How to make an ELECTRIC Furnace (Foundry) for metal casting Part 3 by VOGMAN

[@909sickle]

"ask a competent friend or a professional" I have a feeling if you're building a motorized electric foundry in your own house, you're probably the competent friend.

[@shadowtheimpure]

...he has a point.

[@revb0]

This is by far the best home built foundry project I have seen. Well done.

[@vogman]

Many thanks 😁

[@bigoldgrizzly]

You have an superb talent for explaining everything. Thank you for your kindness in sharing this with everyone. Diametrically opposed to the videos produced by youtube channel 'Oil Burner' . While I enjoy the entertainment he provides, in the same way I'd watch a trapeze artist operating without a net, I sincerely hope folks here do not try to replicate his 'experiments'. It is far wiser to get sound and safe advice from your videos.

[@vogman]

Thank you so much!

[@jeremydemarco8697]

That's the part i was looking for, electric wiring diagram.. Excellent job !! You make save a lot of money and time !!!

[@ElementalMaker]

Man what a beautifully designed foundry! I just watched all three parts and am absolutely blown away!

[@vogman]

That's very kind. Thanks : )

[@devers6]

You have a distinctive presentation style that I am finding very compelling. If I had to describe it, it would be like having a magazine article read to me (and to these American ears the accent brings a touch of the exotic), with the sparse and still images replaced with well-shot video, relevant animations, and graphics reminiscent of a riveting PowerPoint presentation. Even your thumbnails are polished and well-produced. It really works, and has earned my subscription and my total respect.

[@vogman]

Your kind comments reached me on a day when I was feeling a little low. I can't tell you how appreciated they were. THANKS : )

[@ربيعالعموري-ق2ض]

Me to thanx so much

[@parjacpar3077]

Got to be the best video series ive watched in a long time as everything is explained

[@madhusudhanaraja]

Thank you very much for sharing the videos Part 1 to 3 that makes it complete. This not only gives us an idea of making a miniature foundry but also cautions us of all types of accidents possible and their respective preventions too. Wonderful - enjoyed it and wish to have more similar small projects from you.

[@elvinhaak]

Nice project. I'd add something like a big pinblocker below the top-system to make sure it is up when you take something out.

[@alex_al54_tk]

Content 0:24 - *Safety First* 0:28 - *PID* 3:19 - *Wires* 4:22 - *Wiring Sequence* 4:36 - *Control Box* 8:02 - *Important Safety Issues*

[@shaddec55]

I'll most likely never build a foundry, but I enjoyed watching all three videos! I found your project very intelligently designed and deftly executed. Brilliant! I will definitely watch more of your builds! Keep 'em comin'...

[@vogman]

That's very kind. Thanks : )

[@Pete.G]

This series was a really cool random suggestion that youtube made for me and I'm glad it did! What an outstanding job putting these videos together, you've got yourself another subscriber :-)

[@vogman]

That's great Pete. I'm glad to have you here : )

[@WhiteDieselShed]

Watched these so many times, trying to figure out what works for me. Slightly larger with the lid appears to be better for me. But i love the "brief" cover on pulleys. Enough information to take me from know nothing to expert on pulleys. :) Given up trying to make my own bricks from internet mixes of sand or perlite etc. etc. Trying to source bricks whilst in lockdown is not easy it seems. Postage costs as much as the bricks. Thanks for the build. Drawn into your 3D printing stuff also, hada CTC for many years and recently bought the Elegeoo Mars.

[@vogman]

Glad you liked it : )

[@WhiteDieselShed]

Bricks arrived. :) Did you find anything about kiln size and wattage ratings? I have a 16A cooker outlet but thats extra cable length compared to a 13A supply. Could i add an extra layer in height with just 2500watts or less or would i need that 16A supply? Any ideas? Thanks again.

[@pedrogiesbrecht342]

Hello Geoff, thanks for sharing the build videos on the electric oven foundry! Very informative! The lifting feature is a very neat idea! Could have used that many years ago.

