Progress update on the smelter

Last time I touched base the Smelter was out of action has there been any update on this?

@Zap, this seems like a question for you.

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Thanks @Thermoelectric.

@zap. Hey I’m happy to offer a weekend to come over and help get it up and running. I’ve done minimal sandcasting before but would really love to do more!

Quick squizz at previous work…
https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/killing_time/sets/72157629820713953/

Thanks In advance
DC

Hey @zap

What’s happening? Any word on the smelter

Thanks
dc

I’ve got the bulk of the part for an oil burning furnace, I’d love to see it together, I just don’t really have the time to make it a reality. We need this as a piece of infrastructure so we can up our metallurgy game. I’d absolutely love to try out some different alloys of aluminium to see what sort of properties we can get out of it.

Sounds good! @rut4ger

I’ve seen one in action I think -
https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/killing_time/14463809759/

I’m a total noobe but happy to pitch in. Are the components you have at the workshop? What else do you need? Any chance you could share pics of what you have? Maybe some links to what you need?

Happy to chip in some $$$ to get this off the ground? I’m not a member but I’ll become one as soon as I know the smelter functionality is available!

Look forward to hearing more!
thanks
dc

I’m here I’m here,

Uni was a pain and I was ignoring the space so I could do it.

Smelter stuff, k, I am happy to help out with it, but I have family coming over for a month in two weeks, we can put together some designs. Hayden and I are thinking of making an electric kiln for metal working, we have kiln rated heating wire at the space and I know where we can find some fire clay and fire it to any shape we want using our existing kiln. What do you think?

Otherwise we can go for a simple gas furnace that heats up a steel pot (if we ask Karl nicely.

Geoff

@rut4ger sounded like he was on the way to a oil furnace which is something I’ve had a little experience with.

I don’t have much know-how but I have free weekends and wednesday evenings I can go late as 11ish. I also have some disposable income if it results in a furnace I can get access to …

Are you both in contact with each other? @rut4ger and @zap ??

I had asked @rut4ger questions about materials and requiments for the oil furnace earlier but had no reply…

I’ll be away for a week from the 15th but happy to catch after that :slight_smile:

Thanks
DC

Whats needed is, refractory cement and maybe some firewool. I have all the basic parts for something like:

I’ve made a shit tier oil jet, could do better by buying an actual jet. After that just need some air fittings/flaring tools to fit everything together nicely.

Cool @rut4ger!! Cool collection of videos!!

So we need
-Refractory cement
-Firewool
-A nozzle/Jet

Any specs/sizess for the air fittings/flaring tools?

Hey @zap - you got any of this kinda stuff? Anything you could contribute?

I can get a price check on some of those parts/items as a back up plan :slight_smile:

How much power would electric consume?
It’s just we are fighting with the current power bill as it is, so adding more hungry appliances is detrimental to the space.

How much power?
Hellavalot-a-watt hours
If power is an issue, we can go waste oil/gas.
I am broke and unemployed and can only contribute my knowledge, labour and love unfortunately. I know where to find fire clay and stuff…
G2G for now, chat more later

Yep! For sure! If power is a concern then oil furnace is the go!

The only thing that will use power is the blower/compressor and that could Prolly run off a car battery…

Another alternative re power is to calculate what it uses and then charge people per hour of use.

Charge by the hour seems reasonable…

Here is a plan for an oil furnace - fyi @rut4ger no cement required. Food for thought - made out of an old water heater cistern.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/coopers-plains/other-appliances/vulcan-hot-water-system-50-litre/1080611519