Metal Casting Zone Info Blog

Posts Tagged ‘empty soda cans’

Hello,

Today’s topic is about Crucibles.  A very important part of metal
casting.

From the earliest attempts to make lead into gold and to the
more modern use of making those empty soda cans into a replacement
part for that model plane, crucibles have been an absolute
necessity in metal casting.

Crucibles are placed inside of the furnace where the metal is
placed and then melted. The crucible then collects the melted
alloy which will then be poured into the model. Since the crucible
will be holding metals melted at extremely high temperatures the
crucible will need to be created from very strong material.
The durability of the crucible will add a certain aspect of safety
to the metal casting process. Using a crucible that is low in
quality can result in shattering, which, let’s face it, is never
ever a good thing.

Any crucible at any given moment can shatter or fail which is
why using appropriate safety gear at all times is so important.
In order to handle the crucible which will be red hot you will
need to wear boots, jeans, and gloves.  The tools for lifting
the crucible from the furnace and then the tool for tilting the
crucible so that the molten metal will pour easily into the mold
will vary crucible from crucible. Those that make their own
crucible will be able to create them in an identical manner so
the same tools can be used. The idea of these tools is to make
sure that the crucible can be safely and securely lifted and
poured. You will never want to directly touch a hot crucible,
even with gloves.

For those that either can not or will not make a home made
crucible can buy a crucible and tools from any of the online
stores. A common material for crucibles is graphite as it can
withstand the molten metal. Many who cast metal will prefer
using graphite crucibles as it can prevent impurities from being
introduced into the gold or other precious metal being used.
Another option is the Silicon Carbide crucible.

Silicon Carbide is a great though expensive alternative to the
graphite crucible.  A crucible made from Silicon Carbide can
handle rougher treatment then graphite so if you are not
particularly gentle with your toys then this is a terrific option.

Yet another option available to the home foundry is creating your
very own crucible. Many don’t really recommend this since
commercially created crucible tend to be more durable and will
instill a bit more confidence in the casters. It is, however,
possible to create a crucible as many of us will at one time or
another.

If you plan on creating your own crucible then keep this in mind.
There are a few areas of home metal casting where you should not
cut corners, these definitely include crucibles. The crucibles
job is the transportation of incredibly hot molten metal which
can easily exceed 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and is really the only
thing between you and this metal. When you plan on melting metals
with extremely high melting points you will need crucibles made
from material that will cost a little extra. Spend that money
and do so gladly since it is just a small price to pay for your safety.

Crucibles should only be used to melt one kind of metal. If you
have always melted aluminum but decide to try melting brass then
you will need a new crucible. This is done for safety reasons.
Remember, a crucible is not meant to last forever. Always check
your crucible before use to make sure there are not cracks or
imperfections if there are then do not use that crucible.

Crucibles come in a variety of sizes and can be made from a
variety of materials. It all depends on the type of metal to be
used and the size of the job. Never skimp on the price of this
tool and always follow safety guidelines and use common sense
when dealing with a hot crucible.

Here is a link to a Web Page that provides more information about this
Metal Casting topic:

http://www.metalcastingzone.com/crucibles/

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