[@vogman]

Thanks Pedro : )

[@Karateka95]

Hey Geoff. This was an awesome series of videos that I watched all the way through. I hate it when people post a video about an interesting project but then miss out or gloss over critical details. Not so here, you explain everything in a clear, concise and enjoyable manner. Plus all the supporting videos explaining useful techniques etc! THANKYOU. You've got a new sub.

[@vogman]

Thanks Paul. It's great to have you here. You ever need any help with that project, drop me a line : )

[@Karateka95]

@@vogman Hey! Thanks very much. I may just take you up on that. I actually want to make a heat treating oven for knifemaking, not a foundry, but the two are very similar!

[@vogman]

Very similar. And you wouldn't need a hoist which would simplify things and reduce costs. Look around my channel... I'm fairly active. I try to help everyone where I can : )

[@Karateka95]

Exactly. And i have already been looking around your channel and picked up a load of good tips. I am gonna use your method for making kanthal coils and your tips about cutting fire bricks are gonna come in handy! It's really good of you to give yout time to help out other people with their projects.

[@shardperson3777]

This continues to be the best foundry building tutorial i've seen, but i'll definitely need a friend to help me figure out what 24v transformer to buy and how to set that up. I also couldn't find any thermocouple that went higher than 1300C, neither on Amazon nor Aliexpress, guess i'll have to do with that.

[@calebe2301]

Thank you Mr.Geoff all the three parts were very useful...

[@vogman]

Thanks Caleb : )

[@ronyerke9250]

Very thorough and easy to understand as usual. Thanks for this and please keep making videos. Don't forget to share how you get on with your r/c lawnmower project. :-) 👍👏

[@vogman]

Thanks Ron. I've realised I'm wrong in my approach. I've several things on the go and I don't share until they're completed. I'm thinking now I should show "on the go" so I don't have so many quiet spots.

[@ronyerke9250]

Well, regular progress videos are nice, but so many contributers stop submitting before their projects are completed. That's pretty annoying, like an unkept promise. Your approach doesn't result in that, but I get it. Lots of people are impatient for more, but don't let them dictate your style, or you'll likely become unhappy about sharing.

[@MikeBSc]

Great series. I may have just a couple of suggestions though. For the moving cables that run to the foundry and power the coils, I suggest a flexible cable tray. They allow the cable to move, whilst also providing protection. For the winch motor I recommend placing end stop contact switches to stop the motor when the forge has reached its maximum travel.

[@vogman]

Thanks Mike. Always have to receive suggestions : )

[@paradug]

I really enjoyed your build series. My first concern about the build was how do you contain a spill in the event of a crucible failure?

[@richdobbs6595]

I'm not into welding yet. I'm going to try to adjust the design to use bolted construction, with using porcelain tiles for some structural support. Wish me luck!

[@dbjelan9037]

Very good explained.

[@zumbazumba1]

I have to say at the end this "thing" loks very nice .Love the temperature control system.You could make tempering oven for knifes and other metal parts like this just make it as a box.looking foward to see your castings.

[@vogman]

Thanks. Hopefully I'll be sharing some videos on the subject soon.

[@SkullyWoodMetal]

Very good video and an excellent job of explaining every thing. When I saw your electric foundry in other videos I assumed it was a commercial product. I strayed away from your channel because I was only interested in vegetable oil burners, but I should have stay tuned for your other interesting projects.

[@vogman]

That's very kind Skully. I like to make my own things whenever I can... if you know how to make it then fixing it is never a problem : )

[@simonwatson2399]

Brilliant set of videos on how to build something unique and elegant. I'd be very interested to know how efficient it is. For example you said it took three hours to melt a crucible of aluminium. How much energy did that consume compared with the theoretical amount?

[@ncoutdooradventures6148]

Thank you for a very informative video. Very inclusive, and direct. Well done! Note; you may want to change one point of fact, that being,, there ARE hazardous fumes associated with melting lead, brass, and gold, and a ventilation system should be advised, especially if this is built indoors!

[@HoutmeyersP]

Thanks for the very good info on how to wire the pid and relay. Question: Does the Inkbird PID temperature screen go over 1000°c......i need it to go up to 1100 degrees C for a heat treatment oven.

