, since he wants to make the entire purchase at once in one place. It is necessary to constantly expand the assortment and notify your potential buyers about it. Do not expect the client to come by himself; it is advisable to hire qualified sales managers who will promote the product.

Working with metal is the vocation of true professionals. But you can make money without your own workshop if you buy the Metal Master franchise. Real income already at the start can be up to 100,000 rubles, which in 2-3 months will make it possible to reach the "plus".

Aesthetics and comfort are words that every second resident of Russia inevitably associates with their home. People equip their homes and household plots: they form recreation areas with a barbecue and a gazebo, create a unique landscape and interior design, acquire swings for kids and comfortable benches for the veranda and yard. The result is a turnover of millions of rubles per year, a significant portion of which can be yours if you decide to purchase the Metal Master franchise.

Metal products: practical and attractive

The original patterns of metal forging fascinate and make many owners of private houses leaf through catalogs for a long time and look at numerous benches, swings for children and adults, gazebos and fences with bizarre patterns. Metal and wood products are in high demand - they are purchased by:

Also, metal products are widely used in the ritual sphere - as fences for graves and for arranging the territory for the commemoration of loved ones.

Taking into account potential buyers and the requirements for the installation conditions of metal products, the business can be safely called in demand and all-season.

How to build your business selling metal products

For beginners, business is often portrayed as something large-scale and requiring huge investments.

"Metal-master": a business selling metal products without its own workshop

Manufacturing workshops, metal specialists and welders, a huge sales department and warehouses - if you think in this way, you will put your whole life on collecting start-up capital and finding investors.

Figure: 2. Work of welders with metal

Metal-Master offers you simple conditions for starting with minimal investment:

you do not need to hire a staff - one person is enough who can manage an advertising company and process incoming applications;
huge warehouses can easily be replaced by a colorful online store with a large catalog of metal products;
the production will be carried out by experienced metal-master craftsmen;
you can buy goods on order, by prior agreement with the client and even having received an advance payment from him, and any transport company will carry out the delivery - quickly and reliably.

To open a profitable business that has not lost its relevance for decades, you need a computer with Internet access, several hours to process incoming applications and a small start-up capital of 200-300 thousand. It will also be useful to rent a small office-warehouse with an area of \u200b\u200b15 m2, where you can store the arrived goods until settlement with the client.

Preliminary calculation of business profitability

Metal Master is a manufacturer that strives to maintain affordable prices and regulate pricing policy. Starting cooperation, you can be sure that the offer will be one of the most profitable in your region. An impressive catalog of products - from grave fences to stylish upholstered furniture - will help you attract the maximum number of buyers.

With active store promotion, advertising on social networks, in the city and on trading floors, you can attract more than 60 buyers per month, even in a small town.
The average purchase receipt will be 5-7 thousand rubles.
Revenue per month will be at least 300,000 rubles, of which 30-37% is net profit.
Don't forget to deduct taxes and office rent. The company's royalty is only 2.5%, which is easy to give away every month.

The minimum profitability already at the start is about 100,000 rubles, so you can recoup the cost of the franchise and get a profit in 2-3 months.

A significant advantage of starting a business under the Metal-Master franchise is quick start-up. An online store and a set of presentation and advertising materials are provided, thanks to which it will be easy for you to declare yourself and attract the first customers.

The business will be attractive for craftsmen who have already established their own production and wish to expand and improve it. So, you can assemble and install swings, gazebos and benches, add new products to the assortment and significantly increase the profit of your company.

Figure: 3. Products "Metal-master": forged gates

Free swimming vs cooperation with Metal-Master

Applying in practice a simple model of selling metal and wood products through an online store, you can open your own business without purchasing a franchise. But you must be prepared for the difficulties that Metal-Master has already overcome.

You have to find responsible suppliers and agree with them on the supply of materials or finished products at a low price.
Since each company sets minimum purchase thresholds, you will have to rent at least a small warehouse.
Word of mouth - the leading sales tool in the regions - may not be in your favor. If you agree on the delivery of goods and take an advance payment from the client, and the company delays the shipment or refers to the need to wait for a consumable, then you will not only have to wait, but also make excuses to the client.
You will need to analyze demand and display a line of "hits", as well as test all advertising methods and, only spending money, learn about their effectiveness.

