Workshop Metal Casting

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Disclaimer -   A lot of metal work can be extremely hazardous with hot metal and rotating parts etc.. machinery.   I am responsible for what I do but YOU are responsible for what YOU do.   Do Not waste your time blaming me if you try to copy something and hurt yourself, others or property.   I always try to use proper safety procedures and gear but accidents still happen even to the best prepared and cautious people.   If You are not sure about what you are trying to do, find someone who does first! and ask for advice - it will save you both time and possibly keep you in one piece as fingers etc.. work better when still attached or not burnt off!

 
 

ArtfulBodgerMetalCasting.com

Metalshop.homestead.com

RonReil.abana.org

BackyardMetalCasting.com

Home-machine-shop.com

http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/taig/soigotataig.html

rick.sparber.org

Workshop library metal casting PDF files

 
 

   These are pictures of a aluminum/brass smelting pot I built.   The furnace pot itself (see below pics) is nothing more that a flower pot cemented into a 20 #lb propane cylinder that I cut apart.   It is a slightly bigger version of a design in Lionel Oliver II's book "The flower pot furnace"   www.backyardmetalcasting.com

   In the book Mr. Oliver goes into detail on how to build an inexpensive furnace and I recommend it to anyone just starting out. I scaled up his design just a bit from his book so I could make bigger castings and I built it into a frame. I don't want to have to lift the top by hand when it is hot so I built the frame and winch setup shown in the pictures below. It isn't very high tech but it makes lifting the lid simple and the fingers on the top edge of furnace bowl and bottom edge of the lid makes setting it back in place easy too.

  This furnace has been used both with charcoal and blower and with just a propane gas burner of the Michael Porter design.  It works just fine with both but the gas burner is a lot cleaner to use.

  So far I have been using some pieces of very heavy wall steel pipe with 1/4 inch thick steel bases welded on for crucibles. This works ok but contaminates aluminum slightly when melting it.  It doesn't make any difference for what I do but it I was making something for sale I would use a regular ceramic version. 
BOWL.GIF
BOWL
 CAPBOWL.GIF
CAPBOWL
 CAPBOWL2.GIF
CAPBOWL2

WINCH1.GIF
WINCH1
 WINCH2.GIF
WINCH2
 WLOCK.GIF
WINCH LOCK
 CRUC.GIF
CRUCIBLES

http://www.leebell.net/AIRDIF.JPG
AIR DIFFUSER
 http://www.leebell.net/MOLDS.GIF
MOLDS
 http://www.leebell.net/INGOT.GIF
INGOTS
 http://www.leebell.net/MYCAST.JPG
My First Cast!

BOWL.GIF 
new bearing retainer ingots
  
Almost done turned retainers