Author Topic: Melting Furnace  (Read 17550 times)

Offline Neubert1975

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Melting Furnace
« on: July 12, 2015, 02:47:51 AM »
Hi
I have been asked to show my melting furnace, so here we go.
Its made in a 60 liter oil drum, where i made a inner core out of Vermiculite plate, and pored concrete arround it.
The heat comes from an oil burner coming from a central heating system.
in the pictures i was filling the largest crucible i have, it takes 22kg aluminium, and takes arround one hour to melt. i do prefer to use the smaller crucibles since this one it fairly hevy to pour, atleast you dont freeze when pourin this one  :bugeye:

And now some pics.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2015, 04:17:52 AM by Neubert1975 »

Offline awemawson

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2015, 04:04:17 AM »
Looks ok from the thumbnails, but the pictures are too large to view properly. Any chance you can re-size them to 640 x 480 ?
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2015, 04:11:23 AM »
Looks ok from the thumbnails, but the pictures are too large to view properly. Any chance you can re-size them to 640 x 480 ?

Hi
I will try to re size them right away  :whip:

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2015, 04:19:07 AM »
Looks ok from the thumbnails, but the pictures are too large to view properly. Any chance you can re-size them to 640 x 480 ?

Hi
I will try to re size them right away  :whip:

done  :med:

Offline awemawson

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #4 on: July 12, 2015, 07:31:01 AM »
Cheers - still looks nice  :thumbup:

640 x 480 is by far the best resolution on the forum as otherwise the image is so large that the scroll bars aren't available to hunt about on the picture :bang:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2015, 07:59:11 AM »
Cheers - still looks nice  :thumbup:

640 x 480 is by far the best resolution on the forum as otherwise the image is so large that the scroll bars aren't available to hunt about on the picture :bang:

Thank you awemawson
Your right about the size, it is annoying to have to search around for the scroll bar  :thumbup:

Offline jcs0001

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #6 on: July 12, 2015, 01:56:27 PM »
Thanks for the posting.  That is one serious piece of equipment.  Have you made castings as big as this furnace can provide?

John.

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2015, 02:06:37 PM »
Hi John
its a nice thing to have, and i have made some 100 Kgs by now,
Actualy the pictures was taken yesterday while i was making casting for a new drive wheel for my diy belt sander, and i did fill the crucible to ca 4 cm from the top, so around 20Kg.
Man its hot to pour 20 Kg of hot metal one man, its not that easy to hold it at a distance, so the crucible was max 20cm from my legs  :drool:

Martin

Offline SwarfnStuff

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2015, 03:02:04 AM »
Hi lads and lasses, a trick I use when pictures are too large or for my eyes the font too small is to hold the 'Ctrl' key and use the mouse scroll wheel to temporarily enlarge or reduce the page. Look at what ever then scroll t'other way back to normal. Yes, if you scroll to reduce a large picture you can't read the tiny font (at least I can't) so read it first, but hey, I get scrolling practice. You can do the same with the 'Ctrl and + -" keys too.
  Also works in emails with too small a font for old eyes waiting for the cataracts to be bad enough for the medical profession to correct.
    BUT, as has been said 640 x 480 is good 800 x 600 also works.
John B
Converting good metal into swarf sometimes ending up with something useful. ;-)

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2015, 04:37:38 AM »
John
your right, and as an ad to that, when you have soomed in to something, and want it back to normal size, you can press ctrl + 0


Martin

Offline SwarfnStuff

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2015, 03:07:22 AM »
Thanks Martin, I learn stuff every day from this site. Didn't know 'Ctrl = 0' reset to original. Will remember that wee combo.
       I do use several Ctrl + combos but 'Ctrl  + Z' (undo) key combo is probably the most used by me specially when in my CAD program.  Does that say something about my drawing capabilities? I guess there is a list somewhere and we only really remember those we use often.
  Ah found it here, https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/126449 if any one is interested.
 
      Thanks again.
Converting good metal into swarf sometimes ending up with something useful. ;-)

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2015, 03:14:18 AM »
i was educated multimedia grafic 16 years ago, så learned a bit of comboes, still use some of them.

The most used function when i open solidworks, is the x in the top  right corner  :Doh: i have a hard time learning that program, it involves to much sitting still :scratch:

Offline jcs0001

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2015, 12:52:30 PM »
Martin:

Seems like a lot of weight to handle - do you have a setup so that two people (one one on each side of the crucible) can lift and pour or some mechanical way to lift it and then pour?  Sure hate to get that aluminium near one's feet!!

