Casting vs. Forging Explained: Choosing the Right Metal

Do you love working with your hands and embarking on passion projects? Then, casting and forging make natural partners for DIY enthusiasts. Even in this high-tech age where people are often glued to screens, a surprising number of people love to disconnect, which is why around one in four Americans consider DIY one of their hobbies.

Plenty of arguments exist regarding whether casting or forging is best, but the truth is it depends on the situation. Regardless of what you’re building, each method lends itself well to different materials.

So, what are the best materials for casting vs. forging? Let’s find out!

What Is Casting?

Think of metalwork, and you’re probably thinking about casting.

Casting involves heating a metal to its melting point and then pouring the molten liquid into a cast or mold. The liquid cools inside to create a new shape. Unlike forging, casting is incredibly quick and simple because there are only two steps to successful casting.

The downside is that you’ll need a pre-existing cast. Some hobbyists might make their own casts to extend the creative possibilities, but that’s a different skill entirely.

What Is Forging?

Forging is a more versatile metalworking option than casting. Rather than melting metal and pouring it into a pre-made cast, forging uses targeted heat spots to make metal pliable. You can then reshape an existing metal into as many designs as you like, allowing you to bring your ideas to fruition.

Besides the extra freedom that only comes with forging, the biggest benefit is that forging preserves the metal’s integrity much more. That’s why forged creations tend to maintain their appearance for longer.

Casting vs. Forging – What Materials Work Best?

Naturally, choosing the right material for your project matters. What works for one application isn’t going to work for another. Now that we understand the differences between casting vs. forging, it’s time to examine some of the most common metals and how they’re used.

Common Casting Materials and How They’re Used

Ready to start casting?

Casting is often considered the ideal starting point for newcomers because of its simplicity. Even today, the art of casting goes back thousands of years since humans adopted metalworking, and it’s easy to see why.

So, what are some of the most common casting materials and their uses?

Aluminum Casting

Aluminum casting is widely used due to the material’s versatility. It’s one of the most flexible substances, conducts electricity, conducts heat, and stands up against corrosion. Another advantage is how it withstands higher temperatures.

Some of the most popular types of casting relying on aluminum include:

Squeeze casting
Lost foam casting
Investment casting
Die casting
Permanent mold casting

Zinc Casting

Few metals can compete with zinc when it comes to die casting. It’s got one of the lowest melting points, which lends itself well to casting. Beginners often choose zinc to get started with because of how quickly it can fill a mold and cool.

Another reason to consider zinc casting is the cost. This isn’t a cheap hobby, but zinc is one of the cheaper metals, making it ideal for tackling smaller, high-volume projects.

Copper Casting

Copper’s main selling point is its electrical conductivity, which is why it’s found in practically every electronic device. If you’re making an electrical component, you’ll likely be using copper, but its disadvantages can make achieving a high-quality cast difficult.

Some of the problems you’ll have to contend with include:

Permeability
Cracking
Inner cavities

Using pure copper often isn’t the way forward for these reasons. Instead, copper casts typically need other metals to counter their natural weaknesses. Metals you might use include nickel, chromium, silver, tin, or zinc.

Ductile Iron Casting

Ductile iron is simply the best casting material for objects that need extra durability. Don’t make the mistake of using ductile iron and gray iron interchangeably. They both have the same advantages, but ductile iron has some extra benefits that make it stand out, such as:

More lightweight
Cheaper
Reduced shrinkage

Above all, ductile iron casting gives you a finished product that’s strong, tough, and highly resistant to wear.

Gray Iron Casting

Gray iron is strong and durable, making it an ideal choice within industrial manufacturing. If you’re going to machine your cast, gray iron lends itself well to this. Additionally, it’s relatively cheap, so if you plan on working with it regularly, this is a fantastic choice of metal.

Gray iron is typically prized for its extreme strength (relative to weight), vibration control, and dimensional steadiness.

Steel Casting

Steel is one of the toughest materials you can put into a cast. It’s why you’ll find steel-casted parts in anything requiring shock resistance and the ability to handle immense loads. Interestingly, steel is resistant to corrosion, making it a popular choice for wet and damp environments.

You can also take steel even further by adding other substances to your cast. For example, you might choose chromium, iron, or nickel to make it more resistant to heat and corrosion.

Common Forging Materials and How They’re Used

Forging is what many people associate with traditional blacksmithing. Whether you’ve watched too many episodes of Forged in Fire or want to take your RPG into the real world, forging is a skill-based practice that can help you bring your creations from paper to reality.

So, what materials work best for forging?

Steel Forging

Steel is the champion of forging because of its balance of strength and workability. Of course, you have various steel grades to choose from, each with its own characteristics.

For example, low-carbon steel is the best form of steel for workability and building intricate shapes, including gears. On the other hand, high-carbon steel is all about strength, making it the best option for building your own tools.

Alloy Steel Forging

You can also add other elements to your steel to change your metal’s properties. Options like nickel and molybdenum can enhance your steel’s strength and heat resistance. That’s why alloyed steel, using nickel-chromium alloys, is often used in the aerospace industry.

Aluminum Forging

Aluminum is perfect for anything that needs to be light and malleable. However, forging aluminum poses design considerations because it’s one of the weakest metals.

Consider adding an alloy to your aluminum, like magnesium or copper, to improve how it operates under stress.

Brass Forging

Brass isn’t a metal but an alloy combining copper and zinc. Forgers like brass because of the balance of workability, strength, and resistance to corrosion. It’s why if you look in your bathroom, the chances are you’ll spot plenty of brass on your plumbing fixtures.

Another advantage of brass is that you can formulate it in different ways to change some of its properties. For example, if you add lead to brass, its machinability increases, allowing you to make more intricate parts.

Conclusion

Whether you’re getting into casting, forging, or both, the materials you choose will determine everything from the result to the hurdles you’ll have to overcome to succeed. Essentially, the option you choose depends on your experience and what you’re creating.

Casting is better for speed, but forging is best for creativity. Casting is easier, but forging requires more skill and experience to get to grips with. So, what metal will you be using for your next project?

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