[@bertgeneray5954]

Loved all three videos. My question is the same as HoutmeyersP. Plus, which thermocouple did you have to buy extra to get to the temp of 2000+ ?

[@glennfelpel9785]

Very well done and as usual your presentation is thorough and easy to understand. Thank you for this very useful information.

[@vogman]

Thanks Glenn : )

[@pgs8597]

Excellent build and presentation. Cheers Peter

[@vogman]

Glad you enjoyed it : )

[@danielricardoaugustowood5840]

Very good instructions, you are a great teacher. Thanks for all the work.

[@vogman]

That's very kind Daniel. Thanks : )

[@dougaldhendrick3497]

Easily one of the BEST series of vids in how to do stuff, especially all the safety issues and code requirements. One thing I found helpful when 'gluing' refractory bricks was to soak them in water a few hours before hand, so there was some residual moisture which stops too dry bonds you can sometimes get. Or spray before, allowing a few minutes to settle. Great work! A warning: (So many idiots out in youtube land doing all sorts of stuff with only the minimal understanding of ALL aspects to their supposed teaching. Whilst YT is a great library, it is also 'caveat emptor' in so far as emulating many instruction vids. I go so far as to say many are complete idiots in what they are doing, taking the entitled generation to new levels of brain dead.)

[@vogman]

Thanks for the kind words : )

[@Spruce-Bug]

The best trilogy on youchube, hands down.

[@vogman]

Thanks Ryan : )

[@hebrewhammer1000]

Thank you for sharing! Very thorough explanation and great diagrams.

[@vogman]

Thanks Zane. Much appreciated : )

[@NOFX0890]

Truly amazing build and a pleasure to watch. Thankyou

[@vogman]

Many thanks : )

[@MrNigel1340]

Thank you for an excellent kiln building trilogy, this is the best and most well laid out of instructional video,s I have ever watched, well done, one question will this generate enough heat to melt copper and brass as eventually I will be having a go at smelting some gunmetal, regards Doc Cox.

[@vogman]

That's very kind of you to say. Thanks : ) The answer to your question is yes, no problems with copper or brass. I haven't melted brass, but as this has a lower melting point than copper which I have tried (twice now) I'm confident it will manage it. Here's my first ever bash with copper which, I have to be honest, wasn't my finest hour... but the evidence is obvious (even if I somehow overcooked it). kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2a9ip-LotBnm68

[@MrNigel1340]

Credit where credit is due, forgot to ask before, wgat gauge wire did you use please.

[@vogman]

Pretty sure it was 1.02mm Kanthal Wire. It's been a while : ) I think I also mention it on the coil calculator page on my website... hang on... yep, 1.73 ohms per meter. vegoilguy.co.uk/coilcalc.php

[@backyardmetalcasting]

Truly a wonderful build. It must be nice to have a wife so interested in thermocouples!!

[@vogman]

She's a very understanding woman : )

[@abdeljalilabdeljalil9022]

Amazing project !! but i have a question the PID's screen is showing only 3 numbers so how you can increase temperature to 1000 C and more?!!

[@vogman]

Oh it can handle over 1000 easily enough. I've done it a few times. I think you can see it on this video... kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2a9ip-LotBnm68

[@bethechangeme2233]

Amazing tutorial & incredible design. You have a fantastic mind to figure all of these things out and put them together to create a machine with more features than machines worth thousands of dollars. One question I have is would a slightly altered build of this design be suitable for ceramics such as porcelain which requires a firing temperature up to 1400 Celsius? This is my current project so any input from that incredible mind of yours would be greatly appreciated. Given that we are restricted in regards in amperage with our 240v home power supply I'm not sure if this is possible but hopefully I'm wrong.

[@vogman]

Again, many thanks for the kind words. At 1400C your reaching the limitations of this set up, but I but think it's possible. Grade 30 firebricks would be the minimum spec, plus additional insulation to maximise heat retention. Also a thicker wire with higher tolerance - I think this Kanthal wire maxed out at 1400. Lastly, I stuck with 10 Amps. If you're happy enough to nudge it closer to 13 Amps, you can gain a lot more power. In short, yes, I think it could be done, but you'd need to research all of the materials and go higher than the max you need. And fantastic mind? I wish... but you're very kind : )

[@Mark6E]

Good series and well presented! Have you considered a higher power element? You could use the full 13A, as many plug in heaters do. I made a short video of testing mine. I'm using 3.2kw, fireclay as a spiral form and perlite insulation, in an old cylinder.

