Finally got to work on my foundry

[bvd1940]

Well I got the furnace filled with fire brick and home made refractory (Im sure messy):biggrin: It has been drying for about a month and have started on the burner and will post pics for those that are interested. The furnace body is a old water pressure tank scrounged from the well driller.
I am building a Oliver-upwind propane burner from BackyardMetalcasting.com which looks like the simplest to build and operate with the least problems.
I should have taken more pics as I went but was not planning on posting this to the board, did not know if anyone would be interested :thinking:
Well my hand to hand combat trying to upload pics I give up:banghead: I managed to get one pic loaded and found thats all I could upload so I quit:banghead:
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=29380&d=1320811103&thumb=1&stc=1
I think I got one uploaded:biggrin:

Well I got the burner up and runninghew: & like it was stated in the directions you need a flair to run it outside the furnace or flame blows itself out. I have added pics of progress and hopefuly I can get them uploaded:whistle:

How bout that it worked I may yet learn how to use this site
Well back to the furnace as I have to build a lift for the lid and test fire it:thumbzup:
Monday gota go to the Doctor Monday the get my preop meeting taken care of & find out when he whacks on me. Nothing serious but wont be able to lift more than 10 lbs after he gets done for at least 6 weeks:angry: so I will be putz in mode for 6 weeks:nono:

 

[Fishchips]

Not sure what's up with loading the pics? What kind of work will you do with the foundry?

 

[bvd1940]

Not sure what's up with loading the pics? What kind of work will you do with the foundry?

I will be casting aluminum to start, I got the itch to build a shaper as I cant find a small one anywhere around SE Idaho:thinking:
Also it gives me a way of having large pieces of aluminum for machining:biggrin:
Bill in SE Idaho

 

[ScrapMetal]

Interested here as well. I bought, and read, "The Charcoal Foundry" by David Gingery with the intent of getting started in casting. The intent is still there but I've decided I need to get some other projects out of the way before I can start any more.

-Ron

 

[4R8]

There definitely won't be a shortage of interest!

I've been putting old cast alloy parts aside instead of taking them to the scrap yard ready for when i build my own small furnace.
Quite often I think- "This would be way quicker if I could cast it!"

What refractory recipe did you use? I'd like to see what results you get from the burner also. I haven't yet done alot of research but you may be reigniting the interest!

Thanks
Jason

 

[Pacer]

Casting can be a real hoot, and come in real handy sometimes to bail a fellow out of a jam -- That should make a dandy furnace, bvd.

I started out casting using the Gingery series of books back around the early/mid eighties? - in fact, I might say I got started in this hobby thru that group of books, which, to this day, I think Gingerys method of presenting a topic is maybe the best I have ever followed. Add to Gingerys books Lionels very informative web site - http://backyardmetalcasting.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=997cbdf729ff130b8eb367702cf8c296 - and you can get going.
I long ago moved from charcoal heat over to propane and petro-bond sand, making casting much easier.

I built about every thing that Gingery had plans for -- but undoubtedly his little shaper ranks as the most funnest project I've ever done. While I seldom if ever use it, I will occasionally walk by it and turn it on just to watch it "go"

Heres my little shaper and the miller, and his two Atkinson engines, and a little 'hitnmiss' from castings.

 

[bvd1940]

There definitely won't be a shortage of interest!

I've been putting old cast alloy parts aside instead of taking them to the scrap yard ready for when i build my own small furnace.
Quite often I think- "This would be way quicker if I could cast it!"

What refractory recipe did you use? I'd like to see what results you get from the burner also. I haven't yet done alot of research but you may be reigniting the interest!

Thanks
Jason

Well I cant remember where exactly I got the mix from but I think it was back yard metal casting site. The refractory was a mix of Portland cement, pearlite, Bentonite (fire clay), sand and some fire brick I had salvaged from a lumber Klin they were tearing down fer free.
Things are not moving fast at this point as I have to keep wife happy with the honey doos :biggrin:
I should be testing the burnner before this weekend is over:thinking: & I will try to post pics of it running:bitingnails:
Well gota go wife has honey do fer me to do and gota go to ID Falls shopping.:huh:
Bill in SE Idaho

 

[bvd1940]

Casting can be a real hoot, and come in real handy sometimes to bail a fellow out of a jam -- That should make a dandy furnace, bvd.

I started out casting using the Gingery series of books back around the early/mid eighties? - in fact, I might say I got started in this hobby thru that group of books, which, to this day, I think Gingerys method of presenting a topic is maybe the best I have ever followed. Add to Gingerys books Lionels very informative web site - http://backyardmetalcasting.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=997cbdf729ff130b8eb367702cf8c296 - and you can get going.
I long ago moved from charcoal heat over to propane and petro-bond sand, making casting much easier.

I built about every thing that Gingery had plans for -- but undoubtedly his little shaper ranks as the most funnest project I've ever done. While I seldom if ever use it, I will occasionally walk by it and turn it on just to watch it "go"

Heres my little shaper and the miller, and his two Atkinson engines, and a little 'hitnmiss' from castings.

Real nice work on all of them, you wouldn't happen to still have the patterns for the shaper?? If you do would you consider selling/loaning them?:biggrin: I have the equipment to make them but I would rather be casting and machining rather than wood working)
I am envious of your work, hope mine comes out near as good:thinking:.
Bill in SE Idaho

 

[ScrapMetal]

Real nice work on all of them, you wouldn't happen to still have the patterns for the shaper?? If you do would you consider selling/loaning them?:biggrin: I have the equipment to make them but I would rather be casting and machining rather than wood working)
I am envious of your work, hope mine comes out near as good:thinking:.
Bill in SE Idaho

If you're looking for the Gingery "plans" they can be had from amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Shaper-David-Gingery/dp/1878087029 or I also found a website that is a "diary" of sorts that goes through the making of one with "updated" plans included: http://rick.sparber.org/articles/cd/cdm/cd.htm

Hope that helps,

-Ron

 

[Hawkeye]

Nice work. I built mine a few years ago, but haven't used it much. I still have to work out the casting sand. I took a different approach, as you can see.

This is my fire brick foundry just before it's first use. The frame is mostly the stand from an old BBQ. The bricks are clamped in place by angle iron and threaded rods.