The First Aluminum melt in the Blue Furnace

[@davidk8699]

Relaay nice job on the pour, and an impressive system! Exciting to see it all working.

[@Okiescrapper]

every thing on the furnace was brought in as scrap. the only thing I had to buy was the cement. the melting pot I bought the refractory, I did have to buy the burner tip and most of the fittings some I got from scrap. I did have to buy the crucible too. so it is a low cost system for me

[@davidk8699]

@@Okiescrapper You have a really good touch with recycling. I hope you get to go full time next year, or sooner!

[@scrapmandan245]

Great video and casting brother, really enjoyed watching, cheers for sharing 😎👍

[@Okiescrapper]

Thanks Dan

[@Elvisfan-bf3ic]

New subscriber here. Huge fan of your vids. Great job !!! I’m from Montana

[@Okiescrapper]

welcome glad to have you along, I have a play list for the oil burner and melting metal

[@mrgoodtimes05]

Have you tried using your cutting torch to smoke the molds? Light the acetylene then put the tip to the mold. The black soot is what keep it from rusting and helps release the ingots so much better. That's what I do when i pour lead in aluminum sinker molds.

[@Okiescrapper]

no I haven't tried that. I may have to sand blast them and then smoke them

[@cuscrapping]

Great video! Looks like a lot of fun! Still haven't forgot the 20 ton press I got. Just been so darn busy, I haven't had a chance to put her together yet! Itching to do it though!!

[@Okiescrapper]

Thank you, I took a vacation day to day, and got signed up for the covid shot next Thursday. I picked Thursday because at 2:00 the internet co. is going to be out to set me up with fiber internet, so next Thursday I will take a 1/2 day of vacation to go get the shot then home to get the fiber, as I was off to day the wife made a DR. appt. so I too her in . then I cut the wall out of the horse trailer to use it for barrels of aluminum storage. I need to get all the lights wired and working before I get it full. I think it will work good as no aluminum will blow out going down the road, Thanks for stopping by

[@cuscrapping]

@@Okiescrapper Wow, I'll bet it will be nice to have that fiber run. That will really cut down on your upload times hopefully!! Glad you are able to get your Covid shot, too. Hope the wife is doing well. Got to do my copper prep tomorrow so I can run it to Bloomington Friday. Hope to do the unboxing video on that press Saturday. It has been way too long since I have posted a video!!

[@terryaikins2496]

45 years ago in high school metal shop we had a furnace very similar to yours. Main two differences were natural gas and an electric blower. To save ware and tear on your compressor you could use a blower from one of those moonwalks/bounce houses. All you would have to do to control the air flow in put a cover over the air intake. The id of the exhaust opening on most of the blowers is about 2 inches. It shouldn't be to difficult to adapt to your burner assembly with a flexible hose like maybe a flexible car exhaust pipe.

[@Okiescrapper]

I would have to change the oil to gravity feed and make a different burner

[@ronniebuchanan6575]

You can also use an old shop vac as a blower.

[@jayhac3803]

If it’s cast iron you can season it with linseed oil. Or since your not eating on it, you can use beeswax. Put your mold upside down over the furnace when you preheat it. That will burn off beeswax if you use that. It should give you a pretty clean cast on the first pour. A wire wheel would go a long way beforehand. And a wire wheel might could have saved you a round of melting on that first pour on this vid. Great video anyway 👍

[@Okiescrapper]

I will need to get some linseed oil, I use what I had a few years back coating shovel handles, Thanks for the tips. may try the beeswax too.

[@frankdeegan8974]

Store your mold in a cool dry place, store it clean and dry, wrap it in paper towels or ask your wife how to store cast iron so it doesn't rust. like she stores her cookware.lol

[@alyssacatanese7222]

Cast iron corn bread pan will do just as good look at garage sales ,they usually cheap

[@RoeMantic]

Those ingots piling up good buddy!

[@Okiescrapper]

they are small 2 ingots per 1 cupcake ingot, but think they will work better for some sand casters, as they may melt better being smaller and they will fit into a smaller crucible, and they will stack better, kind of fun to make too

[@RoeMantic]

@@Okiescrapper not only that but I also think shipping will be easier. Stacking in boxes friend. Keep Scrapping Brother!

