That is the best home made foundry I've seen, good job. It's exactly the way I was going to make mine, most people use those paint buckets, but I always thought a charcoal smoker would be perfect.
Very nice looking setup. I liked almost everything you have done. One thing you may want to change though is putting your slag in your lawn or getting a bucket full of sand to put it in. Concrete will explode if it gets hot enough. I have had it happen to me, by an accidental spill. You can ruin your concrete slab pretty quick if you don't protect it from the slag. But all in all, very nice setup.
Very nice setup. I'm somewhat envious! I had planned on upgrading my burner to WVO, but I think a full re-design might be in order after seeing your setup........
I do get shrinkage. About a 1/4 inch in the center of a 1"+/- ingot. I am thinking to build a burner under the mold to preheat and control the cool down to reduce shrinkage. I don't know if it will work but seems logical. What got me started in this is I bought a mill and needed material to mill on. Billet aluminum is too expensive for me to be hacking away at so I thought ingots might work out and they do. I've got the burnin bug though and now I am going to build some molds and start casting.
I would like to see you pour some molds. I have a foundry, and have never had any use for ingots except to hold open a door or two. I suppose you could use them like bricks and build a castle of metal.
Thanks for the positive comments. A lot of work went into building the foundry and it's encouraging you found so much positive to say. Had you read any of the notations and earlier comments you would have seen that your concerns have long ago been addressed. The video was put up to give other ideas on the construction many of whom I have shared the plans with. I'm glad you got so much out of it. All negative, nothing positive. What a guy!
@quarryone The outside steel shell, is it from an old water heater? I have a furnace made from that. If you want to have a look on youtube "Waste oil furnace melting cast iron" There also are other videos on cupolas and induction furnace melting cast iron and steel.
@cfjulian1225 I do use the welders gloves. The Kevlar gloves are so bulky they present a bigger hazard than the prevent. I do get some contamination from the steel crucible. I don't inderstand what you mean when you say coat it with refractory. That doesn't make sense to me.
The stuff that come off of aluminum melt is called dross. Slag is the waste product of smelting ore and typically contains silicates. Since no ore is used in melting aluminum, the waste at the top is not slag. In the industry, no one in aluminum would use the term slag.
yeah except for that lil stone he sat it on. i know he replaced it, annotation, but to go through all those safety steps and still going through with that.... idk dude
Flux is not necessary for pouring ingots unless you want to take those and machine them directly. We normally flux all of our metal because it gets the bits of sand and aluminum oxide out of the melt. Aluminum oxide, also known as the mineral corundum, is very hard. Hitting that with a steel or carbide cutter will dull the cutter. It is formed by reaction of the metal with air or water.
@cfjulian1225 There is a drain hole at the bottom with "channel runners" to drain out in the event of a leak. I usually put an emergency "catch pan" below should that occur. Thanks for the tips and feedback.
People think that because its on TH-cam some how owe some kind of responsibility to everyone to set a good example. Since when did showing someone something mean it had to be a community safety message. Its just an opportunity for people to say "HA! see I can tell you off for something. Everyone tells me off so now I am going to do it to someone else!!" its just pent up bullshit. Good video. The little block issue is an issue because your going to spill your melt and lose it not because your going to burn yourself. Well done and keep them coming.
Bees wax will merely catch fire and create more oxide. Most fluxes contain either NaCl or KCl as the main ingredient with a fluoride such as sodium silico fluoride. The salt gets sticky when hot and sticks to the sand and oxides. It is lighter than aluminum, so it floats to the top and can be skimmed off. The fluoride wets the surface of the metal and allows you to drain the good aluminum out of the flux. Some contain nitrates to heat up the flux and help it drain.
Actually I do machine them directly. That's what got me started with the foundry in the first place. As always, you make the most useful comments to this channel. Haven't heard from you in a while. The reason I put these videos up is so others can get some idea of the process. Input from knowledgable sources is rare. Thanks. Jeff
I was waiting for Keyboard cat with its paws in the air about to play a nice melody, especially when you started mixing that molten metal on that tiny block at 1:20. Nice foundry man, but think of how that lovely metal would go right through your foot if it tipped over.
