Almost like magic...the foundry segment of my metal shop class in high school was my favorite part! And, I was pleasantly surprised to find out in later years that a person could do stuff like this at home, with homemade equipment!
Nice safe pour. Smooth, deliberate body movements. No wasted motion. Good use of safety gear. Well designed work space. Great video. Thanks for posting.
Finally someone using the proper safety procedures! So tired of seeing guys wearing flip flops or sandals when pouring. My personal problem is my choice of crucibles. I keep blowing out the bottom. I've used cut in half blow torch and lantern propane tanks and I guess my heat is too high cause I've had to salvage two good sized loads of molten aluminum from the bottom of my foundry.
Thanks for sharing. I'm just starting out on casting and learn much just from watching. Degassing, removing slag, and your cunning latch over top of the crucible so you can pour with confidence
Very nice. Have you ever thought about using solar concentration as a heat source? It's only a matter of how much surface area to converge to get the desired temp. You can even use household mirror, all though it takes a LOT more because of lower efficiency, but you can get tons of it for free on CL. Is that container just normal steel? Do you recommend any sites for learning more about this? I'm very interested.
are you de-gassing at 1:20 and if so what do you use? i also would like to know your idea on what a good starter crucible would be, and where you got that wicked awesome crucible presented in this video.
I had that problem for awhile. I "fixed" it by making my crucibles from 1/4" walled pipe. I know it was a little excessive and they do take a little while to heat up, however they hold heat well, and I have yet to see one leak. I would have bought a clay/graphite one, but money my budget is a little tight.
awsome! what did you use to line the furnace, because I know concrete would decentigrate at that temperature. I'm trying to build one myself, but every time I think I can find the right materials for a reasonable price, it just gets more complicated.
@scottiblasto You can use a basic flower pot (one without a hole in the bottom of course). I would be wary of a coated crock pot, but it wouldn't hurt to bring it up to melt temperature and see if it can withstand the heat. You could do this with a propane torch.
i wonder how much aluminum bullion is worth. you have an awesome set-up sir. looks like a fun hobby and if this is a way of earning a living then congrats on that too.
@IzrailGhazi yes, it is mostly aluminum oxide. its a very good abrasive material and has a super high melting point, so many people use it to build foundries
cool. could you have one of these in your house? What's the smoke levels like when the metal is melting in one of these things, would an open window or, say, a sunroof be enough to deal with the smoke?
@VideosofSeth The fact that you're doing, is far more important than the scale at which you are doing! I have no doubt that you will improve and refine your setup over time. The one in the vid is at my friends house, I will be constructing a new setup soon at my new place.
for your parts did you have a hollow mold? or filled with styrofoam or parafin? if you use wax, does it contaminate the metal or burn off? if you werent using soda cans, where does the slag come from? (i know auminium we see everyday is usually alumnum oxide).. and the big quesiton.. where do you get a crucible? and wha tcould you use as substitute.. i can make my own tongs.. (by the way.. could yo uget one of these hot enough to do iron or steel?)
@Microglia1 you can take an existing part and use it for a pattern, but the new one will be slightly under size. You can create a pattern by carving a material such as wood, wax or foam and taylor it to your needs.
What material is the bowl you melt the iron in made out of? I wish to replicate this process with a home made furnace. Also any recommendation on the brick type to build the furnace out of? ty
@fishnriver Actually, it's my friends furnace, He built it. I helped tune it with the original "carberator" type mixer we came up with. Now it uses a Hybrid burner. I plan on building one for myself soon and will document it when I do.
Petrobond sand. The aluminum is various chunks of scrap I collected, like water pump housings and stuff. We developed a carburator with replacable jets to go with the blower. We recently switched to a Hybridburner.
@8MADJACK the outside layer on the can with the color i think causes impurities... if you melt small batches, there's often a layer that forms on top of the melted metal that you can scrape of with a spoon...
@scottiblasto I do ceramics all the time. A ceramic bowl has a temperature range of 2200+ degrees. That is what I was going to create my cruicble out of. Ceramic material is brittle. So it won't take being dropped or any kind of shock. It will need to have thick walls. The problem with metal casting is the temperatures rise so quickly. You would have to heat the bowl up slowly over a longer period. I am going to be pouring brass metal (1750 degrees + )
@IzrailGhazi Dross contains oxidation from the metal, whether it be aluminum, brass, or Iron. Basically that means it is as useful as rust. Could be a nice paper weight on a desk somewhere.