Buying a franchise gives you all-round support from a senior partner, detailed instructions and scripts for communicating with clients, and quickly weeding out ineffective work tools. It is always easier and safer to start with confidence in the result and the help of specialists, so Metal-Master is an excellent chance for you.

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Questions and answers on the topic

No questions have been asked about the material yet, you have the opportunity to do it first

Metal products in Belarus are in great demand. The use of metal is a guarantee of reliability and durability of the structure, presentable appearance. All kinds of self-made metal products are known to mankind - 6000 years, gradually with the development of industry, metal more and more entered into everyday life. Today, structures and products of any complexity are made from it.

Design and manufacture of metal products

Metal products are divided according to the method of manufacture and use: these can be decorative crafts or complex metal structures. Speaking about the latter, it is important to note that such metal products go through several stages before a finished structure is obtained: development, calculation of loads, preparation of documentation and production itself. The direction of activity of the VipMetStroy company is the manufacture of turnkey metal products, including according to the customer's drawings:

Metal wheel bumpers and cable fences are special designs that are designed to restrict traffic and prevent vehicles from entering pedestrian zones, outside a parking lot or parking space, separate traffic flows, and so on.
Top 10 Best Selling Handicrafts on the Internet

Scope - warehouses, parking lots, gas stations, courtyards, etc.
Litter bins and garbage containers for solid waste - are often used along with plastic bins, but they have a number of advantages: durability, service life of 10-12 years, vandal-proof and fire resistance;
Metal fences - products that are used in different places, often order fences for balconies, attics, as well as various types of special fences in industrial and production areas. They are made of iron plates or rods, which are interconnected, belts and railings. Such fences fully ensure reliability, practicality and safety, moreover, the service life reaches 25 years!
Bicycle parking - the purpose of the metal product is to fix the bicycle in an upright position. Cycle parking can be small, temporary or intended for permanent storage, in the latter case, the structure is equipped with a canopy and a fence;
Metal posts - designed for various purposes, ranging from decorative to structures for fencing and security;

The above products or other necessary metal structures can be ordered directly on the website. Fill out the application online and we will provide you with full information on the cost and production time as soon as possible.

Find out the cost now

Metalware: custom-made

The "VipMetStroy" company is a recognized leader in the production of metal structures in Belarus. We carry out orders of any complexity, and our clients, both large companies, entrepreneurs, and individuals. We manufacture metal products in full compliance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus (GOST and STB), which guarantees high quality, and the offered prices will pleasantly surprise you. Delivery across Minsk and Belarus is free.

How to open a production for the manufacture of metal products?

home

A good photo, in which we see how the advance back overtakes a temporary support!

Another "21 steps forward" in the construction of the Komsomolsky bridge over the Kotorosl river in Yaroslavl!

The total weight of the assembled metal structures today is 38.8 thousand tons, which corresponds to the weight:

— 834 T-90 tank units;

— 181 Il-76 aircraft;

— 5 pcs of cruisers "Aurora".

Construction of a bridge over the river. Kotorosl!

The installation of the metal structures of the bridge should be carried out in the following sequence:

first of all, 2 beams of the 3rd block are mounted (connected with the supply of metal-plate);
then the beams are joined using an orthotropic plate;
the next beam of the 3rd block is mounted and also combined with the previously assembled beams with an orthotropic plate;
the 4th beam of the 3rd block is mounted and is also combined with the previously mounted beams using an orthotron plate;
then the beams of the 2nd and then the first blocks are mounted in the same way
after that, cantilever orthotropic parts are mounted on all 3 blocks.
The subsequent assembly of the beams on the slipway is carried out cyclically after the sliding of the superstructure.
Beams and orthotropic slabs are mounted in the same way, but sequentially from the 4th block to 12.

The main parameters of the superstructure:

total length of the bridge - 127.0 m;
construction - continuous beam steel superstructure;
bridge layout along the axes of bearing: 36.0 + 54.0 + 36.0 m;
the basic dimension of the bridge is 15.0 m;
the number of main beams in the section is 4.

