Everything you need to cast ingots

Just like the title says, this video goes over everything you need to start melting metal and casting ingots.
K-type thermocouple
www.amazon.com...
Thermometer
www.amazon.com...
Crucible
www.amazon.com...
Visit me on Instagram at / realswdweeb
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I get asked about the moisture content of my sand. I have settled on a ratio of about 2 liters of sand and 36-42ish ml of water for my ratio. I start with sand that is dry.
#beablessing #metalcasting #notcovidrelated

[@bigstackD]

Mmmm Ingots🤤. You forgot to put beer on the need list🤔👌🏻🍻

[@swdweeb]

😂 that’s because I’m addicted to Diet Coke

[@richardmclean7973]

Try Pepsi Max dude it's Boss!!

[@swdweeb]

@@richardmclean7973 Can't do it.

[@mountaindewdude76]

I don't drink alcohol very much but I have a fridge full of water and Mt Dew

[@marcsenteney3160]

Great information here sir! But not to play the criticism card here..... Safety equipment should be listed as #1! Both personal and emergency equipment. Safety is no accident. Thank you as always for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

[@swdweeb]

Ladies and gentlemen, OSHA-man has arrived 😄😄 You're right of course but couldn't come right out and acknowledge my short-coming

[@marcsenteney3160]

I am sorry sir I truly did not mean any disrespect. I appreciate all you share with us and enjoy everything you share!

[@swdweeb]

@@marcsenteney3160 Marc, absolutely no disrespect taken. You're correct, safety is not an accident.

[@ArtByAdrock]

As BigD said you definitely forgot to put beer on the list 🤣 I’m surprised you didn’t mention anything about safety equipment. For any beginner I think that might be the most important. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@swdweeb]

I figured they get enough safety tips from your vids 🤣🤣

[@ArtByAdrock]

@@swdweeb haha well clearly shorts and a t-shirt is the way to go! Flip flops are an added bonus 👍🏻

[@bigstackD]

@@ArtByAdrock Safety tips coming from Adrock that’s rich🤣

[@ArtByAdrock]

@@bigstackD haha you know me, I’m all about practicing safety. I wear gloves 🧤 👍🏻

[@bigstackD]

@@ArtByAdrock I’m surprise people don’t talk more about your smelting accident that caused you to not be able to grow hair any more🤔

[@raydirkin9107]

Perry you're as bad as me about getting sidetracked 🤣 I remember you started this channel for restoration of your mustang but have to say I've really enjoyed watching and learning with you in this adventure in metal casting and really admire the way you are passing good knowledge of what we have learned along the way, you're natural teacher.

[@swdweeb]

Thank you Ray... actually I started it years and years ago to show some remodeling projects I had done on some rental properties. Then it was blacksmithing then it was the car 😂😂

[@dutchman6644]

I have discovered silicon carbide graphite crucibles and highly recommend them. They are very clean. I love your videos. I have learned a lot. Thank you.

[@swdweeb]

You're the second person that recommended them so far. I'll have to check into them.

[@TroyeWelch]

SiC are great for aluminum. I don’t recommend them for iron, and since I do a lot of iron, they are generally out for me. I do have a big B90 that Zi sometimes pour with that’s SiC, but mostly the Morgan Salamander Supers.

[@korlashgaming8313]

I've learned alot from bigstackd and Adrock and after diging threw your videos the past few days I've learned alot more. Thank you guys so much for the work you do and the videos you upload.

[@swdweeb]

Thanks for letting me know 😄

[@Handle_number_7]

Steel (along with other metals) are soluble to molten aluminum. Thank you for stressing the need for non metallic crucibles. I don't hear other channels talk about that often enough. The last thing we want, is molten aluminum suddenly free to harm us. While certain grades of Stainless steel are safe (I've heard), I still prefer Clay graphite or Silicon Carbide crucibles.

[@swdweeb]

I've seen too many steel "crucibles" that are eaten away by a combination of the aluminum inside and the flame on the steel. You're right, we don't want a crucible failure, especially outside the furnace.

[@TroyeWelch]

Thank you! Amen!