The nicest setup I have seen except balancing the crucible on a base smaller. Other than than your handle is brilliant and the base is a capital design. This is a 5 star setup and I hope you don't mind me using some of it for my forge setup. Good luck. NWA Scrapper
@cfjulian1225 Copper melts at 1983 F... Carbon steel melts at 2600-2800 F depending on the type of steel. I think what you may be referring to is cast iron but that still melts at 2150 - 2360 F...
@ArtieinAus You are right. Safety is job 1. If you had read through previous posts you would have seen that I have since added a full Kevlar suit and gloves to my wardrobe, I have also made a larger "block" for the crucible.
Very nice setup, I like it a lot. I also wear tennis shoes when I cast. I prefer tennis shoes because I can take them off in two seconds flat. If Aluminum or iron touch your boots you have to unstrap the laces and it takes more time to get them off which causes more danger. Anyways good luck.
@quarryone You might want to reconsider your pouring technique and equipment. Most foundries will put the crucible into a ring shank then lift the ladle to the side and pour. It is better ergonomically and should you screw up and cause an explosion, you are not right on top. It is also usually better to have the pigs you are pouring elevated so that you don't have to bend down to pour. That has the added benefit of making the explosion cone only possibly hitting you from the waist up.
As amazing as it sounds, there are certain people who are aware of the dangers around them and can easily avoid them before they do any damage. I think this phenomenon is call BEING CAREFUL.
In aluminum, the skimmed material is known a dross. If you have large quantities of it, smelters will buy it to reclaim the aluminum that you didn't get out of it. Due to the various chemicals in dross, it is considered a hazardous waste by the EPA and DOT, so you cannot just throw it away. You may be able to take it to a local aluminum foundry and get them to allow you to dispose of yours with theirs since they will get a very small amount of money for it, typically 5 - 10 cents per pound.
You are absolutely correct. Safety is pretty important with this stuff cause it's gonna hurt like hell if I get a spill. I just ordered some leggings. Thanks for your input.
@quarryone It doesn't appear that you are using a drossing flux. You might be using a cover flux, but to save metal and better clean out the impurities, stir in a drossing flux, such as WF-37 from HA International. The furnace design allows flame to pass the molten aluminum directly. This allows faster melting but causes more oxidation. You might want to put a piece of 2600 degree fibre board over the crucible while melting. Trim it so that it doesn't interfere with the flame pattern.
@compuwise2 The base was made with a piece of left over pallet rack I had laying around. The 3 poit shape prevents wobble and there are screw jacks to level and lcok it in place if neccesary. A full firesuit has been added to my wardrode for safety. The crucible is shown in the video.
The forge itself looks very sturdy, one of the best setups I have seen for a small scale foundry. Where did you get the stand? What does the crucible look like? What safety steps did you add?
that's pretty cool set up you've got there, looks well done an done like a pro as fare as i can tell. so what well you be doing with the aluminum ingots, an about how much does each ingot way on the scales?
@quarryone Your chance of an explosion is actually greater in a metal mold or pig than with a sand mold. In sand, the porosity allows steam to vent through the mold. In 52 years, we have never seen a sand mold explosion, but have seen numerous explosions from pigs, ladles and cement floors. Most aluminum foundries do not pour from crucibles. Instead, they dip out the metal with a ladle. The ladle can explode from wet coatings or from condensation on the metal ladle. Same reason for pigs.
@cfjulian1225 Great info. Thanks for the feedback. I will try it out. What's your background on this? You sound pretty knowledgable. I agree about the aluminum wire, it makes a pretty soft ingot. I posted these videos because when I went to build the foundry there wasn't very much good information out there. I get emails or comments everyday it seems. Yours is the most useful. I try to share with others who are nutty enough to do this stuff.
You put some very nice concepts into your furnace! The cart is fantastic, leveling screws, pivoting head...excellent! Dis you design that tool for lifting out the crucible? Love the way you can lock it at a 90. Thanks for sharing!
Love the handle set up! Lift the crucible straight out then screw under the rin to set it a right angle for pouring - that's magic - well done! What flux are you using?
@fly2000jtb With an outdoor foundry, it is really a bad idea to put the dross skimmed from the furnace on the cement. Even if the cement is perfectly dry, it is a bad conductor, so when it gets hot enough, the hot part will build stresses against the cold part till it explodes. That throws hot cement and metal in the air. Generally, a small amount is not a problem but it is still bad practice. Dross should be skimmed and put onto dry firebrick, into a dry pig or onto dry sand.
