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.
@quarryone i am trying to build a foundry. your set up looks very good. Can I get a set of plans? My email is sargerok@aol.com. Thanks in advance. nice vid by the way.
Yes that is a nice set up. How does your castings machine compared to to say a billet block of 6061 aluminum ? Or do you do machining ? I would also like to see your plans for bulding one of these, and are there any changes you would make on a new one ?
Love the set-up, I've been looking for something this neat for sometime - my interest is in brass & bronze. Would you mind sending me your plans too? I'm particularly interested in the burner arrangement.
my ? to you is what did you use to make your homemade foundrye i now c ment is there any thind special is there a book or some thing plz wright me back cuze im intrested in makeing one thnk u 4 your time
Any chance you could do a high temp melt? I'm looking to find out how aluminium looks and acts at around 1000c for a project. I know it's alot to ask but it's worth a try.
Wow that is a very nice rig I am impressed its one thing to think u know everything yet quite another to show!!! u are the man. How thick is the refractory I am thinking of 2.5 inches for mine.I am also going to use insulation between the can and the refractory, any tips? How hot does the outside get?Thats why Im wanting to use insulation,its expensive but i got lucky and where I bought the refractory ks4 the man thru in insulation!!
@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.
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?
@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.
@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.
@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.
@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 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.
Keep the tennis shoes if there comfortable. I've been logging for years wearing nothing more than a pair of shorts and flip flops. I fell tree's, load them onto trailers or skid them to the mill, cut them, and stack them. all while wearing flip flops. The only time I got injured was at Home Depot when a piece of wood landed on my toe and caused my toe nail to fall off.
Is it safe to work like I do? NO!!! But that's my business! That's how I roll.
@BrianStocking Future Darwin Award candidate aside, a good aluminum spill onto a tennis shoe will likely require skin grafts to repair the damage. We have seen it more than once in people wearing foundry safety shoes which have elastic bands and are kick off. Tennis shoes would have made it worse because the laces keep you from getting the shoe off quickly and then the synthetic fibres would melt against the skin. In a foundry, use no synthetic fibres except Kevlar. Wear leather or cotton.
Rain is a problem in that it cools the metal down and water in contact with molten aluminum causes oxide to form. Aluminum is extremely electro-negative. It will steal the oxygen from water to form aluminum oxide. The hydrogen will then dissolve into the molten aluminum. When you pour the castings, they will have tiny hydrogen porosity formed when the hydrogen comes back out of solution. Water is a real danger when it gets pushed below the surface. Then it explodes. On top it forms oxide.
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.
@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.
I know that you upgraded your safety equipment. The kevlar gloves are not really necessary. Leather welder's gloves work fine. We use them all the time.
You might want to start coating your crucible with refractory before melting aluminum. The aluminum will start to dissolve the steel, contaminating the melt and possibly springing a hole in the crucible.
@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.
@quarryone We use a product called Mica Wash 15 from Eastwood Carriers 413-562-7551. Add this to water to make a slurry, paint it on then dry it. You will need to recoat the crucible where ever it flakes off between heats. This also works well as a release in the pigs. You need to make sure it is really dry before using the pigs and add the metal a small amount at a time to make sure you don't pop them. The coating keeps your iron contamination down. Iron makes aluminum brittle.
@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.
@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.
The metal you are using, aluminum wire, is extremely soft and ductile. It is not very good for machining and extremely shrinky. You might want to go to a scrap yard and buy scrap aluminum intake manifolds or other automotive scrap. That metal has silicon in it and will not only cast better, it will machine better and be stronger.
You should never dump aluminum into steel pigs. Always pour the first metal in slowly and a little at a time, otherwise some moisture on the surface may explode.
The metal you are using, aluminum wire, is extremely soft and ductile. It is not very good for machining and extremely shrinky. You might want to go to a scrap yard and buy scrap aluminum intake manifolds or other automotive scrap. That metal has silicon in it and will not only cast better, it will machine better and be stronger.
