Beginner Want To Build A Backyard Foundry

[furnacing]

Hi everyone,

 

I would like to build my own backyard foundry to cast a metal such as alumunium, etc.

 

Could someone please tell me what equipments are needed?

 

I know that I need a furnace made from brick and concrete and a LPG propane tank.

 

What other equipments are needed such as hose, pipe, etc.?

 

Please send me the list of the equipment and its instructional diagram.

 

Thank you

[Luke March]

Check the thread at the top of this page.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in your header you may be surprised to discover how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance.

 

Casting is inherently dangerous, just a few ounces has an explosive potential far in excess of it's apparent look. An aluminum melt runs around 1,100*f. so a drop of water introduced will instantly expand a couple thousand blowing about the same amount of molten aluminum all over. Casting brass or bronze is much more dangerous.

 

My instruction #1, contact a local caster or club and attend classes, meetings and events before attempting to build your own foundry.  Failing first hand help, the minimum you need is a good library of seriously dog eared and annotated casting books.

 

Casting is a definitive example of the old addage, "A little knowledge is dangerous."

 

Please don't become a casualty.

 

Frosty the Lucky.

[ramsies11]

now, you want to learn how to play with the molten stuff, huh? well, i wanted to do that a while ago too, and then i realised how much work id be putting into it just so id be semi safe when doing it. you dont need just concrete and block, those will crack and break, and they might go kaplooie if you do it too soon. you need firebrick, and i beleive they are the "commercial" firebrick... maybe industrial, youll have to do the reaserch n that yourself, i know different firebrick have different grades, you also need to figure out if typical type N mortar will stand up the the temperatures you are looking at (id expect it to be around 3000ish degrees ferinheit, that way if you want to melt iron, you can), and before i forget on mortar, typical type N mortar takes 4weeks to be fully "cured" which means no more moisture content in it. so be careful on that. you also need a GRAPHITE crucible. these are expensive and a pain to get ahold of, but they are better than cast iron ones. you also need a set of FITTED tongs. as well as a good heavy pear of boots, heavy bluejeans, welders leathers (including apron), face sheild, respirator, HEAVY gloves. you also need a smaller torch, and you need to learn all the how-to's such as preheating the crucible before use. and so on and so forth, am i forgetting much guys?

[ThomasPowers]

May I strongly suggest you visit  www.backyardmetalcasting.com

[Nobody Special]

Ditto what thomas powers said. Great site. Start with a "coffee can" furnace, even if bigger. Stay away from melting pennies or brass  until you have a lot of experience unless you like getting sick as all get out. Find a mentor. Keep it simple, and read up so you don't blow something up in your face.

[rockwheel]

it sounds and is very interesting that there seems to be so many pitfalls in smelting non ferrus metals i think i have a lot to learn and read about .sand casting .but as a begginer im all eyes and ears . im sure im in good hands with your knowledge if you dont mind passing a little my way thank you

[Steve Sells]

Smelting is not the same as melting,  many seem to use the words and not understand the differences.

Melting is to liquify.

Smelting is the extraction form the ore.

 

FYI the OP has not been to IFI since 3 minutes after making this post.

[Rich Hale]

So you think was a whim post?

[BlackKnight0739]

Whim post or no, I certainly learned a lot from it! Thank you all for the feedback; even if the OP didn't use it :)

 

Is it a good idea to use a gas forge to melt the metal for casting, or do you recommend making a furnace just for foundry? I'm not looking to make large pieces, just pendants and the like; so I think a forge ought to work pretty well, provided the metal is dry and I start up the forge slowly to evaporate any moisture there might be.

[Chinobi]

Small stuff can be done with a plumbers torch, but of course small is still relative...

[DSW]

Blackknight. You might find some of the casting videos from these guys to be of some interest. Both have any number of videos, I just pulled up one of each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Nobody Special]

It depends. Are prepared to dig the metal and slag out of the floor of your propane forge if you have a crucible failure?  If so, then go for it.

 

I'd reccomend a furnace built for it. Variations of the coffee can furnace work well, however efficiency becomes an issue with propane the larger you go. Looks very similar to a propane forge set on end.  And, you can put slots leading to a a drain in the bottom, just in case you need it. 

 

Depending on what you use for refractory, you can use one with charcoal and forced air, or just propane.