Copper Casting
 

Greetings,
I would like to make a couple of sinks for my kitchen. I have found plenty of nice looking copper apron sinks, which is the look I want. But I don’t like the thin feel and tinny sound of the sinks I have looked at. Consequently I want to make my own. I figure on a wall thickness of ¼” and a 2” mostly solid apron with carvings on the from on the apron. The process I am planning to use is the Lost Wax Casting method. I am not sure how to design the furnace, gas powered, electric power, charcoal powered? An induction furnace would be ideal but I’m sure that would be too expensive. The sinks are going to need about a cubic foot of copper each or about 500 lbs each. I have a whole list of other things I want to make such as iron door hinges, entry lock sets, etc. So I don’t mind spending a little on the furnace as I plan to use it a lot in the coming years.

Questions:
1. Any thought on the furnace design?
2. Any thoughts on lost wax casting large objects? Should I use plaster or ceramic? If I use plaster, what should I reinforce the mix with, fiberglass?
3. I’m thinking of using pure copper, but is there an advantage to using a different copper alloy?
4. Where is a good place to buy copper ingot for small project like this, 1,000 lbs total.

Thanks in advance,
-Bryan