Aluminium Foundry

Step 9 Foundry tools, Ingots and clip.

Now its time for some melting, My furnace is HUNGRYso it's time to feed it with some aluminum. I collected some aluminum from my house, some unused items.
I made some tools for my old furnace and they are still good for this one. To get rid of the dross I used a big spoon with holes as a dross skimmer. I'm starting my first melt with charcoals and in the near future I hope to make a waste oil burner.
After the charcoals where red I checked the temp with my multimiter and it showed over 1000ŭigh temperature.
 My first successful melt were parts of an aluminum ladder, I used my muffin tray to cast the aluminum ingot.
The second time I used the pot it broke under the heat and all the molten aluminumn spilled out. Not too bad news It could have  been much worse if it happend when I lifted the crucible.

Now I just have to chop the chunks of aluminum and throw them back into a new and much thicker cruicible made from metal pipe and steel plate.
This is a short clip of my furnace in full action...

Comments

[EmmettO]

As for crucibles, I struggled with making a crucible for melting copper. It would melt through every steel crucible I made. I eventually found a site that sells cheap fire clay crucibles and thats what I use now. http://www.lmine.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LMS&Product_Code=17703&Category_Code=economy_repacks

[nkudlesky]

i got mine for around $60 at foundry101.com and it comes with a lifting shank..

[buteomont]

I used a muffin tin for my ingots too, but be careful! I didn't realize that my first muffin tin was made from aluminum too. The molten metal just poured right through it!

[NutandBolt]

Some kitchen utensils are made of aluminum especially pots/pans. Next time if you are not sure just place a magnet to the material.
Thanks for the tip ;-)

[Ken Chevy]

That is NOT totally true about stainless steel.  It depends, some is, some isn't.  Usually the 300 series stainless is NON--magnetic unless cold worked.

The 400 series stainless IS magnetic to a certain degree. 

So, remember a fact about stainless steel being magnetic:
Some is,  and some isn't.

Here is some discussion about it:  http://www.wisegeek.com/is-stainless-steel-magnetic.htm

Yes, looking to see what things (including cookware) are made of is an excellent idea from xarlock667.

VERY good Instructable, NutandBolt!  Very well done with all the notes and photos.

Ken

102410 2011

[xarlock667]

That does not always work, as stainless is not magnetic. Most cookwares state what they are made from if you look, if not call the maker and be damned sure. Cast Iron is always a good fall back.

[sockless]

You didn't need to use a thermometer to check the temperature. You could've just looked at the colour of it and approximated the temperature. Since all objects will glow a certain colour depending on what temperature they are at.

[NutandBolt]

I am aware of the crucible lovely orange glow but that doesn't change the fact that I have curiosity to know and understand. That is why I used the multimeter to understand what tempature I am dealing with and What other metals I can melt under higher tempature.