@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.
@smartstuff2buy If you had bothered to read some of the other post you would have seen that I got full fire retardant gear not long after this video was made. Those are welding gloves. not rubber and they too have been replaced.
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.
I work in a foundry melting iron. we are always told not to let the hot metal hit the concrete because it will explode!! do you fear this happing to your set up there? cool set up as well as video!!
@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.
The Core casing is 18" tall. I would go a little less, maybe 15-16". The walls are 3-1/2" thick made up of 1-1/2" of Kaewool insulation and 2" of refractory. Send me your email and I will send you some pictures.
@quarryone thanks for the reply im just starting my 2nd foundry and im trying to model it after yours, my first was made from a small propane tank. Pictures would be very helpful my email is jared.parham@yahoo thanks
Great furnace! im working one right now and i have a few questions. how thick is the refractory on the sides and bottom and how tall did you cut the tank woithout counting the lid? Thanks a million
@m3952ike Usual way is to make a former out of two discs of wood, and wrap some sheet metal around it to form a hollow cylindrical plug. small amount of refractory placed between the former and the shell, and compressed/tamped down with wooden batten. repeat until full. castable refractory is reasonably solid before firing so the former can removed by pulling the top disc out, the sheet metal can then be pulled out, followed by the bottom former. Then it can be fired.
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?
It looks great and I dont want to sound like a dick.. but I will anyway :-), short sleeve shirt and runners when working with (aluminium) molten metal at 650 Deg C? Are you serious? Bad image for all homefoundrymen. Cover up, heavy clothing, boots and leather apron,not rubber or plastic. Again, sorry to rain on your parade.
@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.
Im sorry but i didnt read too far back, again, great work I hope you get to do amazing things with your foundry. Mine has been invaluable over the 20 odd years that Ive used it.
Clay is used but in small percentages mixed in with the sand. It helps bind the sand together but the sand must breathe to let expanding gasses out. Clay alone is too dense to allow this. The result is cracking, casting flaws etc...
Nice Video and channel If you really want some software for marketing, traffic generation, and many others. Check out the cash factory link in my channel description, I gaurantee you will find some helpful information there.
Fantastic! This is the best rig I have ever seen. I wish I would have kept my old water heater. Any particular type of water heater, or just a 30 gal plus gas fired?
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.
Dude you need some better safety equipment , you ever splash on your legs or shoes you will be hating life, did pours on metal shop and that's dangerous ! great setup though!
Nice to see someone someone attempting to look after their eyes/face. Leather shoes/boots to help deal with spils?
Combined tongs/ladle holder looks like a really good idea as less tools to worry about/fall over (screw thread?) . Got to say the cruicible looks a little unsteady on the small diameter plinth
Any problems with bottom of cruible burning out/aluminium oxidising if running lean?
you say you built this thing from scratch completely? How do I get pics and a detail of how you built it? Do you have a materials list? this thing looks awesome for home brew set up and its big enough to melt what I need to pour my projects
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!
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........
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.
Thanks for looking. Subscribe to my videos and you will be notified when I make new post. I will try and get busy on some new ones when assembly pics.
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.
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
Thanks for yourcomment. I just finished buildng a new burner that is a combination burner for LP gas, and/or waste oil with a blower. I test fired yesteray and damn near melted my steel crucible. I was running dual fuel, both LP and oil. I can do Aluminum melts pretty quick with it but to do cast iron I need to get a silicon crucible and 2 men lifting tongs as it gets too hot to get close enough to lift out with the one man handle. I will post an updated video soon.
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.
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!
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.
What do you do with it after it's cooled ?
Redshift21 10 hours ago
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?
MrDohall1 4 days ago
I would like the plans too, am I retarted I cannot figure out how to email you. LOL
LiteSpeedRC 4 days ago
Cool. I bet that design for a foundry would work well as a barbeque... hmmm
EyeOnTheTV 6 days ago
What are the ingots used for?
