Adventures in Fire.

Aluminum Foundry Mark 1

For quite some time I have wanted an Aluminum foundry. I am limited by time and resources, but after spending many hours on backyardmetalcasting and random instructibles, I produced my very own ghettofabulous foundry.

###Tips If you too feel a burning desire to melt and cast stuff out of aluminum you may want to keep reading.

• Technically you should line your bucket with refractory to make it last longer. I’m too cheap/lazy.
• Hair driers with the “cool” button taped down make for a cheap and easy bellows/air source but melt a little if your connecting pipe is too short (like mine).
• Soup cans are not a good canidate for crucibles. The internet said I could get away with it, if I only used it once, but the bottom corroded and formed a hole. Buy/make a real crucible.

In conclusion, this is honestly pretty cheap and easy. A bucket, a (metal) pipe, and a hairdrier, is all you need for the main foundry. Scrounge up some charcoal and a crucible and you are good to go!

Oh and of course–be safe. I would recomend:

• Welding gloves
• Cool Goggles
• Tongs