Melting copper?

[monkeymark]

Apologises if this is in the wrong section.

Ive seen a few home made forges on here, usually for melting aluminium, but what about copper?

I get the odd bit of copper, not usually enough to bother weighing in, so considered melting it down to make bars for heat sinks etc.

If I remember rightly the melting temp is roughly 1050 c as opposed to about 650 c for ally.
Has anyone tried this or are the temps just too high for a diy forge?

 

[Dev]

The right DIY forge can melt iron which is 1500 so I don't see why you couldn't do copper.

 

[outofthefire]

Foundry or furnace is the word your looking for forges are used for heating steel. Ally melts at a good bit less than copper or steel so diy furnaces can be a bit more forgiving in there design but everything is possible, i've smelted small amounts with oxy/propane in a crucible made from the bottom half of a soda stream co2 bottle.

 

[brightspark]

[quote="outofthefire, post: in there design but everything is possible, i've smelted small amounts with oxy/propane in a crucible made from the bottom half of a soda stream co2 bottle.[/quote]err rephrase that u havent smelted it u have re heated and melt it u smelt ore

 

[captain-destructo]

im halfway through making one of these http://www.artfulbodgermetalcasting.com/

 

[Kent]

im halfway through making one of these http://www.artfulbodgermetalcasting.com/

I stopped looking at his page when I saw the picture of him pouring molten metal into a casting mould in shell suit bottoms and not even eye protection

 

[Richard.]

I stopped looking at his page when I saw the picture of him pouring molten metal into a casting mould in shell suit bottoms and not even eye protection

Perhaps they are flame retardant tracky bottoms and protective contact lenses ha ha

 

[captain-destructo]

I stopped looking at his page when I saw the picture of him pouring molten metal into a casting mould in shell suit bottoms and not even eye protection

Perhaps they are flame retardant tracky bottoms and protective contact lenses ha ha

it only hurts whilst there are nerves there and at them temps they wont be there for long

 

[brightspark]

lol when your pouring in to the molding boxes and they open up and the molten metal hits the concrete and explodes and then burns your boots as well and your holding the pot of molten metal and u have to leg it u know u have a problem

 

[DanielW]

Apologises if this is in the wrong section.

Ive seen a few home made forges on here, usually for melting aluminium, but what about copper?

I get the odd bit of copper, not usually enough to bother weighing in, so considered melting it down to make bars for heat sinks etc.

If I remember rightly the melting temp is roughly 1050 c as opposed to about 650 c for ally.
Has anyone tried this or are the temps just too high for a diy forge?

Aluminium is better at dissapating heat whereas Copper is better at absorbing heat ie drawing it away from the area thats generating the heat.

You ever see any heatsinks made out of copper? heatsinks are made of aluminuim with a copper plate on the heatsink base,that copper plate is drawing the heat and the aluminium will dissapate it.

 

[hotrodder]

Aluminium is better at dissapating heat whereas Copper is better at absorbing heat ie drawing it away from the area thats generating the heat.

You ever see any heatsinks made out of copper? heatsinks are made of aluminuim with a copper plate on the heatsink base,that copper plate is drawing the heat and the aluminium will dissapate it.

Heat flows from hot to cold
Aluminium has a higher specific heat capacity than copper but lower thermal conductivity and is significantly cheaper

 

[MattF]

You ever see any heatsinks made out of copper?

Everyone has. What were older car radiators, for one. Aluminium is inferior to copper where thermal conductivity is concerned. There are a shedload of reasons why aluminium is used generally, but downright efficacy is not the motive. Cost, weight, simplicity of production etc., coupled with the fact that aluminium usually has a larger surface area to dissipate heat from, (you'll rarely find cast aluminium which has anywhere near as smooth a surface as cast copper, hence a larger surface area), all lead to it being a common choice. Nothing more.

 

[MattF]

I stopped looking at his page when I saw the picture of him pouring molten metal into a casting mould in shell suit bottoms and not even eye protection

If they take their personal safety lightly, it doesn't mean information on the site is useless. I've not read through that site, but I'm guessing there's some usable info on there? Obviously though, his safety methods aren't to be followed, by the sounds of it.

 

[CRB]

Another thing I wanted to do, even bought the book. Very interesting.

I also saw some big coffee cans yesterday at work...............

 

[monkeymark]

I think I may well buy the book. I'll wait a little while first as I need to make space.
So many ideas, so little time.

 

[CRB]

I think I may well buy the book. I'll wait a little while first as I need to make space.
So many ideas, so little time.

Off to Ikea at the weekend then,............................. but it is not a very thick book.

 

[Dev]

Indeed it's not. And if you're expecting dimensioned plans to work from you'll be disappointed. But in fairness everything is explained and he'll answer any questions if you email him.

 

[monkeymark]

Haha, not make.space for the book, just in general as garage is packed. Just today I was given three combi boilers.

Didn't expect dimensions, just general ideas.

 

[outofthefire]

You ever see any heatsinks made out of copper? heatsinks are made of aluminuim with a copper plate on the heatsink base,that copper plate is drawing the heat and the aluminium will dissapate it.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=c...v&sa=X&ei=ldQIVLffM5DT7AamoIHYBA&ved=0CD8QsAQ

 

[Big Pete]

I do ally fairly often, but I've done brass as well. Copper and iron are both possible in homebuilt furnaces. There's tons of good info and helpful guys here

http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/forum.php