[@tobhomott]

Stainless steel will dissolve in molten aluminum just as readily as mild steel, but it is a lot harder to give stainless a coating of protective black oxide, a halfway decent protective barrier. So it can actually wear out much faster. If you MUST use a steel crucible (and like melting pop cans, some people just have to try it no matter what anyone tells them), use heavy walled mild steel pipe (not a soup can), and let it get a little rusty. Then heat it to red hot in your furnace and let it cool back down before you use it for melting. The red rust will convert to black, and then it should hold up for aluminum casting duty for a long time. Unless you run your burner more than just a little oxidizing and burn a hole in it from the outside! I have found that to be a MUCH easier way for a casting newbie who is still learning about burner tuning to hole out a steel crucible than letting the Al eat through it from the inside. Give steel ingot molds a black oxide layer too, it isolates the Al from the steel and also acts as a non-stick coating for copper alloys that may otherwise braze into the (always preheated) steel mold. Oxidized steel crucibles will still contaminate your Al, just much slower, so if you remelt a lot this may eventually impact casting quality. Definiely not a best practice. Additionally kiln wash can be applied for additional protection. Clay graphite crucibles are cheap though. Best to listen to Perry and bite the bullet, pay a reputable supplier for the real deal. Don't even think about steel crucibles for copper alloys, at those temps steel will fold up like a soggy waffle! Also, you need suitable PPE. Personally I would rather melt ingots in order to make actual castings, but if KZbin is any indication making ingots is becoming a popular hobby in its own right.

[@swdweeb]

@@tobhomott I'm with you on "I would rather melt ingots in order to make actual castings" but you're right, YT is replete with ingot casting videos. I guess from a "watcher" point of view they are appealing. From a "maker" point of view, they're kinda like a necessary evil. Gotta make them so you can make some thing else :-D

[@swdweeb]

@@TroyeWelch I spent a little time looking around your facebook group last night. (I don't do facebook, probably a huge reason I had never done that before) now I understand your "Amen". The group has some good stuff on it. I did enjoy looking through your FAQ

[@smashitncastit3941]

Totally agree with you on grabbing a graphite/clay crucible with plyers, its just asking for trouble. Another great video!

[@swdweeb]

Thanks 👍

[@fenix31407]

I’ll have to agree with BigD as well, beeeeeerrrrr. Thank you Big D for introducing your friend. Thank you for your work

[@swdweeb]

Thanks for letting me know BigD sent you and welcome :-D

[@CraigLYoung]

The best thing about pouring round ingots is you can always use them for turning projects, easy storage, and as base metal for future pours. Merry Christmas my friend!

[@swdweeb]

True enough Craig. I don't have a lathe so I never think about turning stuff :-( Merry Christmas to you too

[@richardmclean7973]

I was told that they cast ingots in ingot shape for transportation. Daft it has to be cylindrical shape that makes the base model more manufacturing friendly..

[@swdweeb]

@@richardmclean7973 I can attest to the fact that my ingot-shaped ingots do stack rather nicely

[@bobapthorpe]

Thanks for covering this; it's very close to what I'm doing. I finally started pouring ingots and am up to about 1kg of aluminum from cans. It's not ideal but I knew that going in; finding a decent source of scrap recently has been difficult. My furnace is a disposable party helium tank lined with 2" of 2800K Kaowool and a thin coating of Satanite and fired with a MIG tip naturally aspirated burner through a 30 psi propane regulator. I'm lucky enough to have a ceramics supplier in town so I was able to get bentonite powder and clean sieved silica sand for making green sand though I'm not sure how good it is without having a muller. The biggest issue recently has been trying to scrounge a welder to make tongs and pouring tools. I've been pouring ingots into open-face sand molds which leaves the surface sandier than I expected; my guess is poor mulling of the green sand. You have to start somewhere...

[@swdweeb]

For what it's worth, I don't have a muller either and my greensand is made from the same thing, screened silica sand and bentonite. I'm really happy with what I have. Keep using it, they say it gets better over time. I bound my sand and bentonite by hand mixing the dry ingredients and then flooding that mix with water. I stirred it again while flooded and then dumped it our on the driveway to let it dry.

