Gingerly's set-up is OK for casting aluminum, but it takes awhile to get to temp. When I taught at a vo-tech I built a coal fired casting furnace from an old water heater and eventually plan on a natural gas fired unit here sometime in the future. I also built the copes & drags, a ramming bench out of a 55 gallon drum split vertically then turned horizontally, screen, crucible shank, rammer, spoons, etc.
The are several sites to help the backyard casting enthusiast which also have links to suppliers of small amounts of flux, refractory material, etc. Paxton-Patterson was & I guess still is a supplier, but also very pricey.
Some of the techniques are best described as black arts, so one should pay careful attention. I for one will not cast any structural parts, period. Don't have the non-destructive or destructive testing equipment to determine the strength of a casting.
Also pay attention to your raw materials, especially scrap. Just a drop of liquid can empty a crucible before you know it given the right circumstances. Everything should be pre-heated by placing it on top of the furnace next to the exhaust hole in the lid. Make sure you can ID magnesium and aluminum/mag alloys. Adding either is a great way to set the crucible on fire with a Class D (metal) fire. Don't ask how I know. Aluminum pistons & connecting rods are just about perfect for aluminum casting. Any steel such as piston rings & wrist pins can be removed from the melt prior to the pour.
For reference material the US Navy Foundryman's 3 &2 is excellent. Mine is a reprint from Gingerly so I'm doubtful if its available. However, do a Google search and I'll bet you find a pdf of the document.
And one more thing. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, make pours on concrete. Concrete holds water and will spall sending out shards of concrete. Use a sand bed, or a sacrificial sheet of OSB or plywood. PPE is also a big deal. Aluminum @ 1250 + F leaves a mark and it can be a big one. I wore asbestos when I was casting, neck to toes. Probably need to substitute heavy welding leathers, or such. Foundryman's boots are designed to kick off easily if they are spilled on. They're also expensive, so I always wore Red Wing chrome leather welding boots and paid lots of attention to just what the he!! I was doing.
I enjoyed casting and really hope to do so again.
BTW, nice job on bringing back the equipment.
The are several sites to help the backyard casting enthusiast which also have links to suppliers of small amounts of flux, refractory material, etc. Paxton-Patterson was & I guess still is a supplier, but also very pricey.
Some of the techniques are best described as black arts, so one should pay careful attention. I for one will not cast any structural parts, period. Don't have the non-destructive or destructive testing equipment to determine the strength of a casting.
Also pay attention to your raw materials, especially scrap. Just a drop of liquid can empty a crucible before you know it given the right circumstances. Everything should be pre-heated by placing it on top of the furnace next to the exhaust hole in the lid. Make sure you can ID magnesium and aluminum/mag alloys. Adding either is a great way to set the crucible on fire with a Class D (metal) fire. Don't ask how I know. Aluminum pistons & connecting rods are just about perfect for aluminum casting. Any steel such as piston rings & wrist pins can be removed from the melt prior to the pour.
For reference material the US Navy Foundryman's 3 &2 is excellent. Mine is a reprint from Gingerly so I'm doubtful if its available. However, do a Google search and I'll bet you find a pdf of the document.
And one more thing. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, make pours on concrete. Concrete holds water and will spall sending out shards of concrete. Use a sand bed, or a sacrificial sheet of OSB or plywood. PPE is also a big deal. Aluminum @ 1250 + F leaves a mark and it can be a big one. I wore asbestos when I was casting, neck to toes. Probably need to substitute heavy welding leathers, or such. Foundryman's boots are designed to kick off easily if they are spilled on. They're also expensive, so I always wore Red Wing chrome leather welding boots and paid lots of attention to just what the he!! I was doing.
I enjoyed casting and really hope to do so again.
BTW, nice job on bringing back the equipment.