[SEL] Casting parts in aluminum.

[rdhaskell at juno.com]

Hi Tom.  Anything is possible.  We have poured aluminum while camping in
the desert.  Melted aluminum cans in a coffee can over an open fire. 
Poured the aluminum in a mold we made in the sand.
You can make an electric furnace out of insulating fire bricks, and for
the heating element use the wire out of an electric oven.  My first years
of teaching the metal shop teacher had a furnace like that.  Pulled the
heating wire out of old electric ovens.  Rewound it around a 3/8" wooden
dowel in a lathe, cut a serpentine groove in the fire brick with a
router.  Tuck the wire in the groove and hold in place with short pieces
of wire pressed into the fire brick.  Adjusted the length to work on
110v, and plugged it into the wall.  At first he melted in a cast iron
fry pan, but if you don't watch the temperature the pan will sag.
Probably the best sand to use for the beginner is Petrobond, an oil based
sand.

Ron Haskell
rdhaskell at juno.com
Riverside, California
USA
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumList?u=3009370&f=0

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 18:02:25 -0600 "Tom Dunlap" <tdunlap at satx.rr.com>
writes:
> I was wondering if its feasible to cast aluminum parts yourself at 
> home.