Success!

[chuckt]

I did my first successful aluminum melt and pour. I made a couple of large mixing spoons and some other stuff besides ingots. My furnace melts 5 pounds of aluminum in around 10 minutes and that much copper in around 20 minutes. It uses propane and heats well up to around 55 PSI, but I only need around 20 PSI to melt aluminum and around 30 to melt copper. It seems to run about 6 hours of so from a 20 lb (5 gallon) propane bottle at 20 PSI. I am very happy with the performance and efficiency of the furnace.

I had 2 old empty disposable propane bottles that I cut in half and used as crucibles. I got 4 good pours (got a leak on the 5th) using aluminum, but the copper pour failed on the first try. I guess I need to buy a couple of ceramic crucibles. I made a big steel crucible out of a piece of 6" pipe I had laying around. That works pretty well. No sign of failure yet. I hate to think of 1/2 gallon of molten aluminum leaking from it. I like my feet.

Sure is fun. I actually like mixing the sand and making molds. I am looking for stuff to mold now. Suggestions are welcome!

[Pipescs]

I LIke my feet also

Go to your local welding shop and spend the money on a pair of spats. I wear mine over a pair of leather shoes I can come out of very quickly.

Not sure on the price but cheap enough that I felt ok buying two pair.

This A-8 crucible came from Budget Casting supply for around 35.00. You can find them cheaper.