[@vogman]

I wanted to stay under 13... it was just a preference 😁

[@brettski74]

Love your videos and gave me a few ideas for my own electric forge build. As an electrical engineer, a couple of thoughts, though. The automotive fuse holder, is that going to hold an automotive fuse? What's the voltage rating on the fuse you're using? If it's rated for 250V or higher, you're probably fine. If it's a low voltage fuse, like most automotive fuses (32VDC rated for example), then the fuse design may be insufficient to avoid arc-over during a fault. If so, it may not provide the protection you expect. I'm also curious about the effectiveness of the heatsink as you've located it. Generally if there's enough heat to be dissipated to necessitate a heatsink, you want to put it in a location with ample airflow so that heat can be dissipated into the surrounding air. Putting it inside a small sealed box seems to defeat that. If you haven't already, it might be worth checking how hot it gets inside that box after running the forge for a while. Maybe there's no problem, or maybe you want to drill a few holes or something. Another option is to use a metal case and firmly attach the heatsink to the case and dissipate the heat through the case that way.

[@vogman]

Your expertise shines through and gives me food for thought. Many thanks : D

[@GillesSaindon]

Would a carved out depression work for your crucible guide. Isn't there a chance your metal bracket might melt.

[@hughgaynor4320]

Geoff, I loved the video and will look into using a PID to make a tempering oven for blueing clock parts. I particularly like your method of confining the heating elements. Other designs using staples seem to fail. Like the UK In Australia we also use 240 V AC (nominally dropped to 230V in line with the Europeans 220V as it was dropped in the UK. As a retired Physics teacher the brown coloured cable from your power cable is the Active (live if Yankee) {the dangerous one] this is the one which should be switched and the blue is Neutral not +ve and -ve as you label them. Although you are correct in indicating there is no need for polarity with heating elements. I would strongly urge you to securely anchor the cables carrying 240V. Both in your control box and also the connection to the heating coils. Pulling on them could easily expose the active and the Earth could become disconnected which means if the active comes in contact with the metal parts they become lethal. Using an core leakage relay is sensible. In my projects I amusing panel mounted circuit breakers in place of fuses as a button push will reset. I Really loved the video I hope i can source the parts in Australia. Hugh

[@vogman]

Thanks Hugh : )

[@aaronslife4635]

I'm not sure if it still counts for the coil switch or not. But, in NSW, when switching mains power (thinking power boards here) you are actually meant to use a 2 pole switch and switch both the active and neutral for double safety.

[@jeremydemarco8697]

I already own a very small furnace, for small flasks, driven by a PID module XMTG 7511 which has programming segments to scrupulously respect my burnout schedule. Does this model, which you are presenting, also have programmable segments?

[@American_Innovation]

Hey quick question, one layer of my coils work and the second layer doesn’t I live in the US btw. Could I use that same transformer to power the coils completely? I have a video on my kiln if you need more to answer me.

[@PavelK77]

Интересный вариант, 3 части и все по делу!

[@stripakis]

Great and easy to follow series, thank you for posting this. One question would it be possible to modify this design slightly using 3 coils, 1 on each phase? As it happens I have 32amp 3 phase supply in the basement so should be able to pull about 9 amps per phase with a margin of safety.

[@candacemcfarland6576]

Do you have a complete inventory of all the materials used? I have no electrical knowledge, but someone I know does, and is more than happy to help me build this. Great set of videos

[@vogman]

Thanks Candace. I'm sorry to say I didn't have a material list as I was largely making things up as I went... that's how I work best. But hopefully there's sufficient info within the videos to guide you. However, if you have any problems, let me know : )

[@JamiePineappleWyatt]

You should jump onto some of the 3d printing services and get a cable guide made up for that z axis :) It'll keep that cable much more organised and reduce the stresses put on it.

