Hello everyone,
I'm knew to this site, and this will be my first time making a foundry. Im using a can made by the Wilkes Bertles Can Co, Barre PA. It's 7 3/4" tall it's inside diameter at the bottom is 9" and the top inside diameter is 10 18". The material is about the same as that of a coffee can. I'm looking for materials needed to make the Insulating Castable Refractory. I did come across a site using High Temperature Furnace Cement and Perlite mixed with water. I'm confused at how much i should use, and how to put it inside the can. Remember this is my first attempt, and i will be melting aluminum with the use of charcoal as my fuel for my learning process. Hopefully moving on to bigger challanges as using used cooking oil as my fuel with the use of propane to heat the oil. Can anyone help? Thank you. Ram01.

Welcome to I Forge Iron, I broke your post off of the other thread into its own post, so people can locate topics easier. I doubt any casters would have found it in the knife section as a hi-jack to an axe post. :)

Edited April 8, 200917 yr by steve sells

I don't think I've ever seen anyone give such a detailed account of the provenance of their furnace shell before.

Here's a basic how-to: "2 bucks" crucible furnace (Skip the Portland cement that he mentions. It won't do anything good in the mix. It breaks down at aluminum melting temps and fluxes the other ingredients.)

For your refractory, Rutlands Fire Cement from the hardware store mixed with perlite (1:4 cement : perlite) will be OK for aluminum, though it won't be terribly durable. You can add a little water if necessary, but don't make it too wet; you don't want to pour it as much as ram it.

Beyond aluminum things start to get a little more complicated. But don't worry about making your first furnace perfect. If the bug takes you'll end up building several anyway.

Edited April 8, 200917 yr by MattBower