Ed Huntress wrote:

I use the oddball stuff for items where the strength isn't a real issue,
Decorative stuff or covers and such.
The high silicon gets used for wear related items. I like using it for
castings that will end up handling abrasive abuse or in locations where
it will be the wear surface. Yes it can be a real PIA to machine but it
wears real well once finished.

It makes REALLY nice bullet molds.

I use various molds, sand, metal, lost wax/plaster. Two home built
furnaces. One is electric and one gas. The electric is NICE for temp
control and even heating. The gas is much faster to full heat but hard
on alloys.

I'd like to get into it some more, and I'm half-equipped, thanks to
the generosity of onr of our regulars here. Now I have to build a
furnace. I built one of those little Gingery charcoal furnaces around
20 years ago, and it was enough to get me interested, but it
deteriorated and I haven't replaced it yet with something better.

Soon...


I started with a charcoal unit. They work BUT the temperature control is
REALLY difficult to do with repeatable results.
The gas units work pretty well IF you have a source of low priced gas to
feed them. These days that can be difficult if you don't have a NG line
already.

This was the basic idea I used for my electric.

http://www.dansworkshop.com/2008/03/...ing-furnace-2/

Mine is larger than this and has better temperature controls (from an
industrial oven with three temperature sensors)

From a cold start I can have a batch ready to pour in about an 1.5
hours. The batches after that take about 30-45 minutes after loading.

The gas unit takes about 45 minutes from a cold start and 20 or so for
each additional batch. But you don't have the thermal control over the melt.

--
Steve W.