Noods
Member
- Messages
- 979
- Location
- Ipswich
I’ve also been putting a foundry together and while it burnt nicely each time I lit it just at the point of aluminium melting the bottom would blow out of the various crucibles I put together, among these were a bottom of an old fire extinguisher and a 6mm steel plate design.. tbf the real problem was that my foundry was smokeless coal fired and contact with the coals at full heat caused meltdown.. tried various ways but no success until I purchase an A12 silicon carbide graphite crucible UK supplied and for £20 or so..
That has solved the issues, it’s brilliant, nice and large easy to use and clean out etc..
My crucible is air supplied from the back side as picture doesn’t show well, using stainless steel pipe fitted in a hole of the fire brick not so it protrudes though and then a moulder plastic downpipe fitted to an old through out hairdryer which I fixed.. the HD is approx 4 feet away from the furnace and doesn't get hot at all.. what I like about the HD is how you can just flick a switch and regulate the air supply, it’s got 4 positions on this one..
I made a few tools to help from scrap basically, a crud scooper and a tong type handle to safely lift out the crucible when hot plus a little curve shaped piece on a steel rod to pull the base of the crucible back when pouring.. all worked really well.
Carbon graphite crucible
Crud scoop
Crucible carrying tongs
Ready to pour...
Note crud on left hand brick..
It produced a piece of Aluminium approx A4 size and 1cm thick...
That has solved the issues, it’s brilliant, nice and large easy to use and clean out etc..
My crucible is air supplied from the back side as picture doesn’t show well, using stainless steel pipe fitted in a hole of the fire brick not so it protrudes though and then a moulder plastic downpipe fitted to an old through out hairdryer which I fixed.. the HD is approx 4 feet away from the furnace and doesn't get hot at all.. what I like about the HD is how you can just flick a switch and regulate the air supply, it’s got 4 positions on this one..
I made a few tools to help from scrap basically, a crud scooper and a tong type handle to safely lift out the crucible when hot plus a little curve shaped piece on a steel rod to pull the base of the crucible back when pouring.. all worked really well.
Carbon graphite crucible
Crud scoop
Crucible carrying tongs
Ready to pour...
Note crud on left hand brick..
It produced a piece of Aluminium approx A4 size and 1cm thick...