Feb 11, 2015

Open pit forges for melting aluminum foil and soda cans







This is for informational purposes only.  I would take time looking at all the different videos out there to see all the different ways to do this and also learn from mistakes that others have made. Research is a must before attempting this.

Now I choose this video as an example for several reasons.
1- the guy is as new at it, as I am
2- he did it with a simple fire and no fancy hook ups ( It think once you master it you can get fancier)
3- he shows how you can make copy's of things (which can be great for simple replacement parts) 
*** but also watch the video below for making a sling shot....I think how she makes the molds is amazing and opens the door to many possiblity's. 




Now this video is showing aluminum cans. Which if melting have a lot of extra stuff in them. So you would actually have to melt cool and melt one more time for impurity's. See the below video for the sling shot to understand how to deal with this.....she even shows her errors so you learn from them

Understanding Aluminum foil for melting
I on the other hand am looking to do aluminum foil. which is actually a bit harder because it can burn and turn to black dusk. Aluminum Foil is made with with stand temps of around 500°. for use in you oven and stove top. The melting point for it is 660°  And for cans and pans it is 1221° so the fire you see in the above video would be to hot for Aluminum foil....have to experiment a bit to find the right kind of blaze. 

And if you really get into it this is a list of the melting points for other metals. Click Here

So knowing this fact will help you not burn your aluminum. Also rolling it up tight before melting will reduce the changes of it burning.

So instead of putting that aluminum in your recycle bin save it for a cool project. 




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Ideas of things to make
  • - Sling shot ***MUST WATCH** this video shows an excellent way of making cheap forms for what ever you want to make!! 



  •  Here is a site with fun stuff to make with it Click Here in fact I would call this a great go to site for this.




 
A few other videos on it worth watching


Ok I love love this one!  After trying this whole forge thing out, if it is something you are going to continue with, I think this is the perfect easy design worth taking the time to make.
 



How to do it in a hole in the ground.  Instead of a fan or a blow dryer I have an old air mattress pump that will work just as good and it has rechargeable batteries so no electricity needed. 

Here is one made of bricks.


Then you have the ones that uses gas...I am way to novice to want to screw around with gas, but here are some plans if you have some skills to make this happen
Click Here

and was looking at my rocket stove and  that can easily be turned into a forge

Rocket stoves 





Song for this post has to be  Modern English - I Melt With You








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