[@mountaindewdude76]

Thanks for this video! I'm a new melter....just got my furnace and now I'm working on getting necessary PPE and I've been taking notes on different peoples tongs. I do like the seriousness of your lifting tongs. Yes, they are probably overkill and heavy but I like them. Your furnace looks amazing, too! It's very similar to the furnace that Ingot Joe has. Thank again for your video!

[@swdweeb]

I hope you take PPE more seriously than I do. It is dangerous stuff and accidents can happen. It'd be a real shame to get burned when you don't have to.

[@RustyGlovebox]

Thanks for all the info. I'm looking forward to getting started. I have some of the items already and working on getting the rest.

[@swdweeb]

Don't be like me and have the metal melting in the crucible and then realizing you forgot to make a tool 😄😄

[@Mistertbones]

Very nice how-to on making ingots.

[@swdweeb]

thanks

[@joell439]

You mean there’s something this awesome channel IS about? 🤣😂🤣 Everything the swdweeb produces is interesting and relevant 👍😎👍

[@swdweeb]

😄😄 I don't really know how to reply to that. Yes, of course there is something this channel is about, its about the ramblings of an old man 😄

[@richardmclean7973]

Hi Perry for me best video yet. Nice to list what's required. Made me laugh when you said you don't often get to see me light my furnace..Dude it was spotless...cracking video !

[@swdweeb]

Richard, not sure what to think of your comment. So you'd rather see zero-skill ingot casting over casting anything else??

[@richardmclean7973]

Sorry did not want to offend. No I love the way your teaching me to cast correctly. Learning from every video. Again sorry!!!

[@richardmclean7973]

But I do love everything the internet has to offer bigstacked, artbyadrock and your self ..

[@richardmclean7973]

You're all so different it's awesome!!!!!😖

[@swdweeb]

@@richardmclean7973 No offense taken bud, I was just confused.

[@chrismaille3478]

I always enjoy watching your videos. I am thinking about starting this hobby down the road and I have learned alot from this channel. The explanations are thorough and the demonstrations are inspiring, such that it makes me think I can get results as good also. Keep on making the excellent content.

[@swdweeb]

Thanks Chris, There is no reason why you can't get the same results. For me a lot of the craft is definitely learned by doing but some can be learned by following.

[@docholiday2538]

Great video, seems almost custom made for me lol since I'm working on getting everything I need to get started!

[@swdweeb]

Good luck!

[@Thewulf56]

Another great video Perry. Merry Christmas

[@swdweeb]

Thanks Merry Christmas!

[@RockingJOffroad]

Perry, I have heard that junk cast aluminum is a great source of casting metal, it is the correct alloy for casting!

[@swdweeb]

I've heard the same thing. Except that I've heard that things like cast aluminum wheels may not be a good alloy for sand casting so I don't think the rule is had and fast.

[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

All good tips... thanks for sharing...

[@swdweeb]

My pleasure!

[@tweek9980]

Think I just fell in love with that shank and its not from a prison,hahaha. The lifting tongs that came with my devil forge are just too small and hated them from the moment I seen them. Time to upgrade.

[@swdweeb]

Yeah it’d be tough to make from toothbrushes 😄. I’m pretty happy with it. I wish i was better at making the loop

[@SpiceeMustard]

I concur with AdRock and BigD...beer (and sometimes wine) definitely goes on the NEED list! Gotta stay hydrated and "relaxed". Funny thing is I actually made a shank for my pours and didn't know that was even a thing. It just made sense.

[@swdweeb]

I don't drink anything stronger than Diet Coke. Probably why I still have all my fingers and toes and no ink 🤣

[@W4ABN]

@@swdweebI kinda expected the beer comments but I don't drink myself so I like the diet coke reply. I'd probably do something similar, or just good ol water. Thanks for the list. Good info if I were to ever start this melting hobby.

[@swdweeb]

@@W4ABN Quite honestly if all I were doing was melting, I'd get bored with it real quick. I like the other aspects like designing the part, getting the mold made, seeing the finished product much more than simply melting metal.

