# Quick and easy furnace for the back yard melter



## rickbb (Apr 25, 2015)

Saw something similar on one of the back yard metal melting sites and thought I'd put one together. 

"rabbit" wire mesh 1/2" opening
2" thick rock wool
short piece of 2" pipe, (electrical conduit)
Roofers propane torch
Old heat gun set to blow only air
2 hrs. of time.

I already had all the stuff so cost was zero.

You basically make a cylinder of the wire mesh, wrap it with rock wool, wrap the outside with more mesh. Make a square top and bottom. Cut a few holes for air flow and the torch and then you have a little furnace that gets real hot, real quick.


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## Palladium (Apr 25, 2015)

Drill them aluminum rivets out of those pots, go to Lowes and buy $3 worth of stainless bolts and replace them. Never have to worry again. Ask me how i know! :mrgreen:


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## AndyWilliams (Apr 25, 2015)

Any idea how long this thing will last?? What a great space saver! I don't need a furnace, long term. I could use one about once a year, maybe twice. So I could use this and then take it apart very easily!


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## philddreamer (Apr 25, 2015)

Looks nice, and simple! 8) 

Is that galvanized mesh? If so, please let us know, how long before it starts to deteriorate.

Thanks!

Phil


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## Shark (Apr 25, 2015)

Several years back I used some wire in roughly the same size made from stainless. That has been about 20 years ago so I have no idea if it is still available. It might last longer than galvanized. I do like the ingenuity behind the design.


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## acpeacemaker (Apr 25, 2015)

Neat design!  
I am curious how hot this gets. When looking at stone wools I seen that most could withstand up to 2150F. Does contain formaldehyde. 


Andrew


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## danieldavies (Apr 26, 2015)

i bought a book a few weeks ago written by colin peck. its called the artful bodgers waste oil furnace. it is a great design, it can melt iron with no problems. 
i have made my furnace and tested it, melting copper. all you need for fuel is waste oil. it burns clean, no need for an atomizer or jet, just a blower. its gravity feed.


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## danieldavies (Apr 26, 2015)

molten copper ready for pouring


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## philddreamer (Apr 26, 2015)

Hi Daniel!
What type of flux do you like to use, and do you have pic's of the poured copper?

Thanks!

Phil


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## danieldavies (Apr 26, 2015)

no flux need. it seems that the rich flame keeps the oxygen away from the copper. ill post a pic in a bit.


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## danieldavies (Apr 26, 2015)

some of my copper bars cleaned up


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## philddreamer (Apr 26, 2015)

Nice! 8) 

Thanks, Daniel!

Phil


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## rickbb (Apr 26, 2015)

Yes, it's galvanized wire, not sure how long it will last. I've noticed it gets a bright orange hot in places so I'm sure it will fail at some point. You could order stainless or better wire, but I had this left over from when I made the daughters rabbit hutches some years ago. (I'm a bit of a pack rat with building materials.) But the wire is just there to hold the rock wool in shape and keep it from getting ratty so if it lasts me a year or two, well worth it.

I'm going to try to start learning sand casting and needed something better than the ole stack of fire bricks I had been using. This seemed to fit the bill and the price was right. I'll start with Al to learn on before trying to cast some of the silver I've been recovering.


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## Anonymous (Apr 28, 2015)

That looks good Rick!


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## glorycloud (Apr 28, 2015)

Daniel - what was the source material for your copper bars?


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## danieldavies (Apr 29, 2015)

Hi glorycloud. I melted old electrical wire


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## Anonymous (Apr 29, 2015)

What are you using the bars for Daniel?

Jon


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## danieldavies (Apr 29, 2015)

Hi spaceships. I will probably put them on ebay. For sone reason people pay way over scrap value for them. They are also good for getting silver out of silver nitrate solution.


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## Anonymous (Apr 29, 2015)

Yes I was looking at them for that and cementing waste solutions. I've got plenty of copper but not in bars- maybe we could work something out.


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## danieldavies (Apr 29, 2015)

What do you have in mind?


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## Goldwasser (May 7, 2015)

Beautiful furnace. 

Do you have an idea of the max temperature is of it was?


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## goldenchild (May 7, 2015)

What type of tongs do you use to remove the crucible?


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## danieldavies (May 7, 2015)

The furnace can get as hot as 1700c with the right fuel and air mixture. 
i made my own tongs. They are designed to grip the wall of the crucible.
Thanks


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## danieldavies (May 8, 2015)

This is my second pic of running the furnace. I have turned the oil and air up. You can,t see the molten copper because of the extreme heat output. I could probably run it hotter than this.


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