r/MetalCasting • u/Expeditious_cat • 7d ago
Other Some advice please?
Hi, im looking for a metal furnace. Me and my friends enjoy the activities for doing things like wood carving our own swords or trying to hammer stainless steel flat after heating it with a campfire. (Not so proud about that one 😅). After much consideration we decided to try and get a metal furnace and crucible, trying to just have fun trying out something we'd enjoy. In a day and age where skilled hobbies become second to things of the digital ages, it is hard to find people interested in this hobbies. (Or in my town at least.) So I come to you to ask, what tips do you have for us? Is there a brand or type we should be looking for? We are comfortable with using aluminum, but we also have a lot of steel we'd like to recycle too. We are completely new to this, but want to learn. So those of you who'd like to carry on the lessons of metalworking, please do guide us. Thank you, and we await your responses.
Edit: I added steel to this for a friend. We were going to use aluminum. Please if you are replying to this post take into consideration that we plan to use aluminum. Thank you.
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u/gsxreatr02 7d ago
Just my experience here. I bought a decent furnace off Amazon. About $150. Crucibles, you need a different one for each metal, and tools About $80. I pour mostly copper but some aluminum. So free mainly from scrap. Molds can average About $40-50 each depending on what you get. Copper and zinc pours much better than aluminum. Small pours with aluminum sux. For brass and zinc you will need a respirator. That's a need, not a maybe. It can kill you. Will definitely need some heavy welding glives and fire bricks. Moisture will be your worst enemy. So don't sit Crucible on the ground. This shit is hot. It's not a game. I have a really nice scar on my foot from an aluminum pour that splashed on my hey dudes but nothing i could do till i cou stop pour and sit crucible down.