Metal Casting Zone

chucketn wrote:
I'm just looking to do a quick melt. Don't have a proper crucible yet. I have seen people use cans on other websites.
How about stainless steel, like a cup or cream picture? I think I still have a cast iron pot about 4" in dia. that I used for melting lead for sinkers and muzzle loader bullets years ago.
I'm looking for materials locally to make a crucible from, will check the welding and well driller shops.
Found a link to a $6.00 crucible on the crucibles thread, but shipping would probably be a killer right now.
If a bean can can last one melt, and I can find 12 bean cans, I'm good, know what I mean? I had actually melted some soda cans and pop tops in my attempt, but feel my inexperience with speed of the blower and timing led to the burnout of the can.
Just itching to melt. Extreame low budget. Yada, yada ... I like to new find ways to do things and new things to do!
It's all your falt, gave me this melting bug and... Got ta have fire, heat, melt (insert Tool man Tim grunt here, can't spell it!)...Man,Haha You're sure stuck on those bean cans. Make sure that you check the melt temp of the stainless steel if you use it. That melting pot would be a lot better if you can find it. You might even find a 3" or 4" capped pipe in a scrap yard. An oxy tank cap would work good too. Tims grunt=AAAuurgh!! Hahaha

Thanks for the spelling! I've been trying to catch my neighbor the welder at home to check on him making a crucible, actually two, one for clean scrap and one for bev cans and junk!
I've got several hard drives to melt, necesitating a 5" crucible.
I've seen on another forum that I shouldn't mix extruded aluminum in 'good' casting melt. Can anyone tell me why? If I'm using junk why not?
Are Hard drive platters aluminum?

A steel can will work but with any steel melting pot you need to heat it red hot and let it cool before you ever put aany Al in it.

Aluminum eats the steel up, it takes it into its self and a lot can make it hard to machine. Heating steel up and cooling it builds a Oxide layer that keeps the aluminum from attacking the steel. - The blue/black color you see.

Soup "tins" are used by a lot of people, they should be the one piece type and about 2 heats is all you'll get out of one.

When I first did melting, I used a steel soda can --that was a long time ago!
I've just got'n back into it in the last few years.

Thin cans can heat very quick but you got to watch the temp too even if steel's melting point is a lot higher. Add metal fast to pull heat off the can walls and don't let it set to long or the melt will eat right through it.

Some guys melt the heavier Al in the crucible and then add cans and thin stuff to the mix. It all depends on the purity that you want. Most Al would be some type of alloy. Do you just plan on making ingots? If concerned about this I'd do an alloy study. Are these ingots for re sale?

The scrap would be melted into ingots for my own use. I plan to melt cast aluminum into their own ingots to use for critical stuf, cans an other junk into ingots to blend into better alloys. Still need to secure a good crucible. How about black pipe nipples with a cap? Are they usable as a basic crucible? Internet search shows they are available up to 4" dia. Don't know about the caps. Might be cheaper than having a welding shop make them, don't know about prices for custom welding...

I have found that stainless steel tumblers (soup can size) work fine for melting aluminum.

A source of cheap (free) crucibles is small propane cylinders, either the plumbers torch type or the slightly larger diameter camp stove type. Get a valve stem remover tool from a bicycle repair shop, hardware store, etc.; remove the valve stem from the cylinder and fill the cylinder with water, using a turkey baster (available at most Dollar stores). When the cylinder is full of water, cut it to the height you need, using a hacksaw (plug the valve hole with a bit of putty) or an angle grinder and cut-off disk.

Before using either the SS or the propane cylinder crucibles for the first time, I heat them to red heat (in the shade, not in sunlight) and let them cool, to form a protective oxide coating.

Before each melt, I check the crucible with my fingers to see if it is soft. If it is, I throw it away and use a different crucible. (I don't want to dump a load of melted aluminum into my furnace or over my toes) This means that I have to use two crucibles when I am doing multiple melts as I have to let each cool down so that I can test it before its next use.

Generally I can get 6 or more melts from a propane cylinder crucible and even more from the SS. I don't count anymore as I test before each use.

When melting aluminum, don't let the crucible get above red heat and, for ingots, skim and pour as soon as the metal is melted. Don't hold it at melt heat. Also, set your crucible high enough in your charcoal so that the air blast is not impinging directly on it. This should reduce the amount of fire scaling you get.

Here is a SS kitchen tool catty from Wal-Mart that I took to a red heat and let cool then coated with fireclay and used blasting sand(aluminum oxide).
This is after 1 melt but after 3 or 4 more it looked the same (I turned the "hot spot&quot.

I just put on another coat and maybe I can build up a clay crucible before the can gives out.

My welder neighbor made me a beautiful crucible out of 4"pipe. It's a full foot long and has huge hoop handles and pouring ring. I'll need a 3o gal drum to make a furnace big enough for it!
Another question. Any safe ways to test for magnesium? I have 3 donated lawn mowers I'm stripping for aluminum and have been cautioned about the possibility of magnesium in these castings.
Chuck in E. Tennessee

Hey,

With all sincerity, I would HIGHLY urge against using bean cans. They are just too thin. The thing to think of here is safety. 1300+ degrees of AL pouring onto your foot because the tin can waited to blow until you had it outside of the crucible.

I too have a VERY small budget. The cheapest thing I found to use for my first crucible was a $2.37 camping stove propane bottle. I cut the top off, drilled a hole on each side and bent a piece of metal through the holes to use as a hook handle. It lasted about 5 melts until the top of my hole pulled out when I picked it up.

My biggest suggestion is be quick but be realistic with your safety as well. That will strike a balance that will take a short time longer waiting til you can scavenge the right thing to use.

As far as the dryer, I would think that the quicker you get it to melting temp, the less fuel you will use. From what I gather though, melting temp and pouring temp is a bit different. Pouring temp will be a bit higher.

there is a big difference in melting temp and pouring temp. i use a 1/4 inch steel rod to stir my pot. when its glowing red from being in the pot and the metal feels like stirring water its ready to pour.