Melt your scrap aluminum in a melting furnace.
It is tempting to take your aluminum scrap, melt it and turn it into something more useful than its current state. Granted this metal melting process is something that can be accomplished, remember to follow a strict safety protocol, especially keeping molten aluminum away from a water source, as well as avoiding melting dirty, impure aluminum. As long as you use your best judgment, you can successfully melt your scrap aluminum and pour it into sand castings or a chosen ingot.
Instructions
1. Heat your melting furnace to the desired temperature. Aluminum melts at 1220 Fahrenheit (660 Celsius) so your furnace should be just above that.
2. Coat your carbide ingot, if you are using one, with ceramics slip or weld barrier. This will ensure that the metal will release when it has cooled. Otherwise prepare your sand casting to your liking.
3. Place scrap aluminum into your crucible, also known as a melting pot. Stay away from using small aluminum chips and turnings. Unfortunately, in the melting process, there is too much surface area per volume and it will not melt well.
4. Place the melting pot into the furnace carefully. Melt small amounts at a time in the beginning, such as a pound or two. Make sure there are no screws, rivets, iron filings or any other metals as it will give your melted aluminum poor coloring, a thick pouring texture, shrinkage, will become brittle and may form large crystals.
5. Watch the metal carefully. You want to get it out of the heat source when all of the pieces are molten.
6. Grab the handle of your crucible with protected hands and pour the liquid metal into your sand cast or carbide ingot. Two-inch by 10-inch triangle ingots are a good choice so the castings cool nicely and release with ease. Other shapes can be used of course.
7. Allow the metal to cool thoroughly before you release it from the casting or ingot.
Tags: your scrap aluminum, away from, carbide ingot, into your, melting furnace, melting process