[@vogman]

That's a good suggestion : )

[@Mike-sv2nu]

Excellent work, one cronstructive criticism though, in the case of a crucible failure, I believe that this design won't contain the molten metal, as the weight of the molten metal will bouy up the casing and then spill onto the floor. Perhaps you have room for an extra ring of bricks to act as a reservoir.

[@vogman]

Thanks Mike. Hopefully I'll never find out about that potential concern : )

[@jameskdobbins]

As a guy who calibrates and services those PID controllers, that jumper with the thermocouple is there because the settings in the PID can be made to handle a 3 wire RTD, which requires a 3rd wire (not going to get into the science or why the manufacturer didn't disable that part of the circuit)

[@vedranlatin1386]

I like you foundry very much. It is definitely overbuilt (your steel rope can probably lift a ton easily) but nothing too strong ever broke, right? Two things I would have done differently: one, the small fuse you used looks suspiciously like an automotive one and is probably not rated for mains usage, second bonding the protective earth clamp to the front panel with epoxy doesn't ensure a long lasting low resistance connection. Mind you, I wouldn't hesitate to use the foundry as is, but you being a belt and suspenders type of guy, I thought you'd like to know :) Out of curiosity, why didn't you simply use steel L or C beams for uprights? Price is similar and wheels could ride in them with little or no modification. Thanks

[@vogman]

Thanks for your input. I would have preferred steel framing, but the prices I found were much too high .Fortunately it works well and is still in use as my regular videos show : )

[@aaronslife4635]

I was actually wondering why he didn't put the earth connector under one of the faceplate mounting screws myself? Figured there was a reason though.

[@AndySmith-gg5fp]

Thank you for this excellent tutorial.

[@vogman]

Thanks Andy : )

[@giorgiodemare4457]

hi. I have to melt lead alloys copper and tin and zinc copper. I want to buy a ceramic crucible for my electric furnace since I think that being made of ceramic it will produce less oxidation in the molten metals. is that right?

[@vogman]

Hi Giorgio. I'm sorry to say I don't really have any knowledge on the subject : )

[@giorgiodemare4457]

@@vogman ok. you are the best . you can rely on yourself. but among the comments below your video I see that there are too many engineers hahaha

[@FordGTmaniac]

Is this foundry able to melt cast iron? I figure the coils would be on the verge of melting themselves if it is.

[@louismorgan2679]

I'm am looking to make this but am in no need to have accurate temperature control so I was wondering if I could get away with using a light dimmer? I would greatly appreciate feedback and love your videos!

[@vogman]

Hi Louis. These coils are pretty much on and off. There's so much current they'd likely blow a standard light dimmer and I'm not too sure it would make much difference anyway : )

[@mikepaul6688]

Terminal 5 is circuit ground of the PID controller. The bridging of terminals 4 and 5 is to GROUND the thermocouple. This can prevent erratic temperature readings, which can be produced if the thermocouple is in contact with a conductive metal enclosure (electromagnetic field). Another option is to connect the conductive metal enclosure to terminal 5. Now you know!!!

[@renaudbourassa7637]

Hi, your video is really nice. It is easy to see you put a lot of effort in it. I want to make an less expensive electric foundry so I will not integrate the lifting part and I was wondering, if I use metal tools to lift the crucible and I accidentally touch the red hot wire. Is it dangerous to make a short or something?

[@vogman]

Hi Renaud. Thanks for the kind comments. Yes, you're right. The coils are live and carry a LOT of current. If you touch them with something metallic there is a danger of shorting out the coils and, worse, electrocution. I'd recommend before lifting out the crucible, simply turn the power off.

[@renaudbourassa7637]

VegOilGuy easy and efficient methode

[@InfectedCreations]

Hello very nice can you melt copper with it? And how long does that take? And the coils are they break down quickly?

