Gabe Moses Posted August 15, 2019 Share Posted August 15, 2019 So I recently made a furnace to try to melt copper and aluminum but I've run into problems adding more charcoal to it. Once it gets kinda low my two options are either taking the lid off to add more and losing a lot of heat or trying to toss it in from the hole in the top of the lid which keeps heat in but often charcoal lands in the crucible and I can't get it out. I tried covering the top of it with some steel mesh but it fell apart before the copper had melted. Any advice would be awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 Welcome to IFI... Can't help with the furnace, but this will help you get the best out of the forum for sure. READ THIS FIRST Pictures of your furnace might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 have you though about building in a loading chute on the side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Moses Posted August 16, 2019 Author Share Posted August 16, 2019 14 minutes ago, Steve Sells said: have you though about building in a loading chute on the side? That sounds like it might work, I'd just have to find a way to stop all of the fuel from piling up on one the side that has the chute. Thanks for the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 18, 2019 Share Posted August 18, 2019 A bit more complex: Loading chute in the top piece and make the top piece so it can rotate allowing you to distribute the charcoal around. A conical stainless crucible cap also came to mind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Good evening, There's worse fluxes than charcoal out there, or you could cover the crucible. What's your furnace design? My last charcoal furnace burned through charcoal fast, but got to melting temps ridiculously fast. Are you using hardwood charcoals? At the least, avoid briquettes like the plague. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I second covering the crucible and you can just load the charcoal through the top with no problems except maybe needing a vent to in the side near the bottom to draw air. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Mine always drew pretty well through the drain hole. I wouldn't make a solid fuel furnace without one. Heck, my last propane one had one. If you have a crucible come apart and your metal doesn't drain out the bottom, then hot or cold, it suuuuuuuucks trying to scrape it out without damaging the refractory...with good crucibles and proper treatment, they don't come apart often, but you should always act as if it could. I used to make sure my furnace was elevated, and put dry sand underneath with a small well in it just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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