Can I melt/cast small amounts of copper/brass/aluminum/zinc with what I have?
me asked:
I have a cast iron crucible, and a MAPP gas torch. I can get copper/zinc/brass/aluminum to melt but can I get the metal hot enough without a furnace to melt the metal? If not what cheap small additions would I need? I live in an appartment with a ground floor patio so no room to store anything big, or even medium. I am only trying to cast small shapes. (1 inch or so)
I have a cast iron crucible, and a MAPP gas torch. I can get copper/zinc/brass/aluminum to melt but can I get the metal hot enough without a furnace to melt the metal? If not what cheap small additions would I need? I live in an appartment with a ground floor patio so no room to store anything big, or even medium. I am only trying to cast small shapes. (1 inch or so)
I can sometimes use a portable forge to heat the metal, would that work?
Also what fluxes for the different metals would I need?
I will borax work with aluminum? I thought it didn’t?
I have a nice concrete patio with a small dirt yard. The appartment is brick so no wood exposed.
I am doing it just to have some fun.
I don’t really have the money to take a class at this time. I am paying off college loans from 5 years of college, etc, that’s why I said cheap above.
Foundry
Posted in Do It Yourself (DIY) | 
Tags: Aluminum, appartment, brass aluminum, floor patio, mapp gas torch, Metal
One Response to “Can I melt/cast small amounts of copper/brass/aluminum/zinc with what I have?”
Borax is a good all around flux. Be careful where you start melting stuff, you are talking temps in excess of 1800F.
Best done in an open shop with a concrete or dirt floor and not an wood frame apartment!!
What do you need to do it for?
GO to a local junior college that has a welding shop, see if you can take a class, bring it in as a class project.