Usable as a small melting furnace?

[MattF]

Having a clear up yesterday, and was looking at the bits for the Wickhams steam/pressure cleaner. Would the bottom burner section make a usable furnace for melting, (top left in the photo)?

I have the original blower/injector assembly too, so looks like I could save myself a bit of time and effort initially by just using that as a temporary setup for testing with? I'll need to get my hands on a crucible, obviously.

 

[Cobbs]

Furnaces seem to work more efficiently if the flame can "swirl" round the crucible. Form the photo it looks as though there are lumps of some sort that would stop that happening - the chamber doesn't look round either. I suspect the crucible would heat unevenly, which might cause problems...

 

[MattF]

Better to probably give that idea a miss then, and build one from scratch? The chamber insulation is flat at the back and then unevenly shaped at the front, as you've noted.

On that note, would an old gas bottle make a suitable container once lined with suitable material?

 

[BrokenBiker]

i am currently using a small forge made from a tin can and lined with a 50 50 mix of plaster of Paris and builders sand. Works well if not a bit small.

i am collecting around 10 gas bottles Saturday from a fellow.member so may be making a proper forge/melting pot soon

 

[MattF]

If you get round to trying it first then, keep us updated. I have several bottles already, so sorted on that front. I knew this stash would come in handy over time.

What's the best readily available thing for crucibles, btw?

 

[Cobbs]

Stainless steel kitchen containers will do for aluminium - try to avoid mild steel, as the aluminium tends to eat it at high temps - could get nasty. For the temperatures you're looking at in a furnace, probably cheapest to go with ceramic fibre blanket with a hardener for the lining.

 

[MattF]

Cheers. Hoping to mainly melt brass and copper eventually, (though testing would likely be done with alu.), so would those recommendations still hold good for those metals?

 

[Cobbs]

Not really, they take much higher temps - you'd need a proper crucible, made of graphite and fireclay. You'd also have to make sure that the fibre blanket was rated for those higher temps. Aluminium will run at about 660 c, copper atalmost 1100c, from memory, so significantly hotter.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I bought 3 crucibles of various sizes with lids about 15 years ago and remember being happily surprised how cheap they were. The largest is a 2L one which is stupidly heavy when full of molten metal.

 

[500e]

Not seen one of those lately an almost un kill- able steam cleaner the Handy dandy

 

[brightspark]

I bought 3 crucibles of various sizes with lids about 15 years ago and remember being happily surprised how cheap they were. The largest is a 2L one which is stupidly heavy when full of molten metal.

u wont be happily suprised any longer if u buy them now big £££££

 

[BrokenBiker]

i have an old cast iron crucible that is heavy enough without it being full of molten brass.

might look into some stainless ones, would quite like to do a bit of casting

 

[doubleboost]

Stainless is a bad idea for a crucible
Stainless can not stand up to thermal shock
I had one full of bronze I put a ingot in that was not hot enough
The crucible split full length (seamless 6 mm wall tube 5 inch diameter)
I will have a look for the picture
Heavy wall mild steel pipe
Better still a proper silicon carbide or graphite job
I still have burn scares on my wrists from a "Wickhams" steam cleaner (40 years ago)

 

[doubleboost]

Stainless is a bad idea for a crucible
Stainless can not stand up to thermal shock
I had one full of bronze I put a ingot in that was not hot enough
The crucible split full length (seamless 6 mm wall tube 5 inch diameter)
I will have a look for the picture
Heavy wall mild steel pipe
Better still a proper silicon carbide or graphite job
I still have burn scares on my wrists from a "Wickhams" steam cleaner (40 years ago)

 

[Cobbs]

Stainless is fine for aluminium. As stated above, for other metals a "proper" crucible is needed for stuff with a higher melting point.

 

[MattF]

Cheers chaps.

Not seen one of those lately an almost un kill- able steam cleaner the Handy dandy

That's the one, (literally. Hadn't realised I'd had this thing for that long. That's a photo of when it was in the front shed, before I had to oust it to make way for the Gypsy), though it is in need of some work. Suffered some slight frost damage, (the isolation tap has split), and it was stood outside for a good while without cover, when I first got it, so it has some rusty bits.

Been in two minds whether to get it sorted or let it go. Never actually needed a steam cleaner in all these years, (can't believe it's been sat here for eleven years and I still haven't done owt with it. I really need to get off my **** with some of these projects ),but it is a solid bit of kit, and even though all of the bits are under cover, it obviously won't do it any favours being outside.

I still have burn scars on my wrists from a "Wickhams" steam cleaner (40 years ago)

They give a nasty bite given half a chance then?

 

[500e]

Think we bought ours new in 1970 still was going in 2006

 

[MattF]

It had a fair old run then.