Mini Charcoal Furnace

Step 10 My first aluminium ingot

Last sunday we had great weather for a BBQ and a good opportunity to try my furnace. After lighting the BBQ coals I took a few and placed them on the base of the furnace and around the crucible. I had everything ready and even a water hose (for characols only not for the melted aluminium)  in case of emergency . I used an old vacum cleaner pipe and taped my wifes hair dryer to one end after sneaking it out of the house. Later on she saw her hair dryer was attached to my furnace and lets just say I won't do it again. I placed the door handles and the locks without the nut cracker  (no room in crucible)  into the crucible coverd the top with the lid and turned the hair dryer on. I think after about 10 min I turned the dryer off, removed the vent block and looked into the lid vent hole and saw the aluminum handles were gone, I just saw dark slag on top, for a moment I tought nothing melted but then I skimmed the scrap from the top and it looked like it was melting. I left it on for a few more minutes and I took off the lid used my diy lifting tools and got all excited to see that liquid shiny as a mirror coming out into the muffin tray and forming into my first aluminium ingot.

Comments

[undinstructable]

Nice instructable, paracord!

I'd like to make you notice though, that you are not in the SAFE side!
You should operate on a bed of dry sand, not in proximity of a wood house
and on a not so dry soil.

If the melted metal drops to the soil it will instantaneously "explode" due to contact with moist/water on the soil and it would spray around spliters of melted metal.... mmmhh, I guess you dont want that!

I'm sure you have read suggestions and advices in
http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/

Be careful.

[NutandBolt]

Thank you for your reply and concern, I was wondering for some time who will win the "jackpot" and ask about the wooden structure on the side or the concrete slab beside the furnace or not having a nice big sand box under my work area, You are the winner.
Correct all above should be taken into consideration when working with molten metal.
Not that it matters but I work with full body protection so even if aluminium will "explode" no risk to me.
This specific MINI furnace I made Poses no danger to the wooden structure being caught on fire, I was working with charcoal (Easy to control) not waste oil (hard to control/on fire).
I have my water hose ready and no I won't water the molten metal.
Safety First ;-)