SpudFiles

I ahve read through all that there is to read and have made both propane and wvo furnaces, i see this as the next step. For bio diesel i want to make ethylesters and not methyl esters hereby eliminating the need for any methenol and making the process some what safer though i do realize that it is nothing to joke around with. You have to understand that i like making things my self and so i make my ohn pottassium hydroxide and ethnol for the process, this is really what i ment when i said reactor(a set up which alows me to make moderate amounts of biodiesel to then power anthing from a generator to a furnace).

You can make oil burning furnaces hot enough to melt bronze. I reckon that your bio-diesel could run one. I dont know how economical it would be... Cheaper to run it off the oil that you get before the bio-diesel reaction.

The idea would be to preheat the furnace with biodiesel and then switch to wvo, instead of preheating with woad(dirty and takes 4 ever) or propane(fossil fuel). I should try and ask one of the 26 farmers around my house if they have a bio gas plant where they put theurs cow feces and urine to ferment, would be great idea to run a furnace on bio gas...

i made my own charcoal furnace in a metal 5 gallon bucket and it works quite well for me. i just used 80 pounds of quickrete as a refractory and a cut open disposable propane tank for the crucible. the shop vac also works very well as a blower. what you have to relize when melting aluminum is that its very conductive, it soaks up alot of heat really easily.
also you didn't seem to mention anything about molds. you have to make sure there is no moisture in the bottom of the molds. i once poured 2 pounds of lead into a coke can that still had some coke on the bottom i got a spray of molten lead fly up at me leaing a nice 3rd degree burn on my wrist. just remember you can puor water on molten meta but not molten metal on water.

You shouldnt have water and molten metal together ever, i ahve dont this for a while now...

I can start melting Aluminium with Coal in about 3 minutes...

BUT when running it on coal you MUST leave plenty of space for the heat to rise (as in don't smother it with more coal). I have learnt you don't need too much.

To keep the heat in it is also a good idea to put a lid (not sealed!) on the furnace.

yes, i have done charcoal already, but it is too dirty, that is why i am lookign for a cleaner alternative...

hmm.
i'm currently experimenting with toaster heating elements wrapped around my crucible.

and does it work, i would use those from an oven

toaster is hardly any power, it wont be melting stuff.

john bunsenburner wrote:You shouldnt have water and molten metal together ever, i ahve dont this for a while now...

Tell that to an underwater welder.

that is very different and you know it...

I forgot to mention that the capacitors are a big issue with the power. they range from free that blow up, to 1 single capacitor that are made for induction heating that cost 150$ (celem capacitors). The capacitor will decide whether you can make a bolt get orange, to melting metal.

john bunsenburner wrote:that is very different and you know it...

mhmm

rp181 wrote:im in 120v land

Really? Where is that?

In the US most homes have 240V. Standard wall outlets only using one leg of the circuit that supplies the house.

Things like an electric clothes drier, electric water heaters, ovens or cooktops generally are running on 240V even though all the outlets in the house are 120V.

edit: engrish