My Foundry
When I first started out I built the furnace and used it in one of my car sheds. When I progressed and built more tools and equipment I had to find another place to put it. I had another small shed with a cement floor and decided to use it. As it was so small I fitted wheels to the furnace so it could be moved in and out of the shed. I built doors for the shed and moved a cement block I had outside for the furnace to sit on and filled in around it with gravel and topped it off with sand. I had cast up a sign for the foundry while I was operating out of the previous shed so I painted it and attached it above the door.
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| Foundry sign |
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| Gravel and sand area |
The furnace has had wheels added so it can be wheeled into the shed.
I made hooks and attached the tools such as crucible lifter, fire poker,dross skimmer etc to the door near the furnace. Inside the shed I put my moulding bench, the sand riddle I built, a cupboard and hooks and shelves, my green sand is kept in the black container under the moulding bench.
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| Furnace wheeled into shed |
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| Moulding bench with green sand in black box |
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| Shelves above moulding bench |
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| Another new shelf |
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| Moulding bench sand riddle and shelves |
The shelf (left) and the top (right) are new additions.
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| New shelf and hooks for casting boxes |
I have found that you can never have enough shelves and storage space. Every new tool or casting bow has to go somewhere! With a small space like this you have to make use of any space you can find.Moulding tools are mounted on hooks on the edge of the shelf above the moulding bench. Casting boxes are on hooks on the wall and the base boards are either above the casting boxes or on the shelves. The green sand box slides out on to the stool when in use and the excess sand is returned to the box either by brush or the strike off tool (used to level the sand to the top of the casting box) I use both wooden and steel casting boxes, but prefer steel.
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| Another view of moulding bench |
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| Storage for moulding boxes |
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| Moulding tools |
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Low doorway for tall people
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| More new casting boxes |
The doorway to the furnace is a bit low (for tall people) so I made up a sign to suit.
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| Some of the moulding tools |
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| Sand riddle (sieve) |
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| Solar panel for battery charging |
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| Green sand box ready to use |
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| Regulator for solar panel and shed CD player |
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| Ball mill, battery and ingot storage |
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| Ingots in plastic drums |
The ball mill was built for crushing up granular bentonite for the green sand. The plastic drums are used to store the ingots when the scrap is melted. I keep the different types of aluminium in separate containers.
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| Storage cupboard and used sand drum |
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| Sand riddle under bench |
The metal drum is used to catch thee hot sand after the casting has solidified and the casting is shaken out. The sand riddle is used to sieve the sand and bentonite to remove foreign matter and to get the mixture as fine as possible
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| Extension to foundry |
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| Tools mounted on door |
The tools were originally mounted on the end of the moulding table, but after making the sand riddle there was not enough room. After using the furnace and wheeling it in and out of the shed every time, I added a roof over the top so it can stay out if necessary and doesn't have to be shifted if it rains while being used.
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| Furnace under new extension |
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| New awning |
The awning was added after it fell off a trailer I was following one night and nearly landed on my bonnet. It was no doubt on its way to the tip, so I picked it up with the intention of melting it down, but decided it would be better above the doorway.
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| Scrap awaiting the furnace |
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| Wood supply for the furnace |
That pretty much covers the furnace and foundry to date. I am currently erecting a fence to keep the cows and horses out! Next time I will cover more on the tools I use and the making of the green sand I use.
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