Wheelium Ingots

I melted down 3/4 of an Alloy Wheel to make ingots. They are much easier to deal with later when I want to focus on making something, rather than focus of getting the odd shaped aluminium bits to melt into the crucible.

I think my furnace is a little small, but it will do, I can easily get 3 of these from one melt, 4 would be brim full.

You need plenty of charcoal, and it burns fast. By the end of this melt, the furnace was pretty choked with ash. That did not help things.

When it's running right, it's HOT.

Wheelium Ingots

A broken aluminium wheel is a castable, machinable alloy, chop it, melt it, and pour some ingots.

It's an easy pour, so you get to make sure all the tools and set-up works, and ingots are easier to handle later when you are casting something more interesting.

Cook the mould over the furnace to make sure there is no water in it,  unless you think this is fun !

First you need some tools

A pouring shank, to pour the metal. With a locking bar to avoid the crucible falling out.



A set of lifting tongs to hold the crucible, gently but firmly as you lift it out of the furnace.



A casting flask, and a simple pair of tongs for moving hot things, or feeding the stock into the crucible.
A furnace to melt it in.

The furnace is almost straight out of Gingery's book. Sand and Fire clay for the lining. The lid is fire-cement and Perlite. It was easier to get it to stay together. The Fire clay and sand was quite fragile for a lid.