[@vogman]

Yes it can melt copper, though it takes several hours. The coils last on average 9 months I'd guess : )

[@InfectedCreations]

@@vogman Hello i am very interested in your foundry to build meself one. But because it,s cost some money i want to make sure if it works well, else i would trhow my money away and the only thing i am interested in is to melt copper. But i got a question?.... 🤔 Would you test how long it takes to meld 1,5 kg or 1500 grams of cut up red copper? I have a A6 Crucible 145 mm heigh and top diameter is 128 mm. Or would this to be much for the foundry......🤔Thanks if you would try this?.... But it is awesome work what you make. 😊👍👌

[@vogman]

It's not quick mate. I've done similar before and it came in around 10 hours. These days I use it as a burn out oven as slow heating is ideal. If you want fast, go with gas. If you want easy, silent, indoors and amazing control, then electric will work for you. But be prepared to plug in last thing at night and get up ready for action the next morning : )

[@InfectedCreations]

@@vogman Oke but 1,5 kg copper at once into the crucible would be no problem to melt down?... 😊👍 Yes i have tried to build my own gas furnace but that goes with a lot of violence and a lot of gas pressure. And i can,t get it to work properly because i need much of gaspressure and that,s going to be dangerous for me in the neighborhood where i live. A normal stove fire at 50 milibar this oven at 1 bar and it is still not enough. I need more pressure. Gas bottles are freezing. And there coms with it, it makes al lot of noise, the neighbors are not happy with it. That,s why i am looking for something on electric power. Thanks for your answer. 👍

[@ranjitsingh-wz6wk]

Excellent tutorial!! How did you manually set the temperature on the pid?

[@vogman]

I just used the leaflet that came with the PID : )

[@dfu1685]

Just fantastic. I am in awe. The only thing not to like is the electric bill. Wink wink

[@vogman]

It's best not to look, just in case, and then blame the wife for running the clothes dryer too much 😁😁😁

[@mystakilla]

Wow, unbelievable build man, congrats on it and your ingenuity! Makes me totally sick for my imagination. Ha!

[@spitwadrob1136]

Where did you find the thermocouple rated to 1450c? I cannot find one rated that high with that type of connector. Thank you for your help.

[@vogman]

eBay... I just searched and was lucky enough to find one : )

[@spitwadrob1136]

Thank you, I have been on but will keep looking. Thank you for putting out all of the info here. Great job, great project!

[@vogman]

Pleased to help. I'm very pleased with my electric foundry. Good luck with your project : )

[@bertgeneray5954]

Can you provide model & serial numbers for the thermocouple rated for 1450C. I too am having zero luck finding one.

[@plumber919]

Great series!

[@vogman]

Thanks : )

[@sailingozzie2587]

If I use a Thermo Couple that goes to 1660 degrees celcius and put my foundry in a vacuum chamber I can use it to melt Titanium?

[@abeleski]

Yes but make sure you use a kryptonite crucible

[@SciDOCMBC]

8:42 As a doctor and scientist, this seems like a very good time to point out metal fume fever. Metals such as zinc are particularly dangerous in this respect. Metallic zinc is relatively harmless, but its salts and other zinc compounds are extremely toxic. If metal is melted, a small part of it always evaporates, recognizable by the different color shimmers that emanate from the melt. Zinc vapor combines with the oxygen in the air to form zinc oxide, which is extremely toxic to humans. So please be careful, especially when using it indoors. Never attempt to melt brass indoors, preferably not at all, it contains zinc and copper.

[@vsantamarina]

Hi VOG, thanks for your video, very useful and generous :-) I am doing now my own, inspired in your video and few others I saw online. I wanted to ask about the aluminium fumes, is it been a problem to do it indoor? Do you have a ventillation system or special masks? thanks!

[@vogman]

I always recommend good ventilation when working indoors. An extractor system would be best, but personally I just keep doors and windows open : )

[@aaronslife4635]

Good kiln build. But, i would be VERY careful using an automotive blade fuse setup like you have going on. Their insulation does not always handle 230-240V mains voltages. It could be a possible source of electric arcing at some point. Also, you've used high temp insulating sleeves, which is great, but then you've put on insulated qc connectors, lol. I'd swap them out with non-insulated ones if the temp is getting above 60-80 degrees C. Keep up the great work and looking forward to the next video!