GCTeleVision 1 week ago
Looks like fun! What metal was this, aluminum?
Photo314159 2 weeks ago
damn you D: ol' red started playing then the video ended ;~;
minecraftdoneright 2 weeks ago
SKYRIM
calebs70 2 weeks ago 2
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Really impressed with your setup! I am looking to build a small foundry for my shed would you be willing to share your plans?
Ozsimo76 3 weeks ago
ol' red
Arrowshaft96 1 month ago
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.
BlueMacGyver 1 month ago
metal sure is beautiful in liquid state
poothrowingape 1 month ago
What were you pouring? I can't tell if its iron or aluminum or even sliver (I doubt sliver but I never know)
ThinkingRebal 1 month ago
Out of curiosity, does this get hot enough for steel?
Snado 1 month ago
Just what i needed! I was planning to make some pickaxes, axes, hoes and shovels. Man, living off the land is pretty hard
MrCluckles 1 month ago
what is this thing capable of melting?
cuboos 1 month ago
yea I see the comeing usefullness.It looks like it can melt steel how hot can it get?
RoflmaoAtSheepeople 1 month ago
Nice set-up. It looks like you take pride in your work. Self publish the plans and sell them on line.
cliffsprunger 1 month ago
hi i rlly like your foundry model i often fall on block of alluminium can you share or i ask to much :P :)
MrJoo00 1 month ago
flux? why is that necessary for making ingots?
oldstock1607 2 months ago
@oldstock1607 Not sure. I always do to get the impurities out. Never tried pouring them without fluxing first.
quarryone 2 months ago
@quarryone i am trying to build a foundry. your set up looks very good. Can I get a set of plans? My email is sargerok@aol.com. Thanks in advance. nice vid by the way.
sargerok99 1 month ago
/wiki/Flux_(metallurgy)....do you have a vid showing how you made this unit?
SnakeDoctor33 4 weeks ago
@oldstock1607 The flux helps the metal pour smoother and helps bring the slag to the top so it can be removed.
mrbeefhbw 1 week ago
Yes that is a nice set up. How does your castings machine compared to to say a billet block of 6061 aluminum ? Or do you do machining ? I would also like to see your plans for bulding one of these, and are there any changes you would make on a new one ?
challenger7777777 2 months ago
esto es algo para gente pija y chic, asi no se es un buen herrero jajajajaja
thepinxos 2 months ago
chtklr@hotmail.com plz email me with instructions, great set-up, thnx fer the video!
chetk123chet 2 months ago
They make it look so easy in Minecraft D:
DanielSturk1 2 months ago
Could I please have a copy of your plans this looks very slick.
sharperdill 2 months ago
can you send me the plans if i send you my email?
hellwolf882 2 months ago
That is sooo cool!! to have your own home made foundry..
lawnside82 2 months ago
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?
rbrodieful 3 months ago
@rbrodieful Send me your email address.
quarryone 3 months ago
@quarryone i wouldnt mind having a set of plans laying about, would you be willing to send them to me too?
thefallen1616 1 month ago
looks like a great rig, whats the crucible made from?
holdupmaster 3 months ago
is it a good ideaa to keep it next to grass?
repotax 3 months ago
Love the set-up, I've been looking for something this neat for sometime - my interest is in brass & bronze. Would you mind sending me your plans too? I'm particularly interested in the burner arrangement.
HandyRonW 3 months ago
@HandyRonW Send me your email address.
quarryone 3 months ago
my ? to you is what did you use to make your homemade foundrye i now c ment is there any thind special is there a book or some thing plz wright me back cuze im intrested in makeing one thnk u 4 your time
majinboo75 3 months ago
What is the use of ingots?
Eric101point101 3 months ago
Any chance you could do a high temp melt? I'm looking to find out how aluminium looks and acts at around 1000c for a project. I know it's alot to ask but it's worth a try.