@TheNLguy you can use fine brick dust (go to any jobsite with a brick saw and get the sluge, than dry and sift it mix it with candle wax and fine sand. build your form and bake it the wax will bind it and get you a perfect result. after baking you can even engrave designs into the surfaces or serial nummbers let it cool before you engrave. good luck
I'm pretty sure the same furnace can be used to cast magnesium since its meting point is 10 degrees C lower than aluminum. However I'm terribly unsure of the quality of the result due to corrosion of the magnesium the heat (it is a whole more reactive than aluminum under practical conditions). Though that stuff is hard to get especially in the southern hemisphere and its expensive too. Though it is much lighter than Al so if anyone has success do report!
Could you give me some extra information about that degassing powder, where do you buy it ?or what it is? Is it possible to get it out of usual resources with a simple proces or something?
@8MADJACK Ohh ok,kinda like a bigger version of the lil things jewlers use for gold and silver.If they degrade over time,where do you buy them from? I have just been using a piece of steel pipe with a plate welded on the bottom,you can see these in my video.. There just a bit too small for some of my castings. Also have you ever heard of folding a small aluminium foil packet of baking soda,or some sort of soda(foget exactly) to the crucible to degass ??
@FarceTheory I'm not using cans, but if I was I'd just melt them. I'm not sure what you mean by "responsibly" . Don't breathe the fumes. I don't think there is a plastic lining in soda cans anyways.
@scottiblasto the answer is no.. The moisture in the ceramic can,usually does expand/explode in the tiny bubbles that are present in the material.Because ceramic is pourous,it absorbs moisture,start it off dry,tho,you will have different results ;)
@ba470 Well, with a homemade kiln there could be any number of reasons why it wouldn't work. It has to be very efficient at holding in the heat. Both how it's made and what it is made out of would be important. If you tell me more about your kiln, I or someone else might be able to help you figure out what's wrong. The gas that you use is also an important factor, as some gasses burn hotter than others. What gas are you using?
@8MADJACK i wouldn't even worry about that. that furnace should be hot enough to pretty much clean burn any plastic. should be hot enough to cause even the fumes to break down chemically into elements.
I would of put legos or action figures all around that and make them look like they're working,lol. This vid is soo much better to considering what you are making.
@Microglia1 This forge will not do steel. this furnace is at my friends house and has evolved over time, it was not built/purchased at one time, no cost estimate. most of what you see is home made. As far as safety, the setup is built with safety in mind, it is isolated from the dwelling, the stuff around it is a fence and a shed. Safety equipment is worn when operating. I recently moved and am going to build a new setup. I might have a better idea then....
@SKoGoMoney thanks for the answer, so in your opinion (cuz you seem to know your stuff about this particular thing) what would be the 1) best thickness and material, 2) the cleanest metal, for the least amount of smoke? Is propane the cleanest, or is it just cleaner than charcoal (and what do you think of using more primitive methods like bellows?)
@insanezy I plan on more stuff in the future, I'm currently building a new shop and foundry setup at my new place. It won't be too long I hope, shooting for this winter to do more foundry.
I would suggest that you use clay graphite for lift out crucibles. They are stronger at high heat than silicon carbide. One, such as you have, is more typically used in a tilt pour furnace. Silicon carbide is quite fragile compared to clay graphite. The screen face shield you have is a bad idea. Although it keeps away the heat, aluminum from a steam explosion, will go right through that. A person at Federal Mogel Corp. was blinded when he used a screen without safety glasses below it. The screen merely dispersed the metal into fine droplets. We use clear plastic shields, though you could also use a tinted one. You might also think of using a fireproof apron, such as leather or kevlar. In a steam explosion of aluminum, you could severely burn your private parts without that protection. I could not see your boots. Use a kick off boot. Sometimes aluminum can get past your spats and into the boot. A kick off boot will keep the third degree burns to a minimum, if you get it off right away. Wear wool or cotton socks only. Nylon melts and then sticks to your skin. You should consider painting your pig molds with something like Mica Wash from Springfield Coatings or bone ash, which can be bought at some garden supply houses. Mix them with water and put on with a brush. Wait till dry. Pouring the aluminum into an uncoated pig mold results in iron contamination of the aluminum. It also reduces the life of the pig molds and sometimes results in the pigs sticking in the pig molds. Be sure that the pigs are completely dry before pouring metal into them. I always pour the first metal into a pig very slowly and at the edge, to help prevent a pig from blowing. Sometimes