Casting Furnace (Devil-Forge FB1S)
| Casting Furnace (Devil-Forge FB1S) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Model | Devil-Forge FB1S |
| Sub-category | Metalworking |
| Status | Good working order |
| Last updated | 17 May 2022 16:32:54 |
| Training requirement | yes |
| ACnode | no |
| Origin | Pledge |
| Location | Cage |
| Maintainers | Toby Molyneux |
A propane-fuelled furnace used for melting metal for casting
This furnace can reach as high a temperature as 1450°C, hot enough to melt aluminium, brass, copper, silver and cast iron. To use it, a clay-graphite crucible is lowered into the chamber and the gas ignited. By careful management of the air-fuel mixture the metal is bought up to melting temperature. Once liquid, the gas supply is shut off, lid opened, and the crucible lifted out and placed on an insulated surface. A teaspoon so of flux is added to bring out impurities which are then scraped off with a drossing spoon. The liquid metal is then poured into the appropriate mould So far we have tried out sand casting (typically with 3D-printed patterns). We are looking to expand to other methods such as lost wax/ lost PLA in the future.
Accessories
Safety
Beyond all the usual workshop safety precautions there are some additional safety concerns specific to casting that should be understood. These will be covered in training but are listed here for reference
- PEE - a full face shield, long sleeves (preferably of non-flammable material) and sturdy footwear are recommended for protection against splashes
- Handling crucibles - these are delicate and must not be rough-handled, dropped or squeezed too hard or they may shatter, with obvious consequences
- Fumes - molten metals can give off potentially dangerous fumes, especially brass which contains zinc. Using the furnace outdoors in the cage is an obvious mitigation but still avoid breathing fumes
Training and Charges
Although a very simple operation in principle, getting good results from metal casting requires a decent amount of knowledge and understanding. Obviously, a large container of molten metal has the potential to be extremely dangerous if the correct precautions are not taken. Therefore
Cost of Operation - The furnace consumes a considerable amount of propane during operation. The ceramic fibre lining of the furnace is also a consumable that must be replaced periodically. Therefore, we ask all users to contribute a fee. For now, we think a fair charge might be £1 per melt - we will assess this charge as we go along and might make adjustments based on how it's going. We hope to introduce an honesty coin box similar to the welding gas fund, but for now just keep track of how much you have used