@TheReaperofthefallen Thanks for the comment on the holder. I put a lot of thought into making it. Being in a position directly over the pour is not necesarily advisable however. It works great for small pours into open molds but if you're pouring into sand molds where there is a chance of moiture explosion, being over top of the work is ill advised. Read the post from cfjulian1225 below. Good information.
Using scrap aluminum wire I had laying around. It takes a zillion cans to make something. I also have an old outbourd engine I'm going to cut up and melt. I don't have any casting stuff yet so I'm only casting ingots to mill on my milling machine.
@playstation003 If you decide to melt copper, you should be using a clay-graphite crucible and not a steel pot. At the melting temp for copper, you will also melt the steel. Typically, with copper, brass or bronze, you use a hoist with crucible tongs to lift the crucible out of the furnace, then place that in a steel ring shank. Don't set it on cement. Since copper is three times heavier than aluminum, most times a two man ring shank. A silicon carbide crucible will not hold up to the heat.
This one started out as a 40 gal electric heater but any tank will do such as a water pressure tank or drum. The base is made from an old pallet rack beam.
That's a really swanky-looking foundry. Nice job. I'm slowly working up to building one for myself, and I really like the sliding lid idea. What's your crucible made of?
The radio playing in the background reminded me of a bumper sticker. "Husband and dog missing. Reward for dog." You may have to read it more than once.
WHere do you see a wooden mold? Thats a steel ingot mold. It's painted tan. BTW I put leveling screws on the corners of the mold to raise it off the ground and also level the mold so I would get even ingots. Jeff
That's exactly what this is. It started life as a water heater core. The 4" hole on top was not there though. It was probably the toughest hole I ever drilled. Wore me out!
Yes its concrete. I'm working on a portable cart with a firebrick base. The mold is not sitting directly on the concrete it's raised up about three quarters of an inch by the leveling legs on the mold. I haven't been too concerned so far since I've been melting some pretty small quantities. The lifting tongs work out pretty well for small melts. It locks the crucible and very securely and is very maneuverable. Thanks for your comment. Jeff
You could get much better quality out of your metal by using a clay graphite crucible. This will keep the aluminum from absorbing iron. When you melt with gas or oil, it is a good idea to put a cover on the crucible itself to keep oxygen away from the metal. You get less dross that way. You can buy a cover flux to help reduce oxidation while melting. When you add a drossing flux, generally you try to push it down into the metal to get it in contact with the impurities.
Forgive me for asking, But I've never done this before, and I'm interested in learning more on the process. What are you scooping out from 0:14 to 0:24? Is that Slag?
I figured that I would still get shrinkage, but that controlling the cooldown would give "even" shrinkage on the ingot instead of a "belly" in the middle where the cool down is slowest. I haven't tried it yet but that's my theory.
What do you use the ignots for? do you find it easier to recycle them or something? and also, i think it would cost more for the price of gas to melt em down.
Very nice, I thought that was actually a commercial furnace! I echo that, pictures would be extremely appreciated, and if you don't have time or want the bother of sending it out to 5k people, might I suggest a slide show commentary/vid post. Thanks in advance
I don't see a bust out hole in your furnace. In the event that the crucible fails, you don't want it coming out the burner hole or collecting in the bottom of the furnace. If you don't have flame safety equipment, a large bust out can snuff the burner and cause a gas explosion.
To control shrinkage, it's build into the pattern. Roughly the pattern's dim. are 10% more than the desired finished dimensions. There are complicated formulas for the serious caster/mold maker/pattern builder. But for hobby casting, eyeball and function dim.'s will do.
Something you should caution people new at this is that you should never set the pig bottoms directly upon concrete. The heat transferring through the steel can cause the concrete to explode because it heats up locally and expands yet the concrete around it is still cold. When enough pressure builds up, the surface will pop several feet in the air. You don't want the pig with molten metal getting launched near you. Your design with an air gap below is best.
@cfjulian1225 Although explosions in sand are rare, they are still possible if the sand is very wet or if it is packed especially hard. More typically, with sand, you will see the sprue or risers boiling, a sign that you are too wet and you will end up with gas holes, know in the industry as blows. It is always best in sand if you open at least one riser to allow steam to escape, generally one at the far end of the gating.