Cheers either way.
ShillBasher 4 months ago
do you later sell the aluminum for a higher price to a scrap metal guy?
ZebbMassiv 5 months ago
may i ask wat u wer melting n wer u got such quantaty from? and how much did it cost you if any? tnx
farshad94abedi 5 months ago
Wow that is a very nice rig I am impressed its one thing to think u know everything yet quite another to show!!! u are the man. How thick is the refractory I am thinking of 2.5 inches for mine.I am also going to use insulation between the can and the refractory, any tips? How hot does the outside get?Thats why Im wanting to use insulation,its expensive but i got lucky and where I bought the refractory ks4 the man thru in insulation!!
0717JC 6 months ago
@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.
quarryone 5 months ago
@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.
luckygen1001 4 months ago
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?
compuwise2 6 months ago
@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.
quarryone 6 months ago
@quarryone Thanks!
compuwise2 6 months ago
awesome but really scary safety!!!!
jeetendrag10acc2 7 months ago
What were you melting there?
Wyrmnax 7 months ago
Fancy....But I have to admit that I cringed when I seen what footwear you were wearing..... :D
ninjacatmagic 7 months ago
what sort of crucible is that?
VandMco 8 months ago
@VandMco Steel.
quarryone 8 months ago
@VandMco The best kind of crucible
ERTLPFM 5 months ago
@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.
cfjulian1225 8 months ago
@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...
TheOnedeadguy 7 months ago
i like your device for holding the melting pot while you poor
TheReaperofthefallen 9 months ago
@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.
quarryone 9 months ago
@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 8 months ago
@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.
cfjulian1225 8 months ago
Keep the tennis shoes if there comfortable. I've been logging for years wearing nothing more than a pair of shorts and flip flops. I fell tree's, load them onto trailers or skid them to the mill, cut them, and stack them. all while wearing flip flops. The only time I got injured was at Home Depot when a piece of wood landed on my toe and caused my toe nail to fall off.
Is it safe to work like I do? NO!!! But that's my business! That's how I roll.
Brian Stocking
Branford Florida
BrianStocking 9 months ago
@BrianStocking Future Darwin Award candidate aside, a good aluminum spill onto a tennis shoe will likely require skin grafts to repair the damage. We have seen it more than once in people wearing foundry safety shoes which have elastic bands and are kick off. Tennis shoes would have made it worse because the laces keep you from getting the shoe off quickly and then the synthetic fibres would melt against the skin. In a foundry, use no synthetic fibres except Kevlar. Wear leather or cotton.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
Rain is a problem in that it cools the metal down and water in contact with molten aluminum causes oxide to form. Aluminum is extremely electro-negative. It will steal the oxygen from water to form aluminum oxide. The hydrogen will then dissolve into the molten aluminum. When you pour the castings, they will have tiny hydrogen porosity formed when the hydrogen comes back out of solution. Water is a real danger when it gets pushed below the surface. Then it explodes. On top it forms oxide.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
Nice. What would happen if a raindrop fell in your molten aluminum
? Screwed then.
yoshibomber 9 months ago
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.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
@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.
quarryone 9 months ago
I know that you upgraded your safety equipment. The kevlar gloves are not really necessary. Leather welder's gloves work fine. We use them all the time.
You might want to start coating your crucible with refractory before melting aluminum. The aluminum will start to dissolve the steel, contaminating the melt and possibly springing a hole in the crucible.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
@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.
quarryone 9 months ago
@quarryone We use a product called Mica Wash 15 from Eastwood Carriers 413-562-7551. Add this to water to make a slurry, paint it on then dry it. You will need to recoat the crucible where ever it flakes off between heats. This also works well as a release in the pigs. You need to make sure it is really dry before using the pigs and add the metal a small amount at a time to make sure you don't pop them. The coating keeps your iron contamination down. Iron makes aluminum brittle.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
@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.
quarryone 9 months ago
@quarryone I own an aluminum foundry.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
@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.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
@scottysavage Hot aluminum on cold aluminum will not stick. The surface develops an oxide coating that will prevent a bond from forming.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
The metal you are using, aluminum wire, is extremely soft and ductile. It is not very good for machining and extremely shrinky. You might want to go to a scrap yard and buy scrap aluminum intake manifolds or other automotive scrap. That metal has silicon in it and will not only cast better, it will machine better and be stronger.