The main beams of the superstructure are box-shaped.

Construction of an overpass on Volokolamskoe highway from a bird's eye view!

Installation of metal structures (triple block) of the pedestrian crossing during the construction of the Novopeschanaya transport interchange hub on the Small Ring of the Moscow Railway.

Installation of the main beam block during the construction of the overpass on Volokolamskoe highway.

Today the company SK "MASTER METAL" is a rapidly developing company. The accumulated experience, the use of advanced technologies and the high qualification of specialists allow the IC "MASTER METAL" company to build objects of increased complexity in Moscow and the Moscow region, in Sochi, in the Crimea and other regions of Russia.

The SK "MASTER METAL" company is the strongest in the field of installation and welding of metal structures.

For any type of business, profitability is the top priority. The metal trading business will not be an exception, since it is for this that an entrepreneur invests money and spends his energy. The main thing in this matter is to choose the most suitable field of activity for yourself, draw up a clear business plan and take into account various factors that can negatively or positively affect further work and income. If a businessman decides to engage in such a complex matter as metal trading, first of all, he will have to take care of drawing up a clear business plan, a room with the necessary equipment and the selection of qualified employees.

How to start your own metal business?

Metal trading is a tricky business and you need to prepare carefully before investing money. First of all, you need to study the market and understand which products are most widely represented and which ones are in the greatest demand. This will allow you to analyze the competition and calculate the return on investment.

Obtaining information about companies that occupy this niche is an important condition, since the product must be competitive in order for the entrepreneurial activity to bring proper profit.

How much can you earn on metal trading

In general, you can earn a lot on the sale of metal, but for this you need to properly organize your business and establish wholesale supplies from profitable and trusted suppliers.

It is with the choice of a manufacturing plant that problems often arise, since you need to choose a company that will offer products at a low wholesale price and in no case will disrupt supplies. The correct location of the warehouse-store, that is, with access roads and away from competitors, and competent advertising measures will do their job and the business will definitely become profitable.

How much money is needed to start a business

Metal trading is a rather costly type of business that requires. According to modest estimates, the opening of a warehouse for storing and processing products, together with the initial purchase of metal and the necessary equipment, will take 3-5 million rubles. Separate items of expenditure will be: registration of permits, remuneration of personnel, contracts with transport companies for transportation, etc. In addition, the amount of initial investment will also depend on the choice of the type of metal to be traded. If, after drawing up organizational and production plans, it turns out that it is profitable to work with non-ferrous metals and products, then the initial amount for the implementation and promotion of the business will be from 10 million rubles.

How to choose equipment for metal trading

To trade metal, both ferrous and non-ferrous, you will need to purchase a large variety of equipment and tools. The most common at metal bases includes:

Crane.
Loaders.
Welding.
Plasma cutting equipment.
Hydraulic presses, etc.

Inside the warehouses, it will be necessary to equip special racks and shelves on which metal, its cuttings and all kinds of metal products will be stored. It is imperative to have several weights, including those for trucks. You also need to purchase manual mechanical and power tools, protection and safety equipment for working personnel.

Before the impromptu start, I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of literature on this topic. Which I recommend to everyone who wants to do metal casting. Before you start practicing, you need to understand the theory.

Tracing paper from the screen, a lot of painstaking work and not a very good result. The only people who liked my product were local comrades without a fixed place of residence and occupation, who simply tore it off for scrap.

I thought for a long time how to make a good, high-quality matrix and remembered about a 3D printer. I won't say that mastering this mechanism and studying the design program was very easy for me, but now, in all honesty, I can say that it is quite within the power of an ordinary person. There would be a desire.

What can be cast

You can cast a lot of useful things that people are happy to buy.

WARNING ANGRY DOG or VIDEO SURVEILLANCE signs

Plates "POST"

Plates "ADDRESSES AND NUMBERS"

Signs "CAFE, BARS, OFFICES", etc.

This is not a complete list of what can be made. You can even cast molds for casting lead products (sinkers, car weights, battery terminals, etc., etc.)

