gas torch for a swap n go? Goto page Previous1, 2, 3
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miles&Jules Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 3973
Location: ipswich QLD
Nice find there Nick... i know we have a couple of dead ones around here somewhere.
This pile of lathe chips shouldn't take long to melt.
@Sean
Yeah will be interesting to see how tough the different grades will be....I still reckon a weak grade of ali will be tougher than a hdpe..so would be good for motor mounts etc. I wonder if there is stuff you can mix in to make it stronger? _________________ Miles Blow - Julie Pitts
www.mulesfilm.com.au www.wombokforest.com.au
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Tue Jan 01, 2013 2:57 pm
Valen Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Posts: 4436
Location: Sydney
Cans also (generally) have an epoxy coating on the inside, so it might dump a bunch more carbon (and who knows what else) into the mix too. _________________ Mechanical engineers build weapons, civil engineers build targets
Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:02 am
miles&Jules Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 3973
Location: ipswich QLD
The other thing that sucks about cans, is they are very light weight....24cans is like 30grams of ali. _________________ Miles Blow - Julie Pitts
www.mulesfilm.com.au www.wombokforest.com.au
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Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:15 am
miles&Jules Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 3973
Location: ipswich QLD
Damn...my crucible sprung a leak today...I need to make one with 3-4mm steel.
I timed it today....my furnace thingy takes an hour to get about a litre of molten ali ready to pour.
Pity there is a pool of ali in the bottom of the furnace...hopefully it will just peel out once its cooled down.
The lathe chip mix seems to make a heap of ash that sits on top of the brew....better off melting large chunks of cast ali and less smoke and fumes to. _________________ Miles Blow - Julie Pitts
www.mulesfilm.com.au www.wombokforest.com.au
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Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:16 pm
Nick Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
What is the crucible made from? After a bit of research, I found that many people use a length of steel pipe with a plate welded over one end; it makes a strong and stable crucible. never use galvanized steel, the fumes from the zinc coating are poisonous.
I can post more details after my book on backyard smelting arrives - apparently making a clay crucible reduces the melting time considerably; that's counter-intuitive for me but mentioned many times on-line.
Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:29 pm
miles&Jules Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 3973
Location: ipswich QLD
that book should be a win....yeah porcelain seems popular but you would need a handle or something to lift it in and out..
yeah I have some steel square box section that will probably do the trick no round unfortunately.
I was using the bottom of a map gas bottle. Its probably only0.8 mm thick.
The local gold mine (read: tourist attraction) does gold pouring demos, they use a gas furnace and a ceramic/porcelain crucible. They use tongs to lift it out of the furnace and do the pour. _________________ https://www.halfdonethings.com/
Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:15 pm
miles&Jules Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 3973
Location: ipswich QLD
The thing that worries me about clay is ....Would it crack as you moved it from the oven to pure the metal.....I know you cant take freshly fired clay from a kiln without it falling to bits on contact with the cold air _________________ Miles Blow - Julie Pitts
www.mulesfilm.com.au www.wombokforest.com.au
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Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:47 am
Nick Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
It has to be a special type of clay that can take the heat, that's why commercial ones are rather expensive.
Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:17 pm
miles&Jules Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 3973
Location: ipswich QLD
Haggerty's in ip sell 88mm x 4mmx 1000mm steel round tube for $17 ...we will get some of that and weld a flat base on it. I'll cut it to about 300mm that should do the trick for our new crucible. _________________ Miles Blow - Julie Pitts
www.mulesfilm.com.au www.wombokforest.com.au
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Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:13 pm
maddox
Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 786
Location: Belgium
Now we're talking melting and pouring metal. I'm working on a vacuĆ¼m casting bench and assorted tools. (the bench itself is almost finished)
One of the things I don't have a clue about is an induction furnace. Anybody here who does?
Sun Jan 06, 2013 6:40 pm
Nick Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
No, I would like one for tempering steel! Search the Instructables site - there were several designs for small induction heaters over there, although they all looked a bit dodgy to me.
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