How to melt aluminum in your backyard

Jul 23, 2004 1 Replies

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R Allen

I've bought and studied the Gingery books from Lindsay Tech Books < > and studied them, very interesting, and open your eyes to the fact that there are usually several ways to get things done. has a lot of info, and a very knowledgable discussion forum. They even have info on…

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Tibur Waltson 22 years ago

Should acetylene or MAPP gas be able to melt aluminum or aluminum alloy in some kind of iron pot? Should an oven be built for it? I plan to make a backyard aluminum sculpture. Possibly a little turtle, frog or a reinforcing frame structure for a specialized tool.

Thanks.

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R Allen 21 years ago

I've bought and studied the Gingery books from Lindsay Tech Books <

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> and studied them, very interesting, and open your eyes to the fact that there are usually several ways to get things done.

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has a lot of info, and a very knowledgable discussion forum. They even have info on that grease-powered furnace.

I've melted aluminum in a coffee can surrounded by charcoal and fed with a hairdryer, used a propane weedburner in a pottery kiln, and a old vacuum cleaner setup as an oxygen lance to get a brushpile hot enough that it melted a half gallon cast iron pot full of pistons and scrap.

Melting aluminum isn't hard, it's doing it safely that matters. I always use welding gloves, a leather jacket, boots, a plexi face shield, and like having a bed of sand under everything.

Have fun, and be safe!

Russell

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