pigs will blow just from condensation of moisture in the air. When they do blow, it sounds like someone fired a shotgun. The metal goes extremely fast and long distances. We have what looks like stars stuck to our ceiling. Ours is made of tile, so it doesn't set the building on fire. Although we try to be extremely careful, it always seems like new guys want to learn for themselves. We always stick handles from old scrap runners and gates into the top of the pigs when they are just starting to solidify, to make them easier to pull out of the pig mold. We mark our runners with the alloy number to keep alloys from getting mixed up. You are pouring way too hot. From the color, I would guess that you are close to 1600 degrees F. Typically, you should be pouring around 1300 to 1350 degrees F. At those elevated temperatures, you will end up with a lot of hydrogen porosity. Those degassing tablets you use will not help much at that temperature. The hotter the metal, the more hydrogen it will hold. The hydrogen comes from moisture in the air, or from the combustion products of your fuel, reacting with the aluminum. The aluminum is so electro negative, that it will strip oxygen from water. The hydrogen that is released, dissolves into the aluminum and comes out when the metal drops below 1250 F, producing small bubbles throughout the casting. You can help prevent hydrogen pickup by using a cover flux, such as EcoFlux 145 from HA International. Put this on top of the metal as it is melting. We degas our metal with nitrogen or argon, using a hollow graphite rod, a hose and pressure regulator. Bubble the nitrogen or argon through the metal for around 5 minutes before pouring it. We use type 1 graphite rods from Pyrotek. You should be using a drossing flux which you stir into the metal, before pouring. That will pull out a lot of the oxides that are in the metal. As you mentioned before, do not melt magnesium in this type of furnace. You most certainly will set it on fire. The 5000 degree plus, flame blowing out of the crucible will break the crucible, melt the furnace and set anything near the flame on fire. If you were using a propane tank near the furnace to fuel the burner, chances are that the propane tank will blow as well. You do not have the right protective gear for that level of heat. Magnesium needs to be melted in special furnaces and you need to have a steady flow of nitrogen across the surface to keep the air away from it. In the 1950s, several aluminum foundries in Detroit started pouring magnesium. All of them burned down by 1960.
+8MADJACK You probably will not see the porosity unless you machine the parts with a carbide or diamond cutter. I'm in the business, so my metal has to be high quality.
Almost like magic...the foundry segment of my metal shop class in high school was my favorite part! And, I was pleasantly surprised to find out in later years that a person could do stuff like this at home, with homemade equipment!
Nice safe pour. Smooth, deliberate body movements. No wasted motion. Good use of safety gear. Well designed work space. Great video. Thanks for posting.
Nicest home forge I've ever seen. Looks very professional, on a smaller scale.
Finally someone using the proper safety procedures! So tired of seeing guys wearing flip flops or sandals when pouring. My personal problem is my choice of crucibles. I keep blowing out the bottom. I've used cut in half blow torch and lantern propane tanks and I guess my heat is too high cause I've had to salvage two good sized loads of molten aluminum from the bottom of my foundry.
try an iron pot
Thanks for sharing. I'm just starting out on casting and learn much just from watching. Degassing, removing slag, and your cunning latch over top of the crucible so you can pour with confidence
Very nice. Have you ever thought about using solar concentration as a heat source?
It's only a matter of how much surface area to converge to get the desired temp.
You can even use household mirror, all though it takes a LOT more because of lower efficiency, but you can get tons of it for free on CL.
Is that container just normal steel? Do you recommend any sites for learning more about this? I'm very interested.
That it a lot of Al, very hot too. Great job, very professional!
are you de-gassing at 1:20 and if so what do you use? i also would like to know your idea on what a good starter crucible would be, and where you got that wicked awesome crucible presented in this video.
great video... good too see you wear the safety gear well done..
awesome. Great job. I would of liked a bit of narration. Like what was that you put in the al at the beginning when you cleaned the top?
I had that problem for awhile. I "fixed" it by making my crucibles from 1/4" walled pipe. I know it was a little excessive and they do take a little while to heat up, however they hold heat well, and I have yet to see one leak. I would have bought a clay/graphite one, but money my budget is a little tight.
What's your cruicible made from? is it manufactured or did you just find something that fit the bill?
awesome setup too
awsome! what did you use to line the furnace, because I know concrete would decentigrate at that temperature. I'm trying to build one myself, but every time I think I can find the right materials for a reasonable price, it just gets more complicated.