[@W4ABN]

@@swdweeb understandable. I've been working on learning a couple programs for making parts. I'm not interested so much in ingots but in sand casting stuff.

[@honthirty_]

I get a chuckle out of the "Beer!" crowd vs. the "Safety!" crowd. Read the video description now, Thx.

[@johnmccanntruth]

Nice list! 👍

[@swdweeb]

Thanks John

[@jackburton6085]

Hey there, first off, thanks for all the how-to videos, I just got my furnace and my son and I are collecting other “needs” and “wants” before we get started. Quick question: is a thermometer with a thermocouple better than a handheld/wireless (I think infrared?) sensor? Thanks! ✌️❤️

[@swdweeb]

I started with a handheld infrared thermometer. There are multiple problems them. I think this is common to all of them, the melted metal is reflective and as a result the infrared doesn't accurately reflect the temperature. Second, and this may be just mine, they don't measure temps hot enough. Mine is useless if I'm melting anything hotter than aluminum. (well I think its useless for aluminum too but that's the first point 😄) If you ever see a foundry measuring the temperature, they do it with a thermocouple. Check the description, you can see the thermocouple and thermometer I bought, they're not that expensive.

[@elitriplett103]

Great video!!! BigStackD sent me

[@swdweeb]

Thanks for watching and letting me know BigStack sent you 😄

[@silverlicious2086]

Very good video on the basics. Although I don't have the time to get into this hobby, I like watching the creative process and seeing the finished product. Appreciate you doing this for the entry level people. I saw your big Alum bar for casting material, but do you ever go scavenge for material?

[@swdweeb]

I don’t scavenge for metal anymore. People bring me some stuff like the horseshoes but I’ve pretty much stopped melting scrap

[@massimilianoilardi3571]

Yes

[@swdweeb]

Glad you liked it

[@adamforrest2463]

Thanks for information,would aluminium cans be good for a beginner ?

[@swdweeb]

Aluminum cans are where most people start simply because of their availability to most people. They are ok but just know that it takes a lot of cans to create a reasonable amount of aluminum for casting. There is a lot of dross associated with cans. They have a plastic lining that gets burned off in the melt. You'll find that half your crucible gets filled with dross that you have to continually clean out as your melting. A better choice, but harder to find and harder to get in a crucible is castings from things like auto parts. There is more aluminum in them so your yield is much better.

[@SilverScorpion]

How do you shine the ingot to a mirror finish?

[@swdweeb]

I don't. Ingots are for melting, not admiring 😄 Sand them with a really fin grit sand paper (800 or above) and then use a buffing wheel

[@pedgarage]

Hi Perry, do you use de-gasser o anti-impurity/dross products?

[@swdweeb]

I don't. Most of the stuff, like lite-salt and borax isn't effective. Bubbling inert gas, like argon, is supposed to help float oxides to the top but I don't have any argon 😄

[@alokpandey9532]

Hi sir, thank you. Please talk about mould size and capacity if you get time.

[@swdweeb]

??? Are you talking about this? kzbin.info/www/bejne/m36oo62gnq5_Zrc or something else?

[@alokpandey9532]

@@swdweeb this is great. Thank you.

[@swdweeb]

You’re welcome

[@Cmuron]

Ingots are fun to start pouring...

[@swdweeb]

I'd rather pour something in a mold but there is a certain satisfaction to making ingots. Always nice to have them on hand when I want to make something

[@silvrnblck6]

What brick are you using to place the hot crucible on?

[@swdweeb]

www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/us-stove-single-firebrick?cm_vc=-10005

[@samiam7]

Excellent video!

[@swdweeb]

Glad you liked it!

[@Korvash1]

Some fireclay bricks ... and maybe some ice or water if something gets wrong :) ... thank you for the video :)

[@swdweeb]

Is that so I can let the ingot melt through the ice and drop the fire brick on it? 😄😄

[@sparkiekosten5902]

You misses something to put the crucible on to change tools. Putting it directly on concrete can cause an explosion? of concrete?

[@swdweeb]

True enough. I set my crucible on a firebrick. But, my concrete is so dry that even when metal has spilled directly on it nothing has happened.

