Homemade Electric Aluminum Foundry

February 22, 2010 - 6:37 am 12 Comments

Check out my website: http://www.budgiemetalworks.ca
This is the first casting in my homemade aluminum foundry. Approximately 5 lbs of aluminum was poured here which took about 2 hours to melt. The furnace draws 20A on 220VAC.
It was built from plans bought at http://www.dansworkshop.com/
The element was custom made for me at a pottery kiln shop, the body of the furnace is made from firebricks and commercial refractory. The tools for handling the crucible were made by myself. The amperage controller is sitting on the pink foam on the floor, I’ll be enclosing it properly but wanted to try it out first. The crucible was bought from Canadian Thermix, a really nice company to work with. The final furnace took about 6 months to complete, working on it every couple weekends, and I expect to get a lot of use from it.

Duration : 0:4:35


[youtube uYRWu5hpLZo]

12 Responses to “Homemade Electric Aluminum Foundry”

  1. emo4elmo Says:

    theres nothing …
    theres nothing wrong with his safety, infact it seems very safe.

  2. panzuman Says:

    hey um i just …
    hey um i just bought a heater for an oven do you know how i can power this for a foundry ive seen others do it but they are not replying :(

  3. Icehut Says:

    As an engineering …
    As an engineering student, are you not aware that you’re flaunting more basic safety rules than even the filthiest Sarnia whorehouse?

  4. GrungerLuke Says:

    isnt it really …
    isnt it really expencive to use electric furnace? also i hope u kno that alli is very dangrous stuff to work with. i found that one out lol

  5. BudgieMetalworks Says:

    Hi there. I’m not …
    Hi there. I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to. Unlike most homemade aluminum foundries this one is electric, so I don’t need a burner port on the side of the furnace. The electric element heats the crucible evenly with excellent control and approximately the same efficiency as a propane or natural gas foundry.

  6. BudgieMetalworks Says:

    Thank you for the …
    Thank you for the kind complements! I built the inside from high temperature firebrick that I picked up at a local masonry supply store. I cut slots in it using a tile saw then poured a castable refractory around it for insulation and strength. I ordered the electrical element from a local pottery kiln supply store, who made it to my exact specifications for only $28. Thanks for your interest, check out my website for more details!

  7. dddproject Says:

    you should use 2 …
    you should use 2 holes

  8. johnym89 Says:

    very nice Foundry …
    very nice Foundry :) can you perhaps tell me how did you constructed it’s inside?

  9. BudgieMetalworks Says:

    Hi! I got my …
    Hi! I got my crucible from a place in Aurora, Ontario called Canadian Thermix. They were really great to work with and I’d highly recommend them if you’re not too far away. You can google them or I’ve got a link on my website. There’s also Budget Casting Supply which sells all kinds of foundry stuff but I don’t have any experience with them personally. Good luck!

  10. angeleyes1198 Says:

    Hello where can I …
    Hello where can I get I get a 6 lbs crucible from? Can I get a bigger one? I’m a beginner and I’m learning. :-) Great video

  11. BudgieMetalworks Says:

    Hi, thanks for the …
    Hi, thanks for the feedback! YouTube doesn’t let me post my url in the comments, but its actually budgiemetalworks, check the bottom corner of my video. The shank and tongs did turn out really nicely. I’m not selling them right now but they’re really easy to make if you have a decent metal shop including a welder. I’ll post a guide on my website later if you’re interested. Thanks again!

  12. tunnels23 Says:

    very nice looking …
    very nice looking furnace you have.I googled budgiemetalcasting but its not there=(.Plz put it up soon-i wana buy one of those nice pouring shanks mines a peice of ****…

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