Making a New Burner for the Furnace

[SculptyWorks]

We needed a better burner, so we made one!

[Altair]

Thanks SculptyWorks! We've added your Furnace Burner to our Forging and Casting category,
as well as to your builder page: SculptyWorks's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Furnace Burner by SculptyWorks

tags: furnace, burner

[auswelder]

Thanks for that, looks like an easy burner to make.

Now can you please post some details on your actual furnace and how you went about making that?

Thankyou

[SculptyWorks]

Thanks for that, looks like an easy burner to make.

Now can you please post some details on your actual furnace and how you went about making that?

Thankyou

Of course, there is a video on that too.

[auswelder]

Thanks for that, one of the better designs that I have seen, have you thought about adding ceramic blanket to the outside of the bricks to increase efficiency? Might need a bigger bucket though.

How long does it take to heat up before you can start melting aluminium?

[SculptyWorks]

Thanks for that, one of the better designs that I have seen, have you thought about adding ceramic blanket to the outside of the bricks to increase efficiency? Might need a bigger bucket though.

How long does it take to heat up before you can start melting aluminium?

I considered some Kaowool but I'm super paranoid about fibrous materials like that when they aren't encapsulated, so I'm not planning to use any anytime soon.

I should have timed how long it takes to get to melting temperature (I will next time), but a rough estimate was it took about 15 minutes with the old Harbor Freight torch, and less than 5 minutes with the new burner.

[DIYSwede]

Insulating firebricks should get up to temp faster, as they're less dense and with better insulation properties.
They mightn't last as long, tho. Kinda brittle, and to be able to stand up to the flame for melting brass:
The "26" variety of up to 1400°C / 2552°F is also pretty expensive.

You could also DIY an insulating refractory out of silica sand, bentonite clay and perlite (found at garden supply stores) as aggregate,
and use ordinary cheap waterglass as a binder.
The suggested proportions of aggregate and binder are as many as there are Backyard foundry sites, tho.
Seems like they'll eventually crack, some more than others, (the foundries - not the sites!) and YMMV.
Mine did, after about 15 charcoal briquette burns. 2" wall thickness and still you didn't burn yourself on its sides.

Personally: I'm aiming for a max 1350°C, 4 kW 10A 400VAC electric foundry with J26 insu-bricks:
easier to cut, no binder, also silent in operation, less hot fumes, no flame,
but much slower than a fiery, roaring, honcho burner.
Probably a thread here one of these days...

2 cents
Johan