[@vogman]

Thanks Aaron : )

[@onemanriflemaker3873]

Good build. Looks far more robust than others.

[@vogman]

Many thanks. I like things to last. Hopefully it should do me several years but I've built it with easy maintenance in mind just in case : )

[@functionalfox6984]

Firstly, great video. Secondly, I see you are preferring your veg-powered furnace for bronze casting, and was curious why use one over the other? A question of time?

[@vogman]

I love my electric foundry and it's great when the weather isn't pleasant and I want to work indoors. But it is slow. So if time or weather is an issue, I revert to oil or gas. It's as simple as that : )

[@hippie-io7225]

Great job!! Have you done any calculations on operating costs?

[@vogman]

No... I'll completely (eyes shut) ignore that one. I've no doubt my electricity provider will be sending me a Christmas card for boosting their Bonuses, but I'll grin a bear it in the comfort of my garage. You can't beat free and my veg oil burner runs on waste veg oil. Charcoal... that's actually quite expensive really... I can get through a bag in a day. So how will it compare? Worse than veg oil, more expensive than gas, maybe on par with or just a bit more than charcoal. I'll cut down on the wife's Soaps to compensate : )

[@marmac567]

Hi,,, where can I get the 1450c TC,,,,,, ? I cant find one....

[@sepult888]

not sure if you could have place da few more couples of lines of wire between the bricks (by cutting the bricks further) to get a faster heating effect in the furnace...

[@vogman]

Hi. The length of the coil is determined by the thickness, the resistance and the amount of power available. Even with more lines between the bricks, I couldn't have fitted more coils. So I had just the right amount : )

[@lay9759]

Which relay use for 2.3 kw coil..?

[@bufferbrown]

Great Video, Thanks. I do think your Earth on the front panel is very dodgy though.

[@vogman]

It works... but could be better 😁

[@harrymc15]

Really enjoyed the 3 videos. Just one question: will this foundry melt copper?

[@vogman]

Yes, but it takes a while 😊

[@odeltarkhan3033]

What is the temperature of this furnace? Thank you

[@vogman]

That's controlled by the PID, but I've melted copper inside mine 😁

[@afbennett3038]

I am having trouble getting the pid to output the right current to the kiln as it outputs too much then gets too hot and also how do I change the temperature changer so it goes up in 1 degree at a time because it takes ages because it goes up in 0.1 at a time

[@vogman]

Hi. If your PID is the same as mine, it's not the most intuitive thing to use. The manual is online here pmod79883.pic31.websiteonline.cn/upload/szm4.pdf and again it's not very clear. It's been a few weeks since I adjusted mine and I'm nowhere near it to check right now, but if I recall correctly, press and hold the SET button until everything starts to flash. Then use the arrow buttons to move through the menu until you see DIP which is Decimal Point Position. Set this to "0" and then you'll only see whole numbers : ) Another tip I have for you... it's not necessary to scroll up the desired heat setting in single units. Let's imagine the screen says 100 and you want 600. Rather than go up in singles, ie 101, 102, 103, etc, you can use the Left Arrow button to shift the small dot indicator. Shift this over to the 1 and you can then go up in hundreds, ie 200, 300, 400, etc. If you need me to do a brief video on using the PID I'm happy to help. All the best. Geoff

[@afbennett3038]

VegOilGuy I think I’ve got it sorted now because I realised that when it heats up it just puts full mains until it’s the right temperature and I was using a short coil as I was making a smaller test one so the coil would get insanely hot and overshoot the temperature but now my larger container has arrived so it should be fine, thanks

[@k0fadanks848]

Where’d you get the thermocouple??

[@vogman]

eBay : )

[@bigoldgrizzly]

I wonder if it might be possible to increase furnace capabilities by using a dedicated supply circuit from the house control board. Electric ovens are wired on their own separate circuit and fused at [if I remember right] 30 amps, so might enable a usable load of say 20 amps I suspect that this would not be a good idea if you also have an electric oven .... any thoughts ? Any such change would however require installing, testing and certifying by a qualified professional electrician

[@MrHendrixForever]

HI - can your foundry melt cast iron ? 1200 C?