[@steveinman6842]

Ive been thinking of taking a page from the book of a local foundry and using aluminum rims for my stock.

[@swdweeb]

I’ve melted wheels. They’re kinda a pain to cut up

[@steveinman6842]

@@swdweeb that was my thought, but i got access to a plasma cutter and metal bandsaw

[@swdweeb]

I don’t know what a plasma cutter will do to aluminum but the bandsaw will make it easier

[@ResidentialRepairs]

Great video bigstack sent me

[@swdweeb]

Thanks for coming by and letting me know that bigstackd sent you

[@samiam7]

What are your thoughts on melting brass and copper? Same list as in the video?

[@swdweeb]

I saw this comment come up up my phone and it only showed the first sentence. I thought, why are you wanting to melt copper and brass together? 😄😄 Yes, same items as the video, except I helps if your ingot mold is a little rusty. If it's shiny clean, the copper has this overwhelming desire to fuse with the steel. If that happens, you're hosed. Getting them apart is impossible

[@samiam7]

@@swdweeb wait, I thought you can make bronze-ish with copper, brass and aluminium

[@swdweeb]

You can certainly make bronze with copper and aluminum. I don’t know what you get when you add brass which is copper and zinc

[@samiam7]

@@swdweeb well there we go. I have a truck toolbox full of scrap brass and copper. I just need to get your list of stuff together so I can make ingots, for storage, then make cool stuff. This video is very helpful, nice work 👍

[@dale9896]

Hey bud great video. I liked your point about the temp gauge, could you please tell the brand/type of yours so I can try and pick up one here in Australia? Thanks Dale 🇦🇺

[@swdweeb]

Hi Dale, the thermometer and thermocouple are in the description. They're US Amazon so you might have to do some searching. I keep thinking I should do a video the mods I made so I don't have to stick my hand down inside the furnace to check the temp 😄

[@dale9896]

Hi Perry sorry about bothering you with that question, to be totally honest I looked everywhere but description. Lol I hate it when people do that 😂

[@swdweeb]

@@dale9896 No sweat, I'm just glad I had already written it down and didn't have to try and find it because I had forgotten to do it beforehand 😄

[@ohthecaptain]

BigD says I need beer and dogs too

[@swdweeb]

Well he would know, since that's pretty much all that he pours 😄😄 He's a good man.

[@ericevans9782]

Gas! Nobody has mentioned gas. I am only short of a bottle and a bigger ingot mold before I can start.

[@swdweeb]

You're right, I'll delete the video. 😄

[@anotherblock7742]

you doing some sort of makers challenge this year?

[@swdweeb]

I hadn't really thought about it. If something interesting comes to mind, I'm game.

[@anotherblock7742]

@@swdweeb ​ok let me know its up to you I don't have the followers to start something fun like that and sorry about the multiple comments my pc had a seizure during your video

[@swdweeb]

@@anotherblock7742 No sweat, I just deleted the extra comments. I'll keep the makers thing in mind, maybe this Spring

[@julianferia3058]

Hey great video, very informative. Just gathering my list together also. Bigstack sent me. Im gonna go and check out more of your vids. Thanks

[@swdweeb]

Thanks Julian and thanks for letting me know that bigstackd sent you.

[@airshipguys]

What? You melted horseshoes? You were supposed to CAST horseshoes. Other than that obvious oversight, great video!

[@swdweeb]

Doh... I keep getting that concept mixed up. I guess it's about time I tried to melt copper in the new furnace. A little scared about that. What if it doesnt work?

[@massimilianoilardi3571]

Ciao mi mandi il primo video

[@swdweeb]

??? You want the first video???

[@Preso58]

Hmmm; my want list is about fifty times longer than yours.

[@swdweeb]

Ha, I get that. I want 10-20 aluminum flasks of various sizes, but I didnt figure it fit on that list 😄

[@bethebank7049]

G'day mate, Just subscribed, Bigstackd suggested I check you out in his email after I bought a Devil Forge using his discount code...looking forward to using it.

[@swdweeb]

Thanks for letting me know. He's a good guy. Enjoy your melting 😄