ConductorX
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2012
- Messages
- 132
- Reaction score
- 35
Finally some shop work to show. I have been wanting to build a furnace to melt aluminum. I decided to start with a charcoal furnace. Since I have never melted anything other than lead or pot metal this was a new experience for me.
I used a brake drum from a big truck and set it up on a 3" pipe sunk into the ground. Hopefully this will keep me from having to bend over the furnace. So many of these things I see sitting flat on the ground and the operator has to bend over it all day while working. I may be wrong of course.
My crucible is a cast iron pot I plan to use for casting ingots and first time melts.
I placed a grill in the bottom to allow charcoal to get under the crucible. It is 3/16" expanded metal.
I managed to make a very small pour on my first pass.
I know there is a lot missing, no lid, no insulation, it needs an air manifold in the bottom to better distribute the air and several other improvements are planned. It did work and I managed to melt quite a charge of metal and only pour a small amount.
"G"
I used a brake drum from a big truck and set it up on a 3" pipe sunk into the ground. Hopefully this will keep me from having to bend over the furnace. So many of these things I see sitting flat on the ground and the operator has to bend over it all day while working. I may be wrong of course.
My crucible is a cast iron pot I plan to use for casting ingots and first time melts.
I placed a grill in the bottom to allow charcoal to get under the crucible. It is 3/16" expanded metal.
I managed to make a very small pour on my first pass.
I know there is a lot missing, no lid, no insulation, it needs an air manifold in the bottom to better distribute the air and several other improvements are planned. It did work and I managed to melt quite a charge of metal and only pour a small amount.
"G"