Copper Pouring 1

[andromeda1892]

very good. no furnace just bricks. 10 out of 10 :)

[daz1138]

how are you makes sure the moulds dont explode when you pour into them , i work in a foundry and we spray them with diesel

[RamsesReturns]

What heat source did you use? And why did you cover it in the end? A little explanation would be nice.

[alexcorn]

@RamsesReturns - We used coal as fuel. My friend covered it at the end because sometimes as it cooled, it made funny shapes. We were hoping to keep that from happening, but the weight didn't work. The trick is to let it cool slower, I think.

[RamsesReturns]

@alexcorn Makes sense. Keeping the mold close to the source will probably help. Perhaps on top of your bricks?

How long did it take for the copper to melt? Does your bars have any pits, or are they pretty solid?

[steamingpoopfart]

Are those just regular bricks?

[Alapgalamb]

Could someone tell me, where I can buy a ceramic mug (in which the melt copper is), like in the video?

I live in Hungary and I couldnt find something like that.

Sorry for my bad english and thanks for the answers!

[epicdeuce]

What pieces of copper id u melt

[a11b22c33d4]

can you tell me if a 55 gallon drum is enough to melt brass at 1500 F? or do i need more lining?

[alexcorn]

@a11b22c33d4 - I would guess not. You need a crucible, which is made out of ceramic or something else with a very very high melting point. Those 55 gallon drums are steel and would not stand up to the heat very well.

[danrichards23]

why did you put the peice of i-beam on top of the ingot mold?

[mysticmagewielder]

what did you use to melt the copper? and where did you get the materials to do this?

[xXMeecrobXx]

yea i am too

[MrSkate4weed]

aw i wanna see the results

[YTBYlover]

Nice setup, I wish I had a yard to do stuff like that. The co-op doesn't like it when you get smoking coming off the balcony :(

[YTBYlover]

And, you didn't remove the slag eh?

[Hiok1998]

@YTBYlover some people dont feel like doing so.

[rangerman2237]

you can buy certain types of coal just for like heating your house its not just used industrially but not to many people use it anymore the thing i dont understand is y the hell are they pouring copper?

[alexcorn]

There were no places in my area selling coal, so I could not buy it. I don't know of *anyone* in Indiana who heats their house with coal - if coal is still used to heat houses, it is very very rare.

As for why we are pouring copper? Because we can.

[marek0086]

liquid metal is beautiful.

U gotta love metal !

[botman001]

Where do you buy the coal?

[alexcorn]

My university burns coal to heat campus, and they were kind enough to give me a few boxes full of it. I don't know where to buy it, though. It's hard to get these days because it is only used industrially.

[midaran]

damn, if you can build a small shaft furnace, id be very impressed. and youd keep the oxygen content low.

[popie5x]

what do you do with the copper after that ? sell it?.

[alexcorn]

No, I haven't sold any of the metal I've melted. I don't really have enough to make it worthwhile. I'll probably just melt it again and maybe try to cast something useful.

[metalini]

channellock!!!!! fuckin right on eh

[maggoli67]

Those bricks must make good insulators...the plastic chair didn't melt!

Did you light the thing with a propane torch? And how was the air funneled via the fan? A metal pipe, or just placed the fan directly against the open bottom?

So many questions...thanks for the video and the patience!

[alexcorn]

Aluminum melts at about 660C, 1200F. Copper melts at 1100C, 2000F. You would have to get the aluminum furnace considerably hotter to melt copper.

[dragunov143643]

is that just air blowing from under the furnace?

[alexcorn]

Yep, just air. We used a bathroom vent fan and some metal tubing to blow air into the bottom of the furnace. The fuel, coal, is sitting on a grate inside the bricks. This lets air blow through evenly.

[lVlagneto]

The blower is sitting on a plastic lawn chair at a 45... hmmm.  I'm glad that you guys were being somewhat safe with the gloves.

[AcidRain4]

how much hotter do u need to get ur furnace in order to melt copper, would a homemade furnace that can easily melt aluminum work?

[ScientologySucksAss]

the main issue is getting enough oxygen into the coals, the First Iron sword ever made was made on a Mountian Top by a Insane Greek man who used the Natural winds too keep the coals super hot too melt the Iron Ore.

Excaliber was real and it was only magical cause it cut threw copper Swords very easy and people didn't know what too make of that kinda thing in the copper age

[alexcorn]

It is already hot enough to melt copper - that is what I'm pouring in the video. Aluminum melts much lower than copper. I started out melting aluminum before improving the furnace enough to reach copper's melting point.

[Mdrams74]

wow this is a really great video! i was wondering though what di u melt down (obviously copper) but what were the raw materials?

[vinceennass]

5 dollars if somebody drinks that :P.

[FrenchFriedPoop]

Lol, it probably tastes good to!

[luke666808g]

pretty soon everyone will be doing this, commodities rule.

[UberCookieMonster]

nice one, im just using a hairdryer for mine, in a way it helps (adjustable speed) but the air is weak, i have a video on youtube,too, and this gave me some ideas for air supply.

[alexcorn]

We control our air supply with a piece of cardboard over the air intake of the vent fan. Fully covering it gives low heat, fully opening it gives high heat, and half-covering it gives moderate heat. I'll check out your video.

[UberCookieMonster]

thanks, and i also want to try your in-ground pit idea, because the ash in the bottom of mine decreases air flow (stupid me lol)

[maxa123456789]

thank

[maxa123456789]

thanks is that a coal forge and how did you make it

[alexcorn]

It is a coal furnace, yes. I made it out of bricks and a steel grill. There is an empty chamber at the bottom, then the grill, then a chamber for the fuel and crucible. Air is blown up through the grill and into the fuel to provide sufficient oxygen. The top is typically sealed with a steel plate or bricks, to keep heat in. The whole furnace is buried in pea gravel to prevent air and heat from escaping. We use an old bathroom vent fan for a bellows - leafblowers make the coal burn up too fast.

[maxa123456789]

what did you melt it in

[alexcorn]

The copper was melted in a crucible made of clay-graphite. I ordered it from a jewelry supply company, Rio Grande. It cost about $40 and is rated for 20 pounds of brass.

[vilimaaman]

hello, great video. might i ask why you are covering the ingot moulds after they are poured?

[alexcorn]

Well, the metal was sort of "bubbling" after pouring, and we wanted the ingots to be flat. We aren't sure yet what was happening, but we believe that it was some sort of reaction between the copper and the iron molds.

[Bosnabosnan]

Very nice!!

From what are the ingot molds made?

[alexcorn]

The molds are made of iron.

[richardphat]

Sorry for my ignorant but how do you call the thing you held with the tool, I mean the one which look like a can, the thing you or your friend has try to lift at 54 sec. What are they plz?

[alexcorn]

The really hot container that holds the molten copper? It's called a crucible. There are different kinds for different metals. The one in the video is clay-graphite, good up to 2700F (1500C).

[justhes]

that was cool to watch!