Looks good, oh only the safety... When you accidentally pushes against the crucible on the plint your Nike's wont protect against the heat!! Good luck, work safe!
That is the best home made foundry I've seen, good job. It's exactly the way I was going to make mine, most people use those paint buckets, but I always thought a charcoal smoker would be perfect.
Fantastic setup! I like the pivoting lid and the threaded rod to hold the crucible in place.
Very slick setup you have there. I will keep your foundry in mind when I build my next one.
My guts jumped into my mouth when i saw that balancing on that stone !
Amazing foundry though , very impressive .
Very nice looking setup. I liked almost everything you have done. One thing you may want to change though is putting your slag in your lawn or getting a bucket full of sand to put it in. Concrete will explode if it gets hot enough. I have had it happen to me, by an accidental spill. You can ruin your concrete slab pretty quick if you don't protect it from the slag.
But all in all, very nice setup.
Very nice setup. I'm somewhat envious! I had planned on upgrading my burner to WVO, but I think a full re-design might be in order after seeing your setup........
nice job I like the design of the foundry and the crucible handling tool. Definitely a cut above the coffee can foundry.
Brilliant idea for the lid! Impressive setup you have there
I like the simple pivot lid too. I'm currently doing the clean & jerk with mine. Need to modify...
I do get shrinkage. About a 1/4 inch in the center of a 1"+/- ingot. I am thinking to build a burner under the mold to preheat and control the cool down to reduce shrinkage. I don't know if it will work but seems logical. What got me started in this is I bought a mill and needed material to mill on. Billet aluminum is too expensive for me to be hacking away at so I thought ingots might work out and they do. I've got the burnin bug though and now I am going to build some molds and start casting.
You are right about the safety. Cannot have too much protective gear with this stuff. Thanks for the compliment on the setup.
I would like to see you pour some molds. I have a foundry, and have never had any use for ingots except to hold open a door or two. I suppose you could use them like bricks and build a castle of metal.
Thanks for the positive comments. A lot of work went into building the foundry and it's encouraging you found so much positive to say. Had you read any of the notations and earlier comments you would have seen that your concerns have long ago been addressed. The video was put up to give other ideas on the construction many of whom I have shared the plans with. I'm glad you got so much out of it. All negative, nothing positive. What a guy!
@quarryone The outside steel shell, is it from an old water heater? I have a furnace made from that. If you want to have a look on youtube "Waste oil furnace melting cast iron" There also are other videos on cupolas and induction furnace melting cast iron and steel.
@cfjulian1225 I do use the welders gloves. The Kevlar gloves are so bulky they present a bigger hazard than the prevent. I do get some contamination from the steel crucible. I don't inderstand what you mean when you say coat it with refractory. That doesn't make sense to me.
Really impressed with your setup! We are looking to build a small foundry for our sculpture class…would you be willing to share your plans?
The stuff that come off of aluminum melt is called dross. Slag is the waste product of smelting ore and typically contains silicates. Since no ore is used in melting aluminum, the waste at the top is not slag. In the industry, no one in aluminum would use the term slag.
Wow, the nicest setup on youtube.
yeah except for that lil stone he sat it on. i know he replaced it, annotation, but to go through all those safety steps and still going through with that.... idk dude
some nice ideas. over done maybe? i bet it took a long time to make.
Flux is not necessary for pouring ingots unless you want to take those and machine them directly. We normally flux all of our metal because it gets the bits of sand and aluminum oxide out of the melt. Aluminum oxide, also known as the mineral corundum, is very hard. Hitting that with a steel or carbide cutter will dull the cutter. It is formed by reaction of the metal with air or water.
Nice set-up. Foundry looks great!
@cfjulian1225 There is a drain hole at the bottom with "channel runners" to drain out in the event of a leak. I usually put an emergency "catch pan" below should that occur. Thanks for the tips and feedback.
People think that because its on TH-cam some how owe some kind of responsibility to everyone to set a good example. Since when did showing someone something mean it had to be a community safety message. Its just an opportunity for people to say "HA! see I can tell you off for something. Everyone tells me off so now I am going to do it to someone else!!" its just pent up bullshit. Good video. The little block issue is an issue because your going to spill your melt and lose it not because your going to burn yourself. Well done and keep them coming.