[@michaelprice9053]

Great series of instructional videos. but i am not sure of your electrical qualifications everyone knows red wires are faster :P keep up the good work.

[@boltonky]

Learn't a tip the other day, Make sure to pre-heat your crucible (specially graphite) if it has been left anywhere with moisture before using in the foundry

[@vogman]

That's a nice tip : ) Personally I always try to start off slowly for that exact reason, whether it's the crucible or the foundry. Rapid heat change can wreck most things, especially if moisture is involved as well .

[@RussianBearTu95]

really nice and clean job. respect!

[@vogman]

Thanks : )

[@theartoftech]

Fantastic video!

[@vogman]

: )

[@firemasterpain2662]

Can you melt steel with this furnace?

[@vogman]

No... Copper about as high as I can go. The coils themselves begin to melt at around 1400C so there are limits. No doubt there's other wire out there that can handle higher temperature : )

[@aaronr8684]

As for the color comment at 4:00 , that's not totally true. For line and neutral, that's correct. The ground isn't always the same size/gauge as it's meant to be a backup safety and not always carrying the full rated load. At least in the US

[@vogman]

If it's the comment I'm thinking of, I think I was just trying to convey that colour is strictly an external marking system for user convenience. I know I've come across folks that have said to me before, "I can't find that colour wire anywhere. I can only get XXX," believing that the external colouring effected its function. As for colours and gauges, I'm sure you're right - I honestly have no expertise in such things. 😁 Thanks for your input 👍

[@hyperhektor7733]

8:54 having 1-2 windows open is very important, metal fumes will cause health issues i experienced my self en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_fume_fever

[@bigoldgrizzly]

On safety features, as you say, a crucible failure or getting tipped over when the furnace body is in the raised position, would be a serious matter. It would not be a great deal more work to fashion a steel reservoir, bund or moat at which wraps entirely around the base, with the aim of containing any hot spill. Given the relatively small volume of the crucible, this would not need to be very large.

[@lay9759]

What is the input voltage..? Please reply..

[@vogman]

I power mine on 230 volts 😁

[@lay9759]

@@vogman my coil is 2.3 kw which relay I can use..?

[@emiliogreenwood8190]

How much did it cost you to make that Foundry I'm in the state so have to be US dollars since you're in the UK

[@vogman]

Unfortunately I didn't keep a running total of the costs and a lot of the materials I already had to hand. I can only suggest you shop around locally and to obtain an idea of material costs : )

[@antropod]

The hoist is the best part

[@vogman]

And it makes access to the crucible safer : )

[@xXcagllariXx]

On steel rope topic, a smidge of heat shrink on the ends help prevent it from fraying out a bit into a hypodermic needle like porcupine from hell.

[@vogman]

I experienced that porcupine myself. Good tip : )

[@badboybiskra]

The whole purpose of having 3-wire RTD circuits is to eliminate errors due to voltage drop along the current-carrying wires

[@123say]

I want make medium size tell me foundry

[@andersdoverud9046]

Change the fuse to 2A or less(look at the PID-controller's label).

[@vogman]

You mean the one that says "Power AC100-240V 50-60Hz 5VA"? Yes I did.

[@backyardmetalcasting]

Ps, I have an old kiln I need to install a controller on for investment casting burnout.

[@vogman]

I did something similar here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnimfWR8jbCLqdU

[@gt0163]

How much does this cost roughly?

[@vogman]

It's hard to say... I never kept track as doing so puts me off ; ) The bulk of the cost is the wire and the bricks. Once you price those, you've got a rough idea.

[@TheArapata]

good video

[@vogman]

Thanks. It's a great project : )

[@BrodieD]

Lucky I studied engineering albeit structural which means some of my mates I met at the start of my course went into electrical engineering

[@wjf0ne]

Electricity scares the bejasus out of me and wiring diagrams might as well be ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics to me, neither do I have any interest in melting metal, but I'll give it to you, you do make interesting videos. Well done.

[@vogman]

I appreciate that, thanks : )

[@giorgiodemare4457]

hahah