melting aluminum idea

[Houaha]

i got a ladle type thing from someone in town that works with sheet metal and i was wondering if i could melt aluminum in it by putting it over my coal forge the pour it into a cupcake tin to make ingots, here is a picture of what mine kinda looks like(this isn't mine its a pic i found on Google that looks like mine) http://www.ynot-fish.co.uk/Bits/Weight%20Article/Cast%20iron%20Pan%20and%20Ladle.jpg

[Frosty]

It'll work okay but be careful those were generally used for lead and you don't want to be breathing the fumes. Lead melts around 600f and aluminum around 1,100f which is above the boiling point for lead. that is a BAD thing.

Better yet simply weld a cap on one end of a piece of pipe and maybe a handle if you don't have a pair of tongs the right shape.

Frosty

[Houaha]

well this one it rusted a bit and i don't think has been used for a long time so i think its fine i use it to shovel coal into my forge now

[Ted T]

buddy215216
Casting Aluminum
I would advise you to do a lot of research about what may seem to be a simple process.
I feel that for your own safety, and for you to have a successful casting produced by your efforts, you will need to know more about casting aluminum before you even start.
In 1966, I was employed as a

[John B]

Thanks for that reminder Ted, it points out something I feel very strongly about that concerns me about this and other sites, I do not want to discourage anyone from enjoying the craft and all its skills, however ignorance is not always bliss, and it all seems so easy to do when you see the craft being demonstrated.

Some of the videos I have seen on the net are genuine disasters in waiting/ horror movies, whilst others are excellent. For the beginner it is sometimes hard to know which are good and which are bad, safety issues are not always dealt with.

However like all things that appear simple when being shown by someone proficient, there is usually a depth of experience they have, to get to that level.

So please to all out there, before you start, do some research into what you are wanting to do and do it safely, and you may be around long enough to enjoy it.

On a plus note, on this site if you ask a question, you will receive an excellent considered response, thanks to the depth of experience available from its contributors.

And THANK YOU to Glenn (and the others) for making it available with all the hard work it entails. it is appreciated.

[jayco]

I haven't done a lot of aluminum casting, so I am no expert by any means, but here's a couple things I learned from experience.

If you melt aluminum in some kind of ladle and plan to move it and pour it in a mold, be sure you keep the handle and your hands above the level of the ladle. A little slosh of molten metal that gets on the edge of the ladle will run downhill.
In other words, it will run down the handle to your hands.......and you don't want that!

I also learned that when you empty the ladle into the mold, keep the pouring distance as short as possible, best to put the lip of the ladle right on the edge of the mold
Molten metal, when poured, splatters in all directions!

I even melted some soda cans once, but I found that to be a poor way to get aluminum.
By the time you melt the little thin cans and rack off the 'dross', there isn't much left
Of course you also get that nasty smell of burning paint and burnt sugar.....not pleasant!

There are so many unexpected things that can happen with molten metals........I think that's what makes metal casting so dangerous.

At the least, I would recommend that anyone who has never done any metal casting before should practice moving the ladle around with only water in it....just to get used to the movements. When you can move the ladle around and not spill a drop....and do that consistantly, then you might be ready to try with metal. (Be sure the ladle is bone dry before using to melt metal)

One fumble or missed step is all it takes to create a terrible accident.

Edited November 8, 2008 by jayco
forgot something.....

[Glenn]

Wear full face and body protection, leather everywhere. You may want to quickly remove that protection of hot metal spills and starts to burn its was through the protective layers so make the attachments (strings, snaps, velcro etc) as weak as possible.

Put 911 (emergency assistance) on your phones speed dial. Better yet invite the paramedics to come early and watch. It will cut the response time down quite a bit.

[Jacques]

I've done some backyard Aluminium casting myself.

The most important rule: "When in doubt, there is no doubt."

If you feel unsafe, you are. If you don't feel unsafe, look for something that's wrong.

And another thing I read on the net somewhere."Molten Aluminium vapourises flesh instantly."

[Quenchcrack]

Sometimes I get the feeling that one of natures ways of purging the gene pool is to get un-informed and inexperienced folks to play with molten metals. If you do not understand the technology of the process, DON'T MESS WITH IT!

[evfreek]

It's a good idea to learn foundry work in a standard controlled environment like an industrial arts class. These don't last for long these days if they are lax about safety. I had a scary accident in high school chem lab. Neither the instructor nor I were wearing safety glasses (it was the good ol' days). Fortunately, the quantity of molten liquid was only about one teaspoon and it missed both of us.

A good start is in a "pro" facility (not backyard), with forced ventilation, commercial furnace, safety glasses, face shield, leather apron, spats, and very experienced instructor.