Bees wax will merely catch fire and create more oxide. Most fluxes contain either NaCl or KCl as the main ingredient with a fluoride such as sodium silico fluoride. The salt gets sticky when hot and sticks to the sand and oxides. It is lighter than aluminum, so it floats to the top and can be skimmed off. The fluoride wets the surface of the metal and allows you to drain the good aluminum out of the flux. Some contain nitrates to heat up the flux and help it drain.
Actually I do machine them directly. That's what got me started with the foundry in the first place. As always, you make the most useful comments to this channel. Haven't heard from you in a while. The reason I put these videos up is so others can get some idea of the process. Input from knowledgable sources is rare. Thanks. Jeff
I was waiting for Keyboard cat with its paws in the air about to play a nice melody, especially when you started mixing that molten metal on that tiny block at 1:20. Nice foundry man, but think of how that lovely metal would go right through your foot if it tipped over.
@oldstock1607 The flux helps the metal pour smoother and helps bring the slag to the top so it can be removed.
Nice set-up. It looks like you take pride in your work. Self publish the plans and sell them on line.
The nicest setup I have seen except balancing the crucible on a base smaller. Other than than your handle is brilliant and the base is a capital design. This is a 5 star setup and I hope you don't mind me using some of it for my forge setup. Good luck.
NWA Scrapper
@cfjulian1225 Copper melts at 1983 F... Carbon steel melts at 2600-2800 F depending on the type of steel.
I think what you may be referring to is cast iron but that still melts at 2150 - 2360 F...
That is sooo cool!! to have your own home made foundry..
nice video, do you have info on the foundry build you have there? the caster wheel setup would be a great solution for a future workshop.
thanks!
@ArtieinAus You are right. Safety is job 1. If you had read through previous posts you would have seen that I have since added a full Kevlar suit and gloves to my wardrobe, I have also made a larger "block" for the crucible.
Very nice setup, I like it a lot. I also wear tennis shoes when I cast. I prefer tennis shoes because I can take them off in two seconds flat. If Aluminum or iron touch your boots you have to unstrap the laces and it takes more time to get them off which causes more danger. Anyways good luck.
And then "Old Red" started playing. Love it. Clever combination extraction/pouring tool, too.
@oldstock1607 what flux does is separate the impurities to the surface, so you can pick them up from the metal, to purify it from gunk basicly.
@quarryone You might want to reconsider your pouring technique and equipment. Most foundries will put the crucible into a ring shank then lift the ladle to the side and pour. It is better ergonomically and should you screw up and cause an explosion, you are not right on top. It is also usually better to have the pigs you are pouring elevated so that you don't have to bend down to pour. That has the added benefit of making the explosion cone only possibly hitting you from the waist up.
As amazing as it sounds, there are certain people who are aware of the dangers around them and can easily avoid them before they do any damage. I think this phenomenon is call BEING CAREFUL.
In aluminum, the skimmed material is known a dross. If you have large quantities of it, smelters will buy it to reclaim the aluminum that you didn't get out of it. Due to the various chemicals in dross, it is considered a hazardous waste by the EPA and DOT, so you cannot just throw it away. You may be able to take it to a local aluminum foundry and get them to allow you to dispose of yours with theirs since they will get a very small amount of money for it, typically 5 - 10 cents per pound.
Bravo, complimenti, mi hai fatto venire voglia di provare a costruirlo. Lo trovo perfetto.
You are absolutely correct. Safety is pretty important with this stuff cause it's gonna hurt like hell if I get a spill. I just ordered some leggings. Thanks for your input.
@quarryone It doesn't appear that you are using a drossing flux. You might be using a cover flux, but to save metal and better clean out the impurities, stir in a drossing flux, such as WF-37 from HA International.
The furnace design allows flame to pass the molten aluminum directly. This allows faster melting but causes more oxidation. You might want to put a piece of 2600 degree fibre board over the crucible while melting. Trim it so that it doesn't interfere with the flame pattern.
Where can I buy parts to build something like this. This is really nice... I kinda have an idea on how to build it, I think.
@compuwise2 The base was made with a piece of left over pallet rack I had laying around. The 3 poit shape prevents wobble and there are screw jacks to level and lcok it in place if neccesary. A full firesuit has been added to my wardrode for safety. The crucible is shown in the video.
