ipernity: Jim O'Neil's photos with the keyword: smelting

crucible lifting tongs

Jim O'Neil

03 Sep 2017

213

Tongs to lift the crucible out of the smelting furnace.

Cruclble pour handle

Jim O'Neil

03 Sep 2017

209

I use this to hold the red hot crucible and pour the molten metal in to the mold.

cast, still molten & smoking

Jim O'Neil

03 Sep 2017

201

This is the sand mold the aluminum poured and still molten.

tools

Jim O'Neil

03 Sep 2017

217

Casting an aluminum statue yesterday,

crucible cooling

Jim O'Neil

03 Sep 2017

201

Melting aluminum requires heating it and the crucible around 1220° F. (660°C.), so things take a while to cool afterwards.

Yesterday's cast

Jim O'Neil

03 Sep 2017

2

3

253

So! This is the result of yesterday's smelting/casting. Cast in sand using the lost foam process.

cast size

Jim O'Neil

03 Sep 2017

210

Around 3 by 5 inches or 8 by 12 cm.

Furnace interior

Jim O'Neil

15 Feb 2016

199

Last week I did my first lost foam aluminum casting using the electric furnace that I built to melt metal. Furnace interior, heating element is a nichrome coil removed from an $13.00 fan heater.

Furnace exterior

Jim O'Neil

15 Feb 2016

200

Last week I did my first lost foam aluminum casting using the electric furnace that I built to melt metal. Furnace (left), temperature controller (right)

1st cast with electric furnace

Jim O'Neil

15 Feb 2016

1

202

Last week I did my first lost foam aluminum casting using the electric furnace that I built to melt metal. Crude lost foam casting, proof of concept.

Amp draw

Jim O'Neil

15 Feb 2016

242

Last week I did my first lost foam aluminum casting using the electric furnace that I built to melt metal. Measuring the amp draw of the heating elements in my furnace. My furnace draws around 12 or 13 amps giving me around 1300 watts and no problem bringing the furnace temperature as high as 1700° F. (927° C.).