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  • #1

    Hobby foundry

    I started messing around with a foundry while quarantined with covid. Right after the Wichita State game I melted a bag and a half of aluminum cans into ingots. I've casted a few objects and am getting better. I was wondering if anyone here has a little foundry and if they have tips or tricks to getting better at casting. Here is a picture of my ingots cooling and a mountain of dross. Its really cool how this stuff glows in the dark! ​ ​
    There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.
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  • #2
    Any issues w/ noxious gases? I remember reading about reloaders having to take precautions when working w/ lead.

    If you make any solid gold ingots I'll be glad to analyze them for purity. I'll send a self-addressed box and pay for the shipping.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by C0|dB|00ded View Post
      Any issues w/ noxious gases? I remember reading about reloaders having to take precautions when working w/ lead.

      If you make any solid gold ingots I'll be glad to analyze them for purity. I'll send a self-addressed box and pay for the shipping.
      I always make sure I'm outside and upwind. The only problem I've had was patience in letting the casts cool. If you think its been long enough, give it 10 more minutes. I've screwed up a couple of things I've tried to cast because the internal was still molten. I'll send a picture of an ingot my son made, he was sure it was solid. The outside was, the inside poured out into the bucket of water. ? 16103275344432972271525435276809.jpg
      There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.
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      • #4
        Originally posted by MoValley John View Post
        I was wondering if anyone here has a little foundry and if they have tips or tricks to getting better at casting.
        Been wanting to try this for a long time, but never just up and did it. Bought the David Gingery books, but never spent the time trying it. All said and done, is it pretty easy?
        Kung Wu say, man who read woman like book, prefer braille!

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Kung Wu View Post

          Been wanting to try this for a long time, but never just up and did it. Bought the David Gingery books, but never spent the time trying it. All said and done, is it pretty easy?
          Depends on how you go about it. I built all of my tools, flask and first two foundries. The only thing I bought ready to go was the crucible and welding gloves. So some of that was challenging and some easy. I also make my own greensand. While its easy now, there were a few challenges getting the consistency down. My first casts were pretty sucky. Melting cans and pouring aluminum into muffin tins is easy and cathartic.

          All in all, it gets easier as you go and you learn from mistakes. I'm at the point now where it isn't hard, I just want to get better. I was hoping some on this board had done it and could give tips.



          There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by MoValley John View Post
            All in all, it gets easier as you go and you learn from mistakes. I'm at the point now where it isn't hard, I just want to get better. I was hoping some on this board had done it and could give tips.
            Well, you're the expert now! All-in-all how long does it take to go from knowing absolutely nothing to screwing up your very first melt?
            Kung Wu say, man who read woman like book, prefer braille!

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Kung Wu View Post

              Well, you're the expert now! All-in-all how long does it take to go from knowing absolutely nothing to screwing up your very first melt?
              Depends. You could run to Home Depot buy some fire brick and be in business in a few days. Thats how I did my first one. Unfortunately, the fire brick I bought wasn't rated hot enough and started falling apart after the third run. I bought the right firebrick and that lasted longer. I bought my present foundry. online and it works flawlessly.

              You need a muffin tin, lots of aluminum and a crucible. Steel should work for a crucible, you can use a steel fire extinguisher to make one. I bought a graphite crucible online.

              You will need a tool to move the crucible into and out of the foundry and a tool to pour with. Welding gloves also.

              The rest of the stuff you build as you build up aluminum.
              There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.

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              • #8
                Don't burn yourself.
                There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by MoValley John View Post

                  Depends. You could run to Home Depot buy some fire brick and be in business in a few days. Thats how I did my first one. Unfortunately, the fire brick I bought wasn't rated hot enough and started falling apart after the third run. I bought the right firebrick and that lasted longer. I bought my present foundry. online and it works flawlessly.

                  You need a muffin tin, lots of aluminum and a crucible. Steel should work for a crucible, you can use a steel fire extinguisher to make one. I bought a graphite crucible online.

                  You will need a tool to move the crucible into and out of the foundry and a tool to pour with. Welding gloves also.

                  The rest of the stuff you build as you build up aluminum.
                  Where do you get the "right" fire brick from?

                  Lots of aluminum. Check.
                  Muffin tin. Wife won't notice for awhile. Check.
                  Welding glove. Check.
                  Crucible. Negative (would order online).

                  What are you using for fuel / air?
                  Kung Wu say, man who read woman like book, prefer braille!

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                  • #10
                    You want soft, not hard firebrick. It will last longer. I'm now using propane, started with lump charcoal. There are tons of foundry designs online.
                    There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.

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                    • #11
                      The foundry I bought uses kaowool.
                      There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.
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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by MoValley John View Post
                        There are tons of foundry designs online.
                        So I just threw it in DuckDuckGo and stumbled onto this by accident. https://www.anvilbrewing.com/-p/anv-foundry-6.5.htm Now I'm not sure which sounds more fun.

                        Kung Wu say, man who read woman like book, prefer braille!

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                        • #13
                          Mmmm ... beer.
                          Kung Wu say, man who read woman like book, prefer braille!

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Kung Wu View Post

                            So I just threw it in DuckDuckGo and stumbled onto this by accident. https://www.anvilbrewing.com/-p/anv-foundry-6.5.htm Now I'm not sure which sounds more fun.
                            Both.
                            There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.

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                            • #15
                              This is similar to the one I bought. Easy build.
                              diy foundry furnace plans - Google Search
                              https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-verizon&source=android-browser&ei=5B79X87vBtCztAax3oJ4&q=diy+foundry+furnace+plans&oq=home+foundry+furnace+&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAEYAjIJCAAQyQMQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB46BAgAEEc6BQghEKABOgUIIRCrAjoICCEQFhAdEB5Q25UBWPbKAWD21wFoAnABeACAAYgBiAHuApIBAzAuM5gBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#kpvalbx=_AR_9X7asFsLOtAaViLjACg2
                              There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.

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