Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14

Thread: High Temperature Home Furnace ?

  1. #1
    VladTepes's Avatar
    VladTepes is offline Major Part of the Heart and Soul of AULRO Subscriber
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Bracken Ridge, Qld
    Posts
    16,003
    Total Downloaded
    0

    High Temperature Home Furnace ?

    I'd like to have a go at some metal casting at home.


    I need a propane powered furnace capable of melting Brass / Bronze / Copper as well as the associated bits and bobs such as crucibles, handles, and so on.


    Anyone "in the know" who can point me in the right direction?
    It's not broken. It's "Carbon Neutral".


    gone


    1993 Defender 110 ute "Doris"
    1994 Range Rover Vogue LSE "The Luxo-Barge"
    1994 Defender 130 HCPU "Rolly"
    1996 Discovery 1

    current

    1995 Defender 130 HCPU and Suzuki GSX1400


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Jimboomba(ish), QLD
    Posts
    5,557
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Vlad, this is something similar that my son was going to make on the cheap
    [ame]https://youtu.be/9XO1rE7v44g[/ame]

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Drouin East, Vic
    Posts
    2,590
    Total Downloaded
    0
    I have made a foray into this over recent times after wanting to do it for several years. Have a google of 'the artful bodger's iron casting oil-fired furnace', I built a version of this last year. I have only done one or two melts so far, once you have the furnace organised, the sand moulding setup is a whole world of it's own, then there's the pattern making as well- these were of course all separate trades in a traditional commercial foundry.
    There will beindustrial foundry suppliers somewhere in your capital, I found about 3 in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne where I can get crucibles etc. For aluminium you can use a steel pot such as a cut-down fire extinguisher and the like, but for iron you'll need a carbon-graphite crucible. Anyway there's lots of info on backyard casting to be had on the interweb.

    Here's a photo of my first test run.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Gosnells
    Posts
    6,056
    Total Downloaded
    0
    How about this ?

    [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHD10DjxM1g[/ame]


    Or this one, if you prefer electric...
    [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTzKIs19eZE[/ame]


    Or a smaller 'coffee can' forge.
    [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIRTcmR6sSk[/ame]

    You might need some of this,,,, and the other videos that appear may be interesting too...
    [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mx1-o1_MWo[/ame]

  5. #5
    VladTepes's Avatar
    VladTepes is offline Major Part of the Heart and Soul of AULRO Subscriber
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Bracken Ridge, Qld
    Posts
    16,003
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Cheers all, much appreciated.


    What process have people used with good effect? I've seen the 'lost foam' process which appears to work pretty well?


    (A modern update of the lost wax process of course)
    It's not broken. It's "Carbon Neutral".


    gone


    1993 Defender 110 ute "Doris"
    1994 Range Rover Vogue LSE "The Luxo-Barge"
    1994 Defender 130 HCPU "Rolly"
    1996 Discovery 1

    current

    1995 Defender 130 HCPU and Suzuki GSX1400


  6. #6
    Tombie Guest
    Or for a small outlay perhaps you could buy this...

    Goes on the market in July..

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Drouin East, Vic
    Posts
    2,590
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by VladTepes View Post
    Cheers all, much appreciated.


    What process have people used with good effect? I've seen the 'lost foam' process which appears to work pretty well?


    (A modern update of the lost wax process of course)
    I think that lost foam is not used anywhere near as much as wood pattern making. Lost wax casting is still used in industry. Another term for it is 'investment casting' as the pattern is sacrificed in the casting process. If you have a look at the Artful Bodger's site as mentioned above, there are also a lot of links to backyard foundry websites and forums.
    http://www.artfulbodgermetalcasting.com/

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Williams West Aust
    Posts
    20,998
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Send a pm to member Chazza(Charlie).He has a setup that he casts Ser 1 parts with.
    Im sure he would be happy to offer advice,hell of a nice bloke.
    Andrew
    DISCOVERY IS TO BE DISOWNED
    Midlife Crisis.Im going to get stuck into mine early and ENJOY it.
    Snow White MY14 TDV6 D4
    Alotta Fagina MY14 CAT 12M Motor Grader
    2003 Stacer 525 Sea Master Sport
    I made the 1 millionth AULRO post

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Narrogin WA
    Posts
    3,092
    Total Downloaded
    0
    The first advice I can offer is safety; safety; safety.

    I have seen most of the metal casting videos mentioned in previous posts and I cringe every time I see what I know to be careless; dangerous and negligent practice. In one Youtube film the bloke doing the pouring was wearing thongs and Mum and the kids were sitting next to him watching. All it needs is a steam explosion and you can let your imagination work out what molten aluminium at 600C does to animals; humans and your shed!

    I think it fair to say, that finding out about safe working-practice with molten metal is rather difficult to find, so the best way is to work with someone who knows what they are doing. I have had 37 years experience of casting aluminium with no accidents but I still take considerable care when pouring.

    Suitable PPE: leather trousers or chaps; leather headwear; leather jacket and gloves; a face shield; safety specs; leather boots covered by leather spats; a gas respirator for dodging the toxic fumes from de-gassing.

    Facilities: A dry sand floor in case any metal is spilt (concrete explodes as any moisture in it vaporises); complete ventilation, either a fan or natural breeze; a furnace that is made to a safe legal standard, for example gas requires a licenced gas fitter to construct it - one oil furnace on Youtube has no flame-failure device to prevent an explosion in the furnace! Fine sand to replicate the shape of the pattern; core boxes for hollow castings; moulding boxes; simple tools to make the mould. A selection of tongs and other tools to introduce metal to the crucible and to remove dross from the surface; and of course a crucible, or plumber's pot.

    Method: As explained by POD depending on what you want to make you need to be able to make patterns, these can be of metal, wood, or plastic.

    Aluminium needs to melted in a cast-iron pot or in a ceramic crucible (steel pots release hydrogen gas into the melt and result in porous castings). Aluminium melts at about 660C.

    Brass melts at about 1000C; copper about 1080C; iron 1530C. I have poured brass and it becomes rather scary at those temperatures!

    SAFETY:
    Never have spectators unless they have been briefed and are wearing proper PPE.

    No water, damp, or drinks in the foundry; everything including the metal to be melted must be dry, which is one good reason to pre-heat scrap.

    Remove all flammable materials to a safe distance.

    Make sure you know exactly what type of metal is being added to the melt - flammable Magnesium can easily be mistaken for aluminium!

    Ventilate well.

    If this list sounds daunting then consider the consequences of getting it wrong by taking shortcuts.

    It is very rewarding to pour good castings, but do a thorough analysis before starting. I believe copper is toxic when molten from its gas and so of course is lead.

    Cheers Charlie

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Darwin
    Posts
    1,632
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Mine is a waste oil burner, so can't advise on propane. Hovers around or just under 1400 C as it just occasionally will melt steel wire - needs tweaking. Has 1800 C cement liner.

    Ditto Chazza's comments. Add, preheating your charge material and tools over the flue to 1) avoid thermal shock and 2) remove moisture.

    Consider design. Mine is the type where you grab the crucible and carry it. If I was to rebuild, then I would give some thought to the type where the crucible is enclosed in a tilting box, and you bring the mold to the pour.

    Cast iron is the general limit of home casting as steel requires slightly more temperature and control of carbon content.

    I'd love an induction furnace!

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Search AULRO.com ONLY!
Search All the Web!