[@mattyal9347]

@@Okiescrapper so now I'm hearing that certain aluminum products such as storm doors and window frames are not a good casting aluminum. There is a chart that you can refer to in what grade your aluminum is.

[@josephpecoul6532]

Ok great shot of your gloves but no worries and I see mr peanut butter made an Appearance thanks for the video

[@Okiescrapper]

yeah peanut butter follows me around and comes by to check on me all the time, Thanks for watching

[@bigredbullion3883]

Awsome melt

[@Okiescrapper]

Thank you and thanks for stopping by

[@Clarkson350]

Cool melt video! Really good

[@Okiescrapper]

Glad you enjoyed it. thanks for stopping by

[@doitmanrv1084]

BIG SMILE

[@richardroyles1423]

You’re fine. You need to make me an oil burner. God bless Kansas

[@Okiescrapper]

you just want me to stand at home depot for an hour trying to figure out all the fittings, lol. I do have the build in the first video of the oil burner play list kzbin.info/aero/PLDwjkWgPa7QhOsBMArmxSoyMnJRJ9XGNk

[@billychinowith3305]

Nice video

[@Okiescrapper]

Thanks for watching

[@donnierobertson3088]

Nice job and video

[@Okiescrapper]

Thank You. and Thanks for the visit

[@garrypeek897]

Metal spoon with holes .

[@randystone6781]

Very interesting video, Allen.

[@Okiescrapper]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@pauloconnor2980]

It might help to reduce the amount of crud in the cup cake ingots if you cleaned the base of the primary furnace.

[@Okiescrapper]

it's going to get remelted any way and I do clean it, but it doesn't take lone to build up

[@powerranger20155442]

Good job

[@Okiescrapper]

Thank you and thanks for stopping by

[@powerranger20155442]

Your video's are good

[@imysteryman]

Couldn't you use part of an ac compressor for a crucible? I have been using a steel one for several melts, works fine.

[@Okiescrapper]

I was told that if you use a steel crucible that iron will get into y our aluminum, so I use a clay crucible

[@imysteryman]

@@Okiescrapper I have not had any problems doing it.

[@alfredanderson1088]

Heating cast molds face down carbon ok n falls off , gets the heat more uniform and where needed

[@Okiescrapper]

ok nice to know, Thanks for stopping by

[@cditzler6313]

look into getting a tripod or making one your chest strap rig has its limitations I was going to get some cornbread molds that look like corn and make wind chimes and sell at flea markets or ebay but my health said no

[@Okiescrapper]

the tripod has limitations too, I am thinking about 2 camera's, one chest mount and one on a tripod, and I can cut bad clips from chest cm and use footage from the tripod camera, I need to learn video editing anyway, the question is can the editing software splice video with different cameras. as they may have different aspect ratio, or frame rates, but I will try or may need to get another gopro. Thanks for watching

[@dave_in_florida]

okie, love your channel. Please be more safe and get better support for your melting pot than an upside down garbage can. and all the propane lines running across the grass, i am afraid you are going to trip over them

[@Okiescrapper]

one line is propane, one is the air line, and then the siphon hose, I am getting a lot of people saying that I should let the aluminum drip into a pale of water so I will make a open top table and cut a hole in the bottom plate for the aluminum to drop through, I have a wheel with axel and will weld a plate onto it so I can spin the bucket as the aluminum drips into it

[@tutsywutsy]

I make my own ingot moulds from channel iron and weld caps on each end at 45 degree's

[@Okiescrapper]

I thought about trying that but my welding is hit and miss. I may give it a go. I need more molds, Thanks for watching

[@JohnnySwedishScrapper]

nice casting ;)

[@waltwood4113]

#happyscrapping

[@Okiescrapper]

Thank you Walt

[@Okiescrapper]

Thank you Johnny. and thanks for stopping by

[@steverenken5143]

I wonder if it would work to dress your mold with black seed oil the way you would a cast-iron frying pan.

[@Okiescrapper]

not sure on that I have seen them dust a mold with graphite powder, and I have a bottle of graphite

[@marknunya3035]

Always pre-heat your molds and tools

[@allencheck501]

Hey Okie scrapper thanks for the video I have a similar rectangle mold when it gets rusty I give it a quick sand blast ,cleans her right up give is try. New Mex scrapper

[@jeremyowens7560]

Nice test! I’m going to make a furnace out of a pressure tank too and you’ve given me the inspiration of making it mobile.. what size is your crucible?

