[trial.rec.metalworking] wanted: info on backyard smelting

grusin@boulder.Colorado.EDU (GRUSIN MICHAEL) (12/13/90)

I'm interested in hearing about peoples experiences doing
small-scale smelting and casting; I occasionally see ads
for books on "building charcoal powered furnaces capable
of melting aluminum cans"; does this work? Is it practical?
(I've got a lot of aluminum cans saved up =)

- Mike Grusin (grusin@tramp.colorado.edu)

david@talgras.UUCP (David Hoopes) (12/13/90)

In article <1990Dec12.234545.8492@csn.org> grusin@tramp.Colorado.EDU (GRUSIN MICHAEL) writes:
>I'm interested in hearing about peoples experiences doing
>small-scale smelting and casting; I occasionally see ads
>for books on "building charcoal powered furnaces capable
>of melting aluminum cans"; does this work? Is it practical?


Where did you see the ads for the books.  I have been thinking about trying
my hand at some casting.  Eventually I would like to do some castings in
iron but I thougth that alluminum might be a good way to experiment.

Charcoal could burn hot enough to do what you want but if you can get some
coal it will burn hotter and longer.  



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David Hoopes                              Tallgras Technologies Inc. 
uunet!talgras!david                       11100 W 82nd St.          
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vestal@SRC.Honeywell.COM (Steve Vestal) (12/15/90)

I played around with this a little as a kid.  A small squirrel-cage blower and
a bag of charcoal will do wonders.  The main problem is finding a crucible to
hold the melt.  Cast-iron solder pots used by plumbers are fine for aluminum
(be careful to avoid melting the pot) but brass etc. require something better.

One source of information about home smelting is in the Amateur Telescope
Making books (Russel used to do a lot of this).  Check your local university
library, or look in Sky & Telescope magazine for advertisements for these
books.