| The Shop > Metal Stuff |
| Melting Aluminium |
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| NormanV:
I bought a load of aluminium from a scrap yard, a mixture of engine parts and wheels. The engine parts were easy to cut up with an angle grinder into sizes that would fit my crucible. The wheels were more of a problem. I know that I could heat them enough to make them brittle and break them with a hammer but I have never found that to be very convenient. Instead I obtained an oil drum, dished the bottom and made a hole in the centre. I set it up on some bricks and built a wood fire in it. Once it was burning nicely I dropped the wheels in with more wood between them and on top. After a while molten aluminium was dripping out of the hole. I placed my ingot mould underneath and after about a hour the 4 wheels were reduced down to a pile of ingots plus a few runs were I overfilled the moulds. All in all, a good couple of hours work and it kept me warm! |
| DavidA:
Good idea. I'll use that one. By the way, did you have any problem with the flooding ? Dave. |
| NormanV:
No problem with the floods, even though at one point the police said we should evacuate the house but then the danger passed. Thanks for asking. |
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