[@Okiescrapper]

I think it is a #3 4kg as big as the furnace is I could go much bigger, Thanks for watching

[@mattyal9347]

Just curious, will your ingots you made from the cupcake tin fit inside your crucible? I have a 6kg size crucible and I believe two of your cupcakes would be an nice fit in it.

[@Okiescrapper]

@@mattyal9347 yes I can put 3 cupcake ingots into it

[@ryanclabough1853]

I thoroughly enjoyed your video. Can you show how you add borax

[@Okiescrapper]

I am not adding borax, I saw one video where they put the borax into some aluminum foil and put it in the crucible

[@charlesbartlett4457]

You may want t try bend your to make a lip or scoop and if that works maybe a handle

[@Okiescrapper]

I may take a washer and weld it to a rod. or get a big spoon

[@madmattsbucketlist385]

Okie may be a difficult question for you to answer. I notice you are using the propane gas as well as oil. With the devil forge they use propane. Have you ever worked out how much propane gas you use, or propane and oil, to see how much it costs per lb cupcake/ingot? Are you ahead financially alot or just? Hope that makes sense to you. Thanks, Matt.

[@Okiescrapper]

I just use the propane to light it and get it burning 2 or 3 minutes then it is on waste oil and compressed air from my air compressor not sure the cost on electric but the oil is free

[@lesabre1972]

is there a benefit doing them round beside a bar?

[@Okiescrapper]

I use the cupcake pan when using the melting pot, the ingots weigh about 1/2 a lb. and easy to use, but trash falls into them, so I remelt in the crucible and clean the dross off the top to have a cleaner ingot

[@pauloconnor2980]

How did you make the refactory lining for the blue forge?

[@Okiescrapper]

I used a mixture of Portland cement and perlite

[@steveo7624]

Was it a 50-50 perlite and half summer it was a mixture OK cool video I’m interested in making a furnace and I’m gonna go ahead and make a cast-iron burner so I have even heat put a thermometer on it

[@Okiescrapper]

​@@steveo7624 not sure I just mixed it not much info to be found using Perlite. if you are in the states Home Depot. has it on their web sight, has to be shipped, they don't carry it in the stores, look on the bag for mixing instructions. if I remember for cement it is 1 part cement, 2 parts sand, and 3 parts gravel. so a mixture of 5 parts perlite to 1 part cement may work good, the more perlite the better insulation, but need enough cement to hold it all together,

[@rexwright2386]

Cold you make sinkers out of that

[@Okiescrapper]

I am sure you could, would be light though, brass or copper would be heaver. I need to get some sinker and slug molds someday.

[@rexwright2386]

@@Okiescrapper cool I love making cinkers it keep stuff off my mined

[@mattyal9347]

I saw one guy use a flat prybar like a carpenter would have to skim the dross

[@Okiescrapper]

People use almost anything, I need to pick up some big spoons from dollar tree

[@geneplummer6645]

@@Okiescrapper to short , just weld a large washer to a piece of rod about 30" long

[@mattyal9347]

@@Okiescrapper I don't think you're going to be satisfied with those. I tried them and they began to disintegrate after the second skimming

[@fredfreer75]

a few other people use metal spoons, so I was thinking one from Dollar Tree might work.

[@Okiescrapper]

That is what I was thinking too, now I just need to remember the next time I am there, or I could sneak one out of the house. Thanks for stopping by Fred

[@rebeccaofsunnybrookefarm8469]

Why do you need to preheat

[@Okiescrapper]

some guys say that if you don't preheat the mold any moisture could cause the aluminum to splatter, and I think that is keeps the aluminum from cooling too fast and helps it to flow into the mold better

[@rebeccaofsunnybrookefarm8469]

@@Okiescrapper makes perfect sense, I have a scar from melting lead with my dad on a rainy day... we learned that the garage leaked that day!

[@geneplummer6645]

@@Okiescrapper if ya get the iron molds too hot the aluminum will stick also preheat your dross tool a little to keep the slag from sticking to it

[@ronniebuchanan6575]

Need to melt aluminum take it up to 1400 and pull it out.

[@UKscrapper]

Nice job on the melt

[@Okiescrapper]

Glad you like it, that furnace works good running the air at 10 lbs. on the melting pot I run the air over 30 lbs. Thanks for watching