Method of producing shaped objects

A method for producing a mold for hot isostatic pressing of metallic powder therein comprising the steps of:

• a. producing a master mold having a plurality of separable parts;
• b. forming in said master mold a dummy object of meltable material;
• c. forming a mold for hot isostatic pressing of metallic powder therein by electroforming a self-supporting layer having an outlet opening around said dummy object, said electroformed layer having a melting point higher than the melting point of the material from which said dummy object is formed;
• and
• d. subsequently removing said dummy object from within said layer by melting said dummy object at a temperature lower than the melting point of said layer and by discharging the melted material of said dummy object through said outlet opening to form said mold of said layer.

A method of forming a shaped object comprising:

• a. forming a master mold having a mold cavity and a supply conduit which establishes communication between the mold cavity and the exterior;
• b. pouring wax or the like meltable material through said supply conduit into said mold cvity to form a meltable dummy;
• c. removing the wax dummy from the mold cavity;
• d. forming a mold within which said shaped object may be formed by hot isostatic pressing by electroforming a self-supporting layer having an outlet opening around said wax dummy, said layer having a melting point higher than the melting point of said dummy;
• e. removing the wax dummy from within said selfsupporting layer by melting said wax dummy at a temperature lower than the melting point of said layer and by discharging the melted material of said dummy through said opening thereby to form a hollow mold consisting of said self-supporting layer as a defining wall of an interior space conformig to the space left by the removed wax dummy;
• f. filling said space under vacuum conditions with metallic powder through said opening through which said melted material of said dummy was discharged;
• g. sealing said filled interior space of said hollow mold;
• h. subjecting the metallic powder in said space to hot isostatic pressing to form a densified object;
• and
• i. removing said layer from said object.