@oldstock1607 Not sure. I always do to get the impurities out. Never tried pouring them without fluxing first.
The forge itself looks very sturdy, one of the best setups I have seen for a small scale foundry. Where did you get the stand? What does the crucible look like?
What safety steps did you add?
Very nice. I see it works great for aluminum, can you do brass, copper and nickels?
Could I please have a copy of your plans this looks very slick.
Cool. I bet that design for a foundry would work well as a barbeque... hmmm
that's pretty cool set up you've got there, looks well done an done like a pro as fare as i can tell. so what well you be doing with the aluminum ingots, an about how much does each ingot way on the scales?
@quarryone Your chance of an explosion is actually greater in a metal mold or pig than with a sand mold. In sand, the porosity allows steam to vent through the mold. In 52 years, we have never seen a sand mold explosion, but have seen numerous explosions from pigs, ladles and cement floors. Most aluminum foundries do not pour from crucibles. Instead, they dip out the metal with a ladle. The ladle can explode from wet coatings or from condensation on the metal ladle. Same reason for pigs.
@cfjulian1225 Great info. Thanks for the feedback. I will try it out. What's your background on this? You sound pretty knowledgable. I agree about the aluminum wire, it makes a pretty soft ingot. I posted these videos because when I went to build the foundry there wasn't very much good information out there. I get emails or comments everyday it seems. Yours is the most useful. I try to share with others who are nutty enough to do this stuff.
You put some very nice concepts into your furnace! The cart is fantastic, leveling screws, pivoting head...excellent! Dis you design that tool for lifting out the crucible? Love the way you can lock it at a 90. Thanks for sharing!
Love the handle set up! Lift the crucible straight out then screw under the rin to set it a right angle for pouring - that's magic - well done!
What flux are you using?
Great Clip M8,
What Is The Flux You Add To The Mix
hi i would like to build a foundry very impressed with yours could you send me the plans
@fly2000jtb With an outdoor foundry, it is really a bad idea to put the dross skimmed from the furnace on the cement. Even if the cement is perfectly dry, it is a bad conductor, so when it gets hot enough, the hot part will build stresses against the cold part till it explodes. That throws hot cement and metal in the air. Generally, a small amount is not a problem but it is still bad practice. Dross should be skimmed and put onto dry firebrick, into a dry pig or onto dry sand.
That's a really classy setup you have there.
@TheReaperofthefallen Thanks for the comment on the holder. I put a lot of thought into making it. Being in a position directly over the pour is not necesarily advisable however. It works great for small pours into open molds but if you're pouring into sand molds where there is a chance of moiture explosion, being over top of the work is ill advised. Read the post from cfjulian1225 below. Good information.
Using scrap aluminum wire I had laying around. It takes a zillion cans to make something. I also have an old outbourd engine I'm going to cut up and melt. I don't have any casting stuff yet so I'm only casting ingots to mill on my milling machine.
@playstation003 If you decide to melt copper, you should be using a clay-graphite crucible and not a steel pot. At the melting temp for copper, you will also melt the steel. Typically, with copper, brass or bronze, you use a hoist with crucible tongs to lift the crucible out of the furnace, then place that in a steel ring shank. Don't set it on cement. Since copper is three times heavier than aluminum, most times a two man ring shank. A silicon carbide crucible will not hold up to the heat.
This one started out as a 40 gal electric heater but any tank will do such as a water pressure tank or drum. The base is made from an old pallet rack beam.
That's a really swanky-looking foundry. Nice job. I'm slowly working up to building one for myself, and I really like the sliding lid idea. What's your crucible made of?
The radio playing in the background reminded me of a bumper sticker.
"Husband and dog missing. Reward for dog."
You may have to read it more than once.
you could sell that corundum ya know, its popular for being the same basic mineral as rubies and sapphires
Is there a way to clean impurities such as motor oil from the aluminum before or during the smelting process?
Why do you melt ingots? for parts or selling or scraping like why do you do it? You got a hell of a setup
Very nice setup, thank you for sharing.
WHere do you see a wooden mold? Thats a steel ingot mold. It's painted tan.
BTW I put leveling screws on the corners of the mold to raise it off the ground and also level the mold so I would get even ingots. Jeff
Nice. What would happen if a raindrop fell in your molten aluminum
? Screwed then.