I even came across a video where some comrade from Kenya is pouring dishes on his knee quite professionally.

Of course, I did not plan to pour the dishes, but the issue of making all kinds of plates and molds for casting lead products interested me very much.

And that's how the business started. My town is not big, but there are enough orders.

Necessary equipment

Almost all my equipment is assembled from old, worn out things.

Smelter.The summer version is assembled from the body of an old mini refrigerator, bricks, clay and pipe trimming. Winter version from an old solid fuel boiler, using all the same bricks, clay and such and such a mother. I added blowing and installed this whole system in the garage, because it is very difficult to pour metal in the rain and cold outdoors, and often it is not possible at all.

Crucible.An old, three-liter gas cylinder (you can find them in any scrap metal acceptance) and a piece of fittings for the holder.

Air blowing.For this purpose, old spare parts from the Cyclone vacuum cleaner fit perfectly.

Sand.Any, but it is desirable that the fraction of grains of sand was as small as possible. So there are much fewer casting marks (roughness) on the metal. At first, I used ordinary, quarry sand. I sifted it on a very fine sieve, but eventually switched to quartz (preferably from old, fusible high-voltage inserts). It is very fine even without sifting.

Note: After casting, the sand can be re-processed into raw materials to create molds. Therefore, do not rush to throw it away.

Liquid glass.Ordinary soda water glass. It's worth a penny, so don't reinvent the wheel. If you nevertheless seriously decide to do this business, then I advise you to buy it not in bottles, but in cans. This is much cheaper.

Old power supply.Old power supply from a computer for applying paint to products (anodizing).

Paints.Paints can be used both powder and from spray cans. From spray cans even preferable, less hassle.

Raw materials.Almost any aluminum trash is suitable for casting, but I still prefer to use food grade, with the addition of electrical. Well, in this example, this is a defrosted flask, but it is quite suitable for our purposes.

Important:There are aluminum grades that are almost impossible to polish. No matter how much you grind them, you will not be able to achieve a mirror shine.

Wax.Some people use beeswax with style, something like that has never occurred to me. Why such chic if you can just use technical paraffin.

Grinding machine.A sharpener, or a grinder or even a drill. I often use all three tools.

Grinding attachments.It all depends on the type of tool that you will be using. The attachments are not expensive and can be purchased in any market.

Graphite or talcum powder.Depends on what you can get. In big cities, where there are trams and trolley buses, it is not difficult to find old, graphite contact brushes and sharpen the powder on emery.

3D printer and design software.This was most likely the most difficult, since both had to be mastered from scratch. You can buy a 3D printer, as in my case, in an online store at quite reasonable prices. I paid 17 thousand rubles for mine. It was possible to buy it cheaper, but I preferred not to save money (the larger your printer has a pasteboard, the larger matrices it will print).

Well, all sorts of little things. Everything you need to assemble flasks, remove slag from the melt and trim all excess from products. In general, all those little things that I missed in the narrative process.

Unfortunately, I cannot demonstrate the printer. At the moment it is under renovation. Not always friends The Chinese sell us a quality product. Although mine has worked for more than three years, and if it hadn't been experimenting with the raw materials being loaded, most likely it would have worked and sow a day :))

Matrix manufacturing technology

The technology is very simple, but most likely the first time you will not get what you expect. Just be patient (over time, the skill will come and everything will not seem so difficult).

The initial sketch of the sign can simply be taken from the Internet. To do this, just type in the search address and apartment number logo. Look at the pictures in Google or Yandex and choose something similar.

After that, in 3D Max, we get a 3d model from the image and add letters and numbers.

Everything is saved in printer format and printed. The resulting model must be put into a flask and filled with a mixture of sand and liquid glass.

Mixing and casting flasks

Flask.The flask is essentially just a frame where our model is placed and filled with molding sand.

It can be made of wood, but since our products do not differ much in size, in the end you will get tired of this carpentry creativity and prefer to make it out of metal. Reusable is much better than often reworked.

