CULA…
in the interest of “budget”, i am using my COAL FURNACE. it closely resembles the biggest “pot belly stove” anyone ever saw. The main portion that is the firebox? Is a gigantic cast iron bowl, in excess of 1 inch thick all around. because it is so thick and made out of cast iron and so big? I am able to heat it up the the point it goes “cherry red” hot…
the fuel for this raging furnace? around 100 to 150 pounds of coal for one firing. With the amount of air i am feeding the fire? this would normally be enough coal to heat the entire house for more than 24 hours. Because i am feeding it so much air? it only lasts a couple of hours. only a small portion of THAT burn time is suitable for melting aluminum.
at these temperatures? i am burning thru solid steel 1/10th of an inch thick in under a half hour… my “budget crucible” right now is cut apart gas tanks. But, i need much thicker steel crucibles, so they can take the heat longer.
just imagine taking a HOUSE COAL FURNACE from the “old days”… and cranking the fire and heat up past the “danger zone” of over firing it, LMAO… if this thing would happen to CRACK the firebox and split apart while i am working right next to it? I’m dead. Simple as that. If i am not dead, i will wish i was and wont have feet and lower legs.
I have already learned the difference between “fire retardent” clothing? and fire-PROOF. Its a world of difference, ask me how i know this, ha ha.
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things i have to do yet?
I have to build, pretty much from scratch… a large OUTDOOR furnace that will do what this puppy is doing with me abusing it inside my house. Outside? if the firebox would split and dump the red/white hot fire out? I can simply step away and be safe. (“safe” is a word i am using very loosely here, ha ha)
I also have to get away from a crucible to melt the aluminum in, and then pour the molten aluminum into a mold… this has to be “bottom pour” where i can release a latch to let the molten aluminum flow out and into the mold(s).
I also have to start cleaning the scrap aluminum, melting it, and fluxing it… in ONE operation where i pour “clean ingots” of aluminum out into ingot molds… then a SECOND OPERATION will be re-melting the clean ingots, for a final pour into the mold shape. Right now i am doing it in one big long operation, and i am losing aluminum every step of the way trying to do it all in one big long operation.
once i get all that done… I am reading up on making sand casting molds…
i know i cant get “true” all one piece out of this? but, the head of the flashlight will be “all pill”.
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i am starting to wonder if i can manage to pour molten aluminum directly into the head of a MAGlite… the resulting MAGlite head? would then be one gigantic heatsink. I will machine the top to take a MCPCB, and the bottom side to take the driver and battery contact…
the only thing stopping me from trying it? is i am afraid i will melt the whole head, or, warp the small threads to the point they dont fit the body any more…
if this would work? i could pour into the HEAD of a large flashlight, turning the entire head into one gigantic heat sink.