That's exactly what this is. It started life as a water heater core. The 4" hole on top was not there though. It was probably the toughest hole I ever drilled. Wore me out!
looks like a great rig, whats the crucible made from?
@quarryone Would you be able to send me your plans aswell. I need to find a way to get rid of all this old metal.
Super cool! What do you do with the ingots?
Yes its concrete. I'm working on a portable cart with a firebrick base. The mold is not sitting directly on the concrete it's raised up about three quarters of an inch by the leveling legs on the mold. I haven't been too concerned so far since I've been melting some pretty small quantities. The lifting tongs work out pretty well for small melts. It locks the crucible and very securely and is very maneuverable. Thanks for your comment. Jeff
@cfjulian1225 I use a combination cover and drossing flux. Asbury 770. Where do you get 2600 deg fibre board?
You could get much better quality out of your metal by using a clay graphite crucible. This will keep the aluminum from absorbing iron. When you melt with gas or oil, it is a good idea to put a cover on the crucible itself to keep oxygen away from the metal. You get less dross that way. You can buy a cover flux to help reduce oxidation while melting. When you add a drossing flux, generally you try to push it down into the metal to get it in contact with the impurities.
That is one sweet setup!
Forgive me for asking, But I've never done this before, and I'm interested in learning more on the process.
What are you scooping out from 0:14 to 0:24? Is that Slag?
sorry if i sound totally ignorant but what are you melting this thing looks awsome 5 stars
I am considering making a foundry like this for the SCC Baja SAE team and was wondering if you had any tips or information you would share with me?
I figured that I would still get shrinkage, but that controlling the cooldown would give "even" shrinkage on the ingot instead of a "belly" in the middle where the cool down is slowest. I haven't tried it yet but that's my theory.
I built it. It used to be a water heater core and some other junk I had laying around.
@0717JC Thanks for the comment. I have about 1-1/2" refractory and 1-1/2" of Kaewool insulation. Skin temp gets to about 150 deg.
Is that steel? Woah. And how do you know how to smelt?
What do you use the ignots for? do you find it easier to recycle them or something? and also, i think it would cost more for the price of gas to melt em down.
Looks like fun! What metal was this, aluminum?
Very nice, I thought that was actually a commercial furnace!
I echo that, pictures would be extremely appreciated, and if you don't have time or want the bother of sending it out to 5k people, might I suggest a slide show commentary/vid post.
Thanks in advance
I don't see a bust out hole in your furnace. In the event that the crucible fails, you don't want it coming out the burner hole or collecting in the bottom of the furnace. If you don't have flame safety equipment, a large bust out can snuff the burner and cause a gas explosion.
Great vid. Smart looking foundry you got there =D
the "block" was the only thing that made me super nervous... where did you get the furnace???
may i ask wat u wer melting n wer u got such quantaty from? and how much did it cost you if any? tnx
do you get much perosity this way shrink. Do you pre heat your molds first
whered you get your crucible and whats the demension of your furnace?
To control shrinkage, it's build into the pattern. Roughly the pattern's dim. are 10% more than the desired finished dimensions. There are complicated formulas for the serious caster/mold maker/pattern builder. But for hobby casting, eyeball and function dim.'s will do.
@quarryone What did you use for refractory?
Something you should caution people new at this is that you should never set the pig bottoms directly upon concrete. The heat transferring through the steel can cause the concrete to explode because it heats up locally and expands yet the concrete around it is still cold. When enough pressure builds up, the surface will pop several feet in the air. You don't want the pig with molten metal getting launched near you. Your design with an air gap below is best.
I know it´s an old shot, but why the balance act on the little brick. Isn´t there a risk of you knocking the melting pot over?
@cfjulian1225 Although explosions in sand are rare, they are still possible if the sand is very wet or if it is packed especially hard. More typically, with sand, you will see the sprue or risers boiling, a sign that you are too wet and you will end up with gas holes, know in the industry as blows. It is always best in sand if you open at least one riser to allow steam to escape, generally one at the far end of the gating.
what are you just melting pop cans to make ingots or what are you making
Looks good, oh only the safety... When you accidentally pushes against the crucible on the plint your Nike's wont protect against the heat!! Good luck, work safe!
is it a good ideaa to keep it next to grass?