Molding mixture.I use a mixture of sand and water glass. There are a lot of recipes for its preparation on the Internet, but I still settled on this one. From my point of view, this is much more reliable than when your form just falls apart and you have to redo all the work over again.

Note: The proportions depend only on you. I usually add glass so much that when the mixture is squeezed in my hand, it does not crumble.

In general, in this matter who is in what is much. I've experimented a lot too. Once I (I don’t know, whether from a great mind or from a poor mind) mixed cement and liquid glass. The result was sad. The mixture froze even before I realized it. In general, spoiled cement, glass and containers in which I mixed the whole thing. But I'm not in any way discouraging you from experimenting. On the contrary, try it, maybe you will find your recipe.

Preparation for casting

We put our 3D model in the flask and tightly hammer it with the molding sand. After that, carefully remove it and wait until the form hardens. We slightly process it and you can pour it. For the back of our mold, we will make a flat cover and add sprues

Important: Many processes remain behind the scenes and not because they are a secret, it is simply not possible to describe in detail the whole process and nuances in one article. On the YouTube channel Folk Craft, you can watch the casting process in detail.

It was from this channel that I got the basic information on casting and I advise you to do the same. There will be fewer mistakes and disappointments. The technology is almost the same. It's just that instead of a matrix, we will use a 3D model printed on a printer, and not aluminum, as in the video.

After the casting has cooled down, it can be processed, finished and painted.

My first products were not so hot, to say the least. I just didn't know many subtleties. And in particular, I did not know how to apply a relief, textural pattern to the plate.

Pay attention to the texture of the leather inside the plate. When you get a little familiar with the 3D program, such things will no longer be a secret for you.

We give a presentation to our products

Without the necessary revision, your creation will not have a presentation, to put it mildly. Here you can really show all your imagination and skill.

Aluminum can be simply painted, anodized, etched, and a bunch of other lotions can be used. Here, as they say, the flag is in your hands. Try, see, experiment

Where to get raw materials

Try not to shove cut, plastic bottles and rods from a plastic broom into a 3D printer, all this will end sooner or later, as in my case, by contacting a workshop :)) It is still better to buy in specialized stores.

As far as aluminum is concerned, the mining field here is enormous. At the beginning, I addressed a similar question to the next appointment. When the owner of the reception found out that I could cast pure aluminum out of unnecessary trash, the price of the trash issue was immediately removed for me.

Instead, an offer was made to earn some extra money, and even two barrels of different sizes and two workers were allocated for the installation of a simple smelter. I cast bars for 2.5 - 3 thousand rubles a day, and that's just for me, 50 percent of the metal was taken by acceptance. Within two weeks (until the vacation ended) I made good money. And I must say that similar proposals were received from other acceptances. But this type of income was of little interest to me, so I simply left my entire household in acceptance to the very scourges who unscrewed my plate. Although they do not admit it :))

Since then, the aluminum issue has disappeared. If necessary, I can always go to the reception and collect the necessary raw materials.

Note: By the way, this is a great way to earn extra money. As I said, trash is always present at each acceptance (these are aluminum parts with the presence of foreign metals). In this form, it costs like black metal, but separately, these are completely different prices. Well, I think you yourself already guessed. So the receivers are very willing to agree to such cooperation.

Some of you will now think you will spend more on coal and electricity. I assure you that it is not. In a smelter, you can use not only coal, but just any combustible trash. Up to coal dust, which can be collected in any boiler room in very large quantities (it also burns well with blowing). Well, as far as electricity is concerned, the vacuum cleaner motor that is far from working at full capacity is not so much.

The intricacies of doing business

Try not to take orders in a hurry and for a limited time, without properly considering all the subtleties of its implementation. Once I took an order to make a sign for a cafe and promised to complete the order within five days. Then I didn't even suspect that it would be a hell of a job with tight deadlines. At first, the sign was too large and simply did not fit on the table of the 3D printer. It had to be made of three parts and placed neatly in a flask. Secondly, there was a terrible frost on the street, and I didn't have a winter smelter then and the molds just burst during casting. They needed to be heated, but in such a frost, heating was ineffective. Thirdly, with all these troubles, I did not meet the deadline, which did not add to my reputation.

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