Hobby Metal Casting – 1st Competition Rules

Check out this sand casting guide to see an example ornament!

• Method
  • Sand Casting and only Sand Casting. Other methods may be in future competitions
  • Most finishing processes may hide casting defects and are not allowed
    • Only clean up the part near the gates and vents
      • No sanding, buffing, polishing etc. anywhere else
    • No painting or powder coating
• Pattern
  • Only “Crafter’s Square – Paint-Your-Own Ornaments” (Dollar Tree) are allowed as patterns. Exceptions can be requested for limited availability
  • One sided castings are recommended for beginners
  • Double-sided castings will be given some “extra credit”
• Permitted Materials
  • All metals and alloys primarily consisting of metals are permitted including pewter, aluminum, brass, bronze, etc.
• Submissions
  • Submit your work by posting in the Facebook group “Hobby Metal Casting”
  • Pictures of the finished product should be taken to the best of your ability from several angles. Show all sides of the final result
  • Include a short description of what you did and how you did it
  • All pictures and information provided shall have safety in mind
  • Posts must be submitted no later than 11:59pm CST 12/21/20
  • Existing submissions may be edited no later than 11:59pm CST 12/21/20
  • Comments on submissions must be courteous. Any critiques must be helpful. Please see the group rules
  • Include “#CastingCompetition1” in your submission. Any submission without this will be difficult or impossible to find
• Evaluation
  • The judges will be the Admin and Moderator of the group
  • Submissions will be judged based upon the following criteria for a total of 40 points:
    • Surface quality, e.g. lack of pitting (10)
    • Gross Shape, e.g. lack of shrinkage or warping (10)
    • Fine Shape e.g. small parting or flash lines (10)
    • Surface finish, shinier is better, but no polishing (5)
    • Picture completeness/appeal (5)
  • The judges and event organizer may make submissions, but will not be evaluated
• Reward (no cash value)
  • Bragging rights
    • The best submission
      • His or her best picture will be the cover photo for the group for one month with a caption of his or her choosing to be approved by the admin and moderator. This may include a link to a Facebook page, website, or YouTube channel. (No profanity or harmful links)
    • The top three submissions
      • Showcased in a pinned post for one month
  • Fun learning opportunities for all, of course!