@scottiblasto You can use a basic flower pot (one without a hole in the bottom of course). I would be wary of a coated crock pot, but it wouldn't hurt to bring it up to melt temperature and see if it can withstand the heat. You could do this with a propane torch.
i wonder how much aluminum bullion is worth. you have an awesome set-up sir. looks like a fun hobby and if this is a way of earning a living then congrats on that too.
@IzrailGhazi yes, it is mostly aluminum oxide. its a very good abrasive material and has a super high melting point, so many people use it to build foundries
cool. could you have one of these in your house? What's the smoke levels like when the metal is melting in one of these things, would an open window or, say, a sunroof be enough to deal with the smoke?
Looks supercool.
Most people don't see stuff like that often. wow.
@VideosofSeth The fact that you're doing, is far more important than the scale at which you are doing! I have no doubt that you will improve and refine your setup over time. The one in the vid is at my friends house, I will be constructing a new setup soon at my new place.
for your parts did you have a hollow mold? or filled with styrofoam or parafin? if you use wax, does it contaminate the metal or burn off? if you werent using soda cans, where does the slag come from? (i know auminium we see everyday is usually alumnum oxide).. and the big quesiton.. where do you get a crucible? and wha tcould you use as substitute.. i can make my own tongs.. (by the way.. could yo uget one of these hot enough to do iron or steel?)
when i was in high school we use to use old motor oil for the PETRO....works good
@Microglia1 you can take an existing part and use it for a pattern, but the new one will be slightly under size. You can create a pattern by carving a material such as wood, wax or foam and taylor it to your needs.
What material is the bowl you melt the iron in made out of? I wish to replicate this process with a home made furnace.
Also any recommendation on the brick type to build the furnace out of?
ty
@fishnriver Actually, it's my friends furnace, He built it. I helped tune it with the original "carberator" type mixer we came up with. Now it uses a Hybrid burner. I plan on building one for myself soon and will document it when I do.
brings back memories , i used to pour ally al day for 7 years , the crucible is made of graphite
Very nice set-up. What did you to melt the aluminum? and what grade of aluminum do you start with?
Show me more! doing the sand and making the mould and preparing the cope/drag................... go for it man!
Petrobond sand. The aluminum is various chunks of scrap I collected, like water pump housings and stuff. We developed a carburator with replacable jets to go with the blower. We recently switched to a Hybridburner.
@8MADJACK the outside layer on the can with the color i think causes impurities... if you melt small batches, there's often a layer that forms on top of the melted metal that you can scrape of with a spoon...
good to see someone that wears safety protection
A freaking foundry....
Now I am inspired to do some metal works....
If only a small scale at least.
@scottiblasto I do ceramics all the time. A ceramic bowl has a temperature range of 2200+ degrees. That is what I was going to create my cruicble out of. Ceramic material is brittle. So it won't take being dropped or any kind of shock. It will need to have thick walls.
The problem with metal casting is the temperatures rise so quickly. You would have to heat the bowl up slowly over a longer period. I am going to be pouring brass metal (1750 degrees + )
@pwn4fly the crucible is clay/graphite or silicone carbide depending on what you get
@IzrailGhazi Dross contains oxidation from the metal, whether it be aluminum, brass, or Iron. Basically that means it is as useful as rust. Could be a nice paper weight on a desk somewhere.
Thats a great system you have there .
Why are there flames when you pour the metal into those forms? it is the difference between the temperatures?
cool really cool question what do you mealt i melt aluminiumfoil works good but are there faster and cheaper things u can melt
I'm glad I watched this before casting in petrobond sand, I did not realise that it flamed so much
@TheNLguy you can use fine brick dust (go to any jobsite with a brick saw and get the sluge, than dry and sift it mix it with candle wax and fine sand. build your form and bake it the wax will bind it and get you a perfect result.
after baking you can even engrave designs into the surfaces or serial nummbers let it cool before you engrave.
good luck
I'm pretty sure the same furnace can be used to cast magnesium since its meting point is 10 degrees C lower than aluminum. However I'm terribly unsure of the quality of the result due to corrosion of the magnesium the heat (it is a whole more reactive than aluminum under practical conditions). Though that stuff is hard to get especially in the southern hemisphere and its expensive too. Though it is much lighter than Al so if anyone has success do report!
Could you give me some extra information about that degassing powder, where do you buy it ?or what it is? Is it possible to get it out of usual resources with a simple proces or something?
Looks like a professional
aluminum-melter
very cool. I've never done this at home!
what was that cup made of where u had the melted aluminium in, and where did u get the aluminium from?