John.

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #13 on: July 14, 2015, 01:15:05 PM »
Martin:

Seems like a lot of weight to handle - do you have a setup so that two people (one one on each side of the crucible) can lift and pour or some mechanical way to lift it and then pour?  Sure hate to get that aluminium near one's feet!!

John.

Hi John
No nothing fancy to handle it, just took a picture to show it.
But sure it is quite some weight, atleast when its extremly hot at the same time, but not a problem i think.
 

Offline jcs0001

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2015, 09:44:25 AM »
Martin:

I'd be interested in a photo or two of your castings - sounds like you are doing some interesting projects.

Bye for now,

John.

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2015, 10:33:29 AM »
Martin:

I'd be interested in a photo or two of your castings - sounds like you are doing some interesting projects.

Bye for now,

John.

Hi John
Ill try to take some, but they arent that interesting, since i am only doing it in cimple metal boxes or cylinders so far, but have got the materials home for sand casting too

Martin

Offline Country Bubba

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #16 on: July 15, 2015, 10:35:54 AM »
Martin,
Ever since reading your post about the struggle and hazard of trying to pour that much at one time safely, have been on a hunt for a video that I saw a few months ago.
Well this morning after a diligent search, finally found it and thought this idea might be of some interest to you.




Regards,

Art
Country Bubba

Art
Country Bubba

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2015, 10:46:49 AM »
Martin,
Ever since reading your post about the struggle and hazard of trying to pour that much at one time safely, have been on a hunt for a video that I saw a few months ago.
Well this morning after a diligent search, finally found it and thought this idea might be of some interest to you.




Regards,

Art
Country Bubba

Hi Bubba
Greate idear, but in my case its not that big of a problem, i do have the size to handle it, 193 cm high, and on the good site of 100kg (not being fat)
But still greate idear, and if i build an other furnace i might design it so it could work out with such trolley  :thumbup:

But the big crucible is not the one i use the most, only for big things, or cleaning the aluminium (making ingots)

The smaller one i have take 8Kg aluminium and then i have one that takes 3kg



Martin

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #18 on: July 15, 2015, 12:42:46 PM »
Nice furnace! I could have used a larger one myself for my last pour which was short on the riser and sprue, but just squeaked by with a usable casting! Still would like to see photos of your big castings, even if simple shapes.  :beer:
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #19 on: July 15, 2015, 01:36:36 PM »
Nice furnace! I could have used a larger one myself for my last pour which was short on the riser and sprue, but just squeaked by with a usable casting! Still would like to see photos of your big castings, even if simple shapes.  :beer:

Thank you
The biggest so far, is on this pic, mounted in my emco compact 8 lathe, and that was after i shaped it on the bandsaw

Offline jcs0001

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #20 on: July 16, 2015, 12:34:16 PM »
Nice chunk of aluminium.

John.

Offline Neubert1975

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #21 on: July 16, 2015, 12:43:09 PM »
Nice chunk of aluminium.

John.

at least heavy, the only mold i could find that size was a pot from the kitchen.
quite challenging to work on this size in a small lathe.

Martin

Offline Pete.

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #22 on: July 16, 2015, 03:52:12 PM »
Martin,
Ever since reading your post about the struggle and hazard of trying to pour that much at one time safely, have been on a hunt for a video that I saw a few months ago.
Well this morning after a diligent search, finally found it and thought this idea might be of some interest to you.




Regards,

Art
Country Bubba

After watching that link I followed a couple more and came across this. Try not to cringe at 23.00-24.30 I bet you can't.


Offline awemawson

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #23 on: July 16, 2015, 04:10:57 PM »
I can't believe he's using paviers for that  :scratch:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline vtsteam

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Re: Melting Furnace
« Reply #24 on: July 16, 2015, 11:28:24 PM »
How-to videos are reaching a level where it's getting embarassing to admit you cast metal any more.  :palm:

The guy needs a cordless sawzall just to cut a cardboard tube?

And with his leg folded inside as a clamp?????

I suppose if he'd tried an old fashioned handsaw he'd have been in even more danger.

I can rip through a sonotube like that with one in maybe 20 seconds.

Next year, a laser will be required, with your head in the tube to see where it's cutting.  :lol:
I love it when a Plan B comes together!
Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDubB0-REg