You should never dump aluminum into steel pigs. Always pour the first metal in slowly and a little at a time, otherwise some moisture on the surface may explode.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
The metal you are using, aluminum wire, is extremely soft and ductile. It is not very good for machining and extremely shrinky. You might want to go to a scrap yard and buy scrap aluminum intake manifolds or other automotive scrap. That metal has silicon in it and will not only cast better, it will machine better and be stronger.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
@cfjulian1225 Good advice. Thanks.
quarryone 9 months ago
@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.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
@cfjulian1225 I use a combination cover and drossing flux. Asbury 770. Where do you get 2600 deg fibre board?
quarryone 9 months ago
any one know if you could make knuckle dusters via sand casting, cheers!
Paintfiend123 10 months ago
@smartstuff2buy If you had bothered to read some of the other post you would have seen that I got full fire retardant gear not long after this video was made. Those are welding gloves. not rubber and they too have been replaced.
quarryone 10 months ago
Cool vid. Put on some boots. Seriously.
Zombunist 10 months ago
Super cool! What do you do with the ingots?
boardfu 10 months ago
paint them gold my gess:)
nosjet1 9 months ago
Comment removed
boardfu 10 months ago
Like the radio in the background
Skallfraktur87 10 months ago
@scottysavage I don't know. Never tried it. Sorry.
quarryone 11 months ago
Very nice setup, thank you for sharing.
EJRhees 1 year ago
Very nice design on the handle that you use to lift/pour the crucible.
sixstringsmark 1 year ago
what metal is that? Lead?
px002 1 year ago
making your own bars of Silver??? i would have joked it being bars of gold... if only it were a different color
HeadShot360IN 1 year ago
Very slick setup you have there. I will keep your foundry in mind when I build my next one.
rwhendrix 1 year ago
Do you have any plans for your foundry. Looks very professional.
stevekemnitzer 1 year ago
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.
Skurei 1 year ago
I work in a foundry melting iron. we are always told not to let the hot metal hit the concrete because it will explode!! do you fear this happing to your set up there? cool set up as well as video!!
fly2000jtb 1 year ago
@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.
cfjulian1225 9 months ago
great background music towards the end dude!
maricklee 1 year ago
very nice! best one ive seen. how thick is the refractory? and how tall in the body without counting the lid?
iflyyo 1 year ago
@iflyyo
The Core casing is 18" tall. I would go a little less, maybe 15-16". The walls are 3-1/2" thick made up of 1-1/2" of Kaewool insulation and 2" of refractory. Send me your email and I will send you some pictures.
quarryone 1 year ago
@quarryone thanks for the reply im just starting my 2nd foundry and im trying to model it after yours, my first was made from a small propane tank. Pictures would be very helpful my email is jared.parham@yahoo thanks
iflyyo 1 year ago
@quarryone What did you use for refractory?
ToolshedEd3TF 1 year ago
@quarryone
It looks like Cement... So it's not? I'm tyring to find some good detailed instruction on how to make something like your's... Any suggestions?
417musick7 9 months ago
Great furnace! im working one right now and i have a few questions. how thick is the refractory on the sides and bottom and how tall did you cut the tank woithout counting the lid? Thanks a million
iflyyo 1 year ago
nice job I like the design of the foundry and the crucible handling tool. Definitely a cut above the coffee can foundry.
e39dreamBITCH 1 year ago
Amazing good looking furnace! You did a great job! Like someone wrote before, the block made me a bit nervous. Everything else deserves a thumbs up!
goldfishcarlos 1 year ago
what is the point of doing this?
yuyupb 1 year ago
Nice set-up.
