r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	FidgetTheMidget
Comment	You can make a charcoal fired flowerpot furnace that can melt aluminium really easy. Two metal plant pots one bigger than the other. One goes on the outside and one will be the inside of your furnace. You fill the gap between with a mix of refractory cement and pearlite. You need a through hole in the side about 40mm diameter. Leave the cement and pearlite mix a few days to properly cure. When ready to use, take some real wood charcoal and pack it around the side of your crucible. Light the charcoal with a BBQ lighter then with a hot air heat gun, blow heat into the furnace from the side hole. Aluminium will melt at 660 centigrade, especially if you partially cover the top with a small slab or brick. All of those components are available from B&Q. I doubt this could get up to 930 centigrade to melt brass. This little charcoal flower pot furnace is surprisingly capable. Don't try to make your own greensand at this stage, just by some Petrobond online. If you are worried about setting fire to your garden, that should be the least of your worries. This is such a dangerous endeavour that you really could give yourself or others life changing injuries. Any moisture in your mould could cause a violent expansion of molten metal all over your face and eyes. It will happen so quick dodging out of the way is not an option. I used to work with an old fella who worked at the Carronshore foundry in Falkirk. He told me that the foundrymen hated working with aluminium because it will stick to you, where as iron rolls off. Not trying to be negative I just want you to be crystal clear on how dangerous this is. Also full face shield, suede apron, gauntlets, arm leg and boot covers.
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/mt1xzk/where_would_i_be_able_to_buy_a_metal_furnace/guydbik/
Created	Sun 18th Apr 2021 10:58am
Status	normal ()

You can make a charcoal fired flowerpot furnace that can melt aluminium really easy. Two metal plant pots one bigger than the other. One goes on the outside and one will be the inside of your furnace. You fill the gap between with a mix of refractory cement and pearlite. You need a through hole in the side about 40mm diameter. Leave the cement and pearlite mix a few days to properly cure. When ready to use, take some real wood charcoal and pack it around the side of your crucible. Light the charcoal with a BBQ lighter then with a hot air heat gun, blow heat into the furnace from the side hole. Aluminium will melt at 660 centigrade, especially if you partially cover the top with a small slab or brick. All of those components are available from B&Q. I doubt this could get up to 930 centigrade to melt brass.
This little charcoal flower pot furnace is surprisingly capable. Don't try to make your own greensand at this stage, just by some Petrobond online.
If you are worried about setting fire to your garden, that should be the least of your worries. This is such a dangerous endeavour that you really could give yourself or others life changing injuries. Any moisture in your mould could cause a violent expansion of molten metal all over your face and eyes. It will happen so quick dodging out of the way is not an option.
I used to work with an old fella who worked at the Carronshore foundry in Falkirk. He told me that the foundrymen hated working with aluminium because it will stick to you, where as iron rolls off. Not trying to be negative I just want you to be crystal clear on how dangerous this is. Also full face shield, suede apron, gauntlets, arm leg and boot covers.