You can make your own crucible using steel pipe nipple, and an end cap. I've seen 2" nipples at Lowes.
@scottiblasto no but if you are only doing aluminum then a stainless steel vessel will work very well
what was that piece of metal you tossed in. is it to get the slag to rise to the top?
@8MADJACK Ohh ok,kinda like a bigger version of the lil things jewlers use for gold and silver.If they degrade over time,where do you buy them from? I have just been using a piece of steel pipe with a plate welded on the bottom,you can see these in my video.. There just a bit too small for some of my castings. Also have you ever heard of folding a small aluminium foil packet of baking soda,or some sort of soda(foget exactly) to the crucible to degass ??
@FarceTheory I'm not using cans, but if I was I'd just melt them. I'm not sure what you mean by "responsibly" . Don't breathe the fumes. I don't think there is a plastic lining in soda cans anyways.
The thing you first removed off the melting pot was the snag?
@scottiblasto the answer is no.. The moisture in the ceramic can,usually does expand/explode in the tiny bubbles that are present in the material.Because ceramic is pourous,it absorbs moisture,start it off dry,tho,you will have different results ;)
@djpaulk there is no glazing like a cup or something would have, this cruciuble is clay/graphite. and they do degrade over time
@parails
Most likely fused silica or graphite
@ba470 Well, with a homemade kiln there could be any number of reasons why it wouldn't work. It has to be very efficient at holding in the heat. Both how it's made and what it is made out of would be important. If you tell me more about your kiln, I or someone else might be able to help you figure out what's wrong. The gas that you use is also an important factor, as some gasses burn hotter than others. What gas are you using?
i just finished building my forge. what kind of metal do you use scrap metal or what?
what was the thing he melted it in? And what material was in there? (doubt that just wood...)
@8MADJACK i wouldn't even worry about that. that furnace should be hot enough to pretty much clean burn any plastic. should be hot enough to cause even the fumes to break down chemically into elements.
I would of put legos or action figures all around that and make them look like they're working,lol. This vid is soo much better to considering what you are making.
would a crock pot ceramic bowl or something like that work as a crucible?
@8MADJACK nice can we get some pics of the end result?
i was wondering where you bought your crucible? i am trying to start melting.
@Microglia1 This forge will not do steel. this furnace is at my friends house and has evolved over time, it was not built/purchased at one time, no cost estimate. most of what you see is home made. As far as safety, the setup is built with safety in mind, it is isolated from the dwelling, the stuff around it is a fence and a shed. Safety equipment is worn when operating. I recently moved and am going to build a new setup. I might have a better idea then....
do you know what type of aluminium are the cans made from? Maybe a 6000 series?
@8MADJACK Thanks for the link,but im in Australia,and for some reason i thought you were too.. It seems difficult to find a supplier over here.
Where do you get these tools? what would you suggest for melting copper?
How long would it take to melt the metal to that consistency?
0:36 ... what are U putting in there?
ios it a kind of liquifier like borax?
yes , but they say resist bles than graphite, so , no suitable for iron /steel foundry isnt it?
It's so much fun to watch melted metal
@SKoGoMoney thanks for the answer, so in your opinion (cuz you seem to know your stuff about this particular thing) what would be the 1) best thickness and material, 2) the cleanest metal, for the least amount of smoke? Is propane the cleanest, or is it just cleaner than charcoal (and what do you think of using more primitive methods like bellows?)
@8MADJACK Please take pics/vids on your upgrade!
That was smooth. What did you make?
@ba470 You shouldn't need to add anything to aluminium in order to melt it. Your problem is probably temperature.
That was awesome. So what ya make?
@insanezy I plan on more stuff in the future, I'm currently building a new shop and foundry setup at my new place. It won't be too long I hope, shooting for this winter to do more foundry.
it's a degassing powder from budgetcastingsupply, crucible from same source
@8MADJACK Ohh YEAH,i forgot also to ask where you source your petrobond from?
what kind of material is the basket with the hot liquid
I am self taught, there are a lot of resources on the net. I would enroll in a shop class if I were you since you are still in school I assume.
@8MADJACK does the glazing on the ceramic melt lower than aluminium? Never tried,or considered? ... Thoughts??
what are you using to hold the smelted material?
It would have been interesting to see what you cast.
Davie Jones ya, sorry, it's in the other vids
yes, i know thats flux, but what it exactly was, what chemical compound?
whats the name of the cup that holds the metal i cant remeber
@FarceTheory HEY GUESS WHAT, there's about 50 different soda manufactures in the USA and some use wax and some don't.
