Casting
Given the price of Aluminium in large pieces and the problems with shipping I decided to build a cheap “flowerpot” / “coffeecan” furnace from scrap and cheap materials to make some simple castings which could then be machined.
I did some research into the tools needed for this and looking at the prices of those decided to make some by modifying some cheaper items, a bar tenders spoon, a couple of pairs of fire tongs and a poker that was split then heated in the furnace to allow me to bend it into a lifting tool.
A few key purchases were the appropriate safety gear, a flameproof welders boiler suit, leather apron, boots, face shield, welding gauntlets. You should plan your casting process by making sure your tools are easily to hand, that you don’t trip over anything and that you give everything time to cool down after casting. If your casting process is relaxed (that’s calm not sloppy) then you are less likely to make mistakes and hurt yourself.
My first pour used some home made “green sand” made from clay kitty litter, sand and a little water. However I’ve since purchased some petrobonded sand and that’s much easy to work with.
I’ve experimented a little with different types of charcoal and have yet to come to any significant conclusions, some people suggest that the lumpwood charcoal burns hotter but I do find the brickettes are easier to use.
Casting aluminium in the flowerpot furnace
The furnace was made to a tried an tested design of a ceramic liner (aka flowerpot) surrounded by a concrete jacket to support and insulate the furnace liner.
Making the furnace
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Casting Posts
- You are my density
- Casting a flywheel – Melting metal
- Casting a flywheel – Patterns in the sand
- Magnifier Lamp – Heavy metal, shiny metal
- 3D printing a pattern for sand casting
- Pouring Temperature vs Melting Temperature
- David Gingery on Kindle
- Wood Pattern-Making
- Old books on casting
- Blobs to blocks another way
- Other Furnace Users
- Casting results and metal candy canes
- Sunday sandcasting
- Steam Punk Magazine
- Flying cutting blobs
- Metal experts
- More blobs to blocks
- Terry Brown’s Shed – Casting, Maching, Projects and Gingery Shaper
- Melt 12th Oct
- Building the flowerpot furnace
- Blobs to blocks 2
- Machined blob
- Red Hot – Casting
- Furnace kit
Casting Links
- Artisan Foundry Shop Materials for building and running a furnace
- Back Yard Metal Casting
- Camden Miniature Steam Services Bookshop for model engineers, steam fans and all things technical
- Dan's Workshop Electric furnace, aluminium casting, lego steam engines, alternative power
- Found Dreaming – The Foundryman's Resource A forum for discussions on hobby foundry work
- Gene Elliott – Charcoal Foundry Gene Elliott’s Homebuild Charcoal Fired Foundry
- Hill and Sons Last remaining beechwood riddle and sieve maker in Great Britain
- Home Foundry and Casting Yahoo discussion group
- Homemade Motorcycle Parts On A Budget Lyle Landstrom casts a cover for his vintage motorbike
- Jason T. Harris Jason T. Harris’s Gingery Charcoal Foundry
- John C. Schwytzer John C. Schwytzer’s Charcoal Foundry
- John Winter Casting Supplies for Model Engineers
- Jon Reil Burner Designs Forge and Burner Designs
- My Heap Casting, Gingery Lathe and Shaper, Furnaces
- My Home Foundry Col Croucher’s Aussie Hobby Foundry site and ebooks
- Ricks Strange World Metal Casting, Fishing, Alternative Energy, Solar Cooking, Electric Furnace, Gingery Lathe and Mill
- Rons Electric Foundry
- Shorty Leatherwood Leatherwood Foundry
- Submarine Boat Building submarines and boats
- Vaughans (Hope Works) Tools and Equipment for Blacksmiths and Foundries