Quote:
Originally Posted by maytag
kinda jelly..... I've wanted to have a foundry to mess-around with ever since Jr. H.S., when we got to play for a couple of weeks.
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I was going to re-start that project before buying a Porsche for my "project", but my current car was on the market for SOO cheap I couldn't resist. It just pushed the foundry project back... Again.
I guess I can see the foundry as a tool because I can make simple parts from aluminum easy enough (coil brackets, heat sinks, bushing, etc). Aluminum melts at such a low temp its easier to pour it by yourself.
Liquid bronze on the other hand is like dealing with something strait from hell. The first time I cast anything with bronze I used a cardboard box to hold the sand for the mold. When the crucible got about a foot away from the box the box caught fire. 2900* F doesn't seem hot until you experience it.
They are super easy to make if you have some welding ability. Just get an oil drum (I used an old oil caddy because I work at a shop and we had a junk one). Cut a hole in the bottom for an exhaust pipe to fit in. Weld that exhaust pipe in place. Then fill the inside with fire bricks and morter made from plaster (the stuff you make paper mache out of). For the top just cut a hole in the top of the oil drum to exhaust the heat and make sure you coat the top with some fiberglass heat mat (you can get it from Ebay by the roll). Then all you need is fuel and air. I use a blow dryer and propane.
The extraction tools and pouring tools are the only other part that you need to make. Just some scrap iron works well. I guess if I was an actual producer of parts I'd get some kind of ceramic coated stuff, but for a backyard hobiest mild steel is fine.