GET SOME PROTECTIVE FOOT WEAR!!!
Otherwise thanks for sharing.
Brian
bslturtle 1 year ago
How long does it take to melt the metal? On average.
Joepowiful 1 year ago
@Joepowiful
15 minutes
quarryone 1 year ago
Fantastic setup! I like the pivoting lid and the threaded rod to hold the crucible in place.
simpleinseattle 1 year ago
I understand the whole concept of the foundry making except the center circle. how do you make the center of the foundry . No one is showing that.
m3952ike 1 year ago
@m3952ike Usual way is to make a former out of two discs of wood, and wrap some sheet metal around it to form a hollow cylindrical plug. small amount of refractory placed between the former and the shell, and compressed/tamped down with wooden batten. repeat until full. castable refractory is reasonably solid before firing so the former can removed by pulling the top disc out, the sheet metal can then be pulled out, followed by the bottom former. Then it can be fired.
steveBB30 1 year ago
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?
Mrbandit81 2 years ago
its so pro looking.
PaFirePhoto 2 years ago
It looks great and I dont want to sound like a dick.. but I will anyway :-), short sleeve shirt and runners when working with (aluminium) molten metal at 650 Deg C? Are you serious? Bad image for all homefoundrymen. Cover up, heavy clothing, boots and leather apron,not rubber or plastic. Again, sorry to rain on your parade.
ArtieinAus 2 years ago
@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.
quarryone 2 years ago
Im sorry but i didnt read too far back, again, great work I hope you get to do amazing things with your foundry. Mine has been invaluable over the 20 odd years that Ive used it.
Cheers Artie
ArtieinAus 2 years ago
the "block" was the only thing that made me super nervous... where did you get the furnace???
CenterLane1977 2 years ago
I built it. It used to be a water heater core and some other junk I had laying around.
quarryone 2 years ago
Why isn't clay used for casting?
JDKMM7 2 years ago
(for negative casting)
JDKMM7 2 years ago
Clay is used but in small percentages mixed in with the sand. It helps bind the sand together but the sand must breathe to let expanding gasses out. Clay alone is too dense to allow this. The result is cracking, casting flaws etc...
ArtieinAus 2 years ago
Ok, makes sense. Thank you very much
JDKMM7 2 years ago
Outstanding furnace. You did an excellent job! I'm curious. What did you use for the refractory material inside the water-heater casing?
Thanks,
lud477 2 years ago
Any way I could get pics of your setup?
mavrick332 2 years ago
What did you use for the refractory mat? You did a great job on it. I'm also a machinist . I see you take great pride in your work. Awesome!!
rbs30 2 years ago
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?
TheBelsi 2 years ago
It's an old shot using a too small plinth. I have since made a larger one. It was actually more stable than it looks in the video.
quarryone 2 years ago
How much did you clear from those three ingots?
ASSEMblerEX 2 years ago
Looks to me like he is melting lead...I do that on my propane stove. No problem.
RonnieSayers 2 years ago
I was melting aluminum. It will do cast iron.
quarryone 2 years ago
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Truthnadv1 2 years ago
Fantastic! This is the best rig I have ever seen. I wish I would have kept my old water heater. Any particular type of water heater, or just a 30 gal plus gas fired?
megamegaultra 2 years ago
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.
quarryone 2 years ago
Dude you need some better safety equipment , you ever splash on your legs or shoes you will be hating life, did pours on metal shop and that's dangerous ! great setup though!
olddrummer84 2 years ago 7
You are right about the safety. Cannot have too much protective gear with this stuff. Thanks for the compliment on the setup.
quarryone 2 years ago
hay me and my friends have a lot of tin cans were not doing anything with id like to make a foundry and colect bars.if i were to make tin into
a 2 in thick pole would it flex back if i were to bend it or would it just stay in one place?
i heard you can use pop corbn tins as the body of it i need help on building one! theres no vids on youtube on how to make one....all
i have is a paint bucket realy and idk what i can use to hold the melted tin in.
tjinga2u1 2 years ago
How did you cut that tank so straight?
xramcam 2 years ago
It wasn't perfect when I cut it. I put a band around the tank to get a straight edge and used a grinder to grind the edge down.
quarryone 2 years ago
Nice to see someone someone attempting to look after their eyes/face. Leather shoes/boots to help deal with spils?
