While in theory doing your own casting sounds straightforward, in prac-
tice it is not.  Casting is an art learned over time.  Working with
even small quantities of molten metal presents safety issues, and the
overall process is messy.  Unless you are interested is starting a
business or taking on another hobby, I would suggest finding a pro-
fessional to do the job.

That being said, finding a professional who is willing to make one copy
of a piece is not that easy.  Recently, I needed a brass piece copied
and found that one of the most helpful and most knowledgeable people in
the profession is nearby in Baltimore, Maryland.  Bob Eagan is the
fourth generation in a family-run business, American Alloy Foundry,
Inc.  Bob showed an interest in my project and had the order completed
ahead of schedule at a reasonable price.

American Alloy Foundry, Inc. does casting in aluminum and brass.  Their
contact information is: American Alloy Foundry, Inc., 112-120 S. Eden
Street, Baltimore, MD 21231.  Phone: 410-276-1930; fax: 410-276-1947.

It is important to realize that the casting process results in slight
shrinkage of the product.  So if you need a dimensionally exact copy,
then machining a new piece might be the only reasonable alternative.

Aluminum would probably be the best choice for your copy.  "Pot metal"
has no metallurgical standard and generally is a combination mostly of
zinc with traces of other metals which yields a rather unstable product
that deteriorates over time.

If someone knows of a foundry that will do a short run in cast iron,
please post its contact information on MMD.

Joe Orens