Akad Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Ok, here's the deal. We have a bunch of these small, football-sized compressors. We've sawn one open, taken the stuff out and placed some refractory cement all around the interior. My dad plans on using some carbon rods in combination with a welder of sorts, and using that to melt pieces of scrap metal and what not. He used to work in a foundry, where they used a similar apparatus. I know this doesn't sound safe AT ALL!!!! which is why I'm apprehensive about ever trying this. SO I guess the question is: could this work? And if not, where can I get an actual smelting pot for melting metal in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 Sounds like your Dad is building an arc furnace. It's doable and if he knows what he's doing no more dangerous than a cupola or gas fired furnace. A lot is going to depend on what kind of scrap he's going to melt, what the refractory is rated for and how far away you're standing when he starts it up. Not having any idea how much expertise your Father has I'd like to recommend you stand a good ways away with a cell phone handy. Just in case. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akad Posted August 16, 2009 Author Share Posted August 16, 2009 Alrighty, as long as it's not completely reckless. My dad's had a lot of experience in that sort of stuff, so I trust his judgement for the most part. (FYI, i 'll probably use the melted down junk and some molds to make some shurikens, mostly ninja stars. I used to make them from big, flat washers with smaller holes, but those are surprisingly expensive.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Arc furnaces are the most common type of commercial furnace used today and are actually safer than gas, however they do normally require a very high temp refractory. If your Dad has worked in a commercial foundry then he probably knows what he is doing and it isn't likely you have anything to worry about. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I used to cut shurikens out of old circular saw blades, decent steel and free or a quarter when used beyond sharpening possibility. Saturday one of my students tried to make a shuriken from a large nut by pounding it flat, found it did not work that well. Also "smelting" is refining metal from ore. Melting or foundry work is melting metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akad Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 Thanks, I often get those confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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