Combined tongs/ladle holder looks like a really good idea as less tools to worry about/fall over (screw thread?) . Got to say the cruicible looks a little unsteady on the small diameter plinth
Any problems with bottom of cruible burning out/aluminium oxidising if running lean?
steveBB30 2 years ago
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?
chaz706 2 years ago
Yes, it's slag.
quarryone 2 years ago
tell you their tools
oscarmlleo 2 years ago
you say you built this thing from scratch completely? How do I get pics and a detail of how you built it? Do you have a materials list? this thing looks awesome for home brew set up and its big enough to melt what I need to pour my projects
hybridracers 2 years ago
you can use the metal housing from a water heater, its about the same size as the one in vid, with piping on top and hole drilled ready.
swordpeak 2 years ago
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!
quarryone 2 years ago
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........
HeathLedgersChemist 2 years ago
Thank you for the kind remarks.
quarryone 2 years ago
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.
ctraugh2005 2 years ago
hi i love it can you send me the pictures as well thanks
27simber 2 years ago
Thanks for looking. Subscribe to my videos and you will be notified when I make new post. I will try and get busy on some new ones when assembly pics.
quarryone 2 years ago
Did you make all the stuff? Excellent work. Would love to get the plans for it.
1swede1 2 years ago
I don't have plans for it as I built it "on the go" and it is still evolving. I will send pictures if you like.
quarryone 2 years ago
Pictures would be extremely appreciated/helpful. Thank you!
1swede1 2 years ago
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
ginir00kami 2 years ago
It is my intent to do that. Subscribe to my videos and you will get notified when I make new post. Thank you for the kind comment.
quarryone 2 years ago
How would I go about building something that can melt copper?
TheNilvarg 2 years ago
Yu will need a foundry of some sort. Copper melts at a prettty low temp so yu don't need anything too extreme. I hace never melted copper BTW.
quarryone 2 years ago
sorry if i sound totally ignorant but what are you melting this thing looks awsome 5 stars
jesse112693 2 years ago
Aluminum and Brass mostly although I can do cast iron.
quarryone 2 years ago
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
quarryone 2 years ago
Is that concrete you're casting on?
BTW ingenious lifting/ pouring tongs
surfaceradio 2 years ago
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
quarryone 2 years ago
ok wow you really put molten metal into a wooden holder?WTF
naruto1444 2 years ago
wow this is very nice! So nice, that I saved it to disk. =)
Did you happen to write up any specs? I'd like to have a go at this... =)
micromause 2 years ago
Thanks for yourcomment. I just finished buildng a new burner that is a combination burner for LP gas, and/or waste oil with a blower. I test fired yesteray and damn near melted my steel crucible. I was running dual fuel, both LP and oil. I can do Aluminum melts pretty quick with it but to do cast iron I need to get a silicon crucible and 2 men lifting tongs as it gets too hot to get close enough to lift out with the one man handle. I will post an updated video soon.
quarryone 3 years ago
Very nice rig. Well done!
grandtitles 3 years ago
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 3 years ago
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!
compujan 3 years ago
do you get much perosity this way shrink. Do you pre heat your molds first
jstatrck 3 years ago
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.
quarryone 3 years ago
the metal will still shrink even if you control the cooling of it
preheating and postheating(controlled cooling) prevents cracks and warping
thusalwaystotyrants 2 years ago