What do you add before pouring?
subscribed , thank you from new hampshire
can you reuse that sludge or is it worthless
How do you got the cup with the metal in it
What did you use for the crucible
what did you use as your crucible?
where did u get your crucible?
How much did the forge cost?
How did you build this foundry?
I would suggest that you use clay graphite for lift out crucibles. They are stronger at high heat than silicon carbide. One, such as you have, is more typically used in a tilt pour furnace. Silicon carbide is quite fragile compared to clay graphite.
The screen face shield you have is a bad idea. Although it keeps away the heat, aluminum from a steam explosion, will go right through that. A person at Federal Mogel Corp. was blinded when he used a screen without safety glasses below it. The screen merely dispersed the metal into fine droplets. We use clear plastic shields, though you could also use a tinted one. You might also think of using a fireproof apron, such as leather or kevlar. In a steam explosion of aluminum, you could severely burn your private parts without that protection. I could not see your boots. Use a kick off boot. Sometimes aluminum can get past your spats and into the boot. A kick off boot will keep the third degree burns to a minimum, if you get it off right away. Wear wool or cotton socks only. Nylon melts and then sticks to your skin.
You should consider painting your pig molds with something like Mica Wash from Springfield Coatings or bone ash, which can be bought at some garden supply houses. Mix them with water and put on with a brush. Wait till dry. Pouring the aluminum into an uncoated pig mold results in iron contamination of the aluminum. It also reduces the life of the pig molds and sometimes results in the pigs sticking in the pig molds. Be sure that the pigs are completely dry before pouring metal into them. I always pour the first metal into a pig very slowly and at the edge, to help prevent a pig from blowing. Sometimes pigs will blow just from condensation of moisture in the air. When they do blow, it sounds like someone fired a shotgun. The metal goes extremely fast and long distances. We have what looks like stars stuck to our ceiling. Ours is made of tile, so it doesn't set the building on fire. Although we try to be extremely careful, it always seems like new guys want to learn for themselves. We always stick handles from old scrap runners and gates into the top of the pigs when they are just starting to solidify, to make them easier to pull out of the pig mold. We mark our runners with the alloy number to keep alloys from getting mixed up.
You are pouring way too hot. From the color, I would guess that you are close to 1600 degrees F. Typically, you should be pouring around 1300 to 1350 degrees F. At those elevated temperatures, you will end up with a lot of hydrogen porosity. Those degassing tablets you use will not help much at that temperature. The hotter the metal, the more hydrogen it will hold. The hydrogen comes from moisture in the air, or from the combustion products of your fuel, reacting with the aluminum. The aluminum is so electro negative, that it will strip oxygen from water. The hydrogen that is released, dissolves into the aluminum and comes out when the metal drops below 1250 F, producing small bubbles throughout the casting. You can help prevent hydrogen pickup by using a cover flux, such as EcoFlux 145 from HA International. Put this on top of the metal as it is melting. We degas our metal with nitrogen or argon, using a hollow graphite rod, a hose and pressure regulator. Bubble the nitrogen or argon through the metal for around 5 minutes before pouring it. We use type 1 graphite rods from Pyrotek. You should be using a drossing flux which you stir into the metal, before pouring. That will pull out a lot of the oxides that are in the metal.
As you mentioned before, do not melt magnesium in this type of furnace. You most certainly will set it on fire. The 5000 degree plus, flame blowing out of the crucible will break the crucible, melt the furnace and set anything near the flame on fire. If you were using a propane tank near the furnace to fuel the burner, chances are that the propane tank will blow as well. You do not have the right protective gear for that level of heat. Magnesium needs to be melted in special furnaces and you need to have a steady flow of nitrogen across the surface to keep the air away from it. In the 1950s, several aluminum foundries in Detroit started pouring magnesium. All of them burned down by 1960.
+cfjulian1225 Thanks for all the input, I always appreciate safety tips. Never had a problem with porosity at all so what we've been doing is working
+8MADJACK You probably will not see the porosity unless you machine the parts with a carbide or diamond cutter. I'm in the business, so my metal has to be high quality.
+cfjulian1225 Y've machined them, but I'm just a hobby guy, they have held up well for me on guns and motorcycles :-D
@wiccanruler69 I will be doing a new one this winter hopefully, I will document it when I do, but be patient :-)
How do you clean out your crucible?
oh thank u very much do u know where to get one
@jonstacy no porosity issues to date.
liquid aluminum looks soo pretty...