blkbear Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 I know this not blacksmithing but it is working with metals. I have a friend who wants to do some backyard aluminum and brass smelting and casting. Does anyone have any internet links on how to building backyard, small, smelting furnaces using propane or natural gas?? Thanks This one will really get his neighbours nervous Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose Gomez Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 I stumbled acrosss this page in my endless persuit of knowlege... seems to be a pretty good starting point for back yard metal casting.melt metal, home metalcasting, backyard metalcasting Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 No backyard metalcasting is pretty tame with propane or NG---its when he tries thermite as his molten metal source *then* his neighbors will be *very* *very* nervous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkbear Posted July 24, 2007 Author Share Posted July 24, 2007 I better not mention thermite to him. It will only breed some unhealthy inquisitiveness - although he will probably figure it out on his own - I don't want to be the source of his neihbours' misfortune. It took a delegation of neihbours for him to clean up the bits and pieces of three Land Rovers he had in various stages of dismantle I bring Land Rover parts home a few at a time and install them as time permits and discard the old ones on garbage day. My friend brings home complete Land Rovers and salvages bits from several to build one. He only has a 2 car driveway so his and his wife's daily drivers get preferred spots there and the Land Rovers collect on the lawn. And he is impulsive. That's a bug reason not to tip him off about thermite. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkbear Posted July 24, 2007 Author Share Posted July 24, 2007 I stumbled acrosss this page in my endless persuit of knowlege... seems to be a pretty good starting point for back yard metal casting.melt metal, home metalcasting, backyard metalcasting Good luck!! This looks great. Thanks a million. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 No backyard metalcasting is pretty tame with propane or NG---its when he tries thermite as his molten metal source *then* his neighbors will be *very* *very* nervous! Truth is, nothing but thermite will do when you actually want to smelt the backyard. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 BTW "smelting" is reducing ores into metal. Melting is melting metal for casting. Thomas---who has done both types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollon Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 In reference to melting aluminum, I found something that worked when I was bored. I welded two pieces of angle iron together (1/8") and welded a piece of 1/4" plate on the bottom. It was welded so that it was watertight (or metaltight in this case). I also weld two handles onto it. This was a very bad idea, make sure you use tongs, if at all possible, as it not easy to grip one of the handles for very long, even with welding gloves on. Anyway back to the melting. I made a fire out of driftwood (I was along a creek) and walnut (very fun to chop with an axe) on top of a large stone (probably about 2' x 3 1/2'). I just set the so called crucible on top of the coals, and let it sit there for about 45 minutes-hour and melted pop cans, and one ball of aluminum foil. If you melt pop cans, the ink on them will catch on fire, and probably makes some extra impurities in the aluminum for you. Anyhow thats my two cents. -Hollon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I got into blacksmithing through casting. Gotta do something with all that spare heat while the bronze melts. Anyway for melting brass and bronze you need to have a graphite crucible for aluminum you can get away with a section of steel pipe. It is a good idea to have some heavy leather boots, gaiters, aprons and gloves. A face shield is must for splashes. It is good to uses welding goggles as the inside of the furnace is at around 2,900F. I pour bronze at 2450F on the pyrometer or when the inside of the furnace is a steady white color. I never liked casting aluminum because if you get it to hot it just sort of goes away so you need to watch it very close. Casting is fun but not a s fun as banging iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I went the other way and used my forge for casting small parts for knives out of copper, bronze, brass, silver(both 925 and fine), etc. What I used as a crucible for melts of a few ounces was a stainless steel coffee creamer. Learning to build a fire so as to not scale a hole in it is a skill and for my best set up I reused a heavy one 4 times before it got scarey thin---I also bought up all them cheap SS creamers at the fleamarket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollon Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Just out of curiosity, what does everyone use for molds? I didn't actually make anything in a mold, I just poured mine out on a rock... But if you make them, what could be the materials for making them? Would plaster of paris work? or would it spar from moisture? Anyhow this is something I was wanting to learn about, but don't know where to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 One place to start is in the IForgeIron Blueprints . BP0106 Lost Wax Casting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollon Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Maybe I'm blind, but that blueprint seems not to exist... I looked and there was BP0105 and BP0107 but no 106, and then I did a search of the whole website with no luck, so perhaps you can get a link to it for me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Hollon, the Blueprint does exist, I somehow missed turning it to the on and viewable position. Thanks for reminding me. BP0106 Lost Wax Casting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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