DIY Aluminum Casting

During my undergrad, I helped build a DIY aluminum furnace from an old steel receptacle that had been used to store flammable material. We lined the interior with a mix of concrete and perlite, and created a crucible from a thick steel square beam capped at one end. To heat the foundry, we used charcoal as fuel and connected an air mattress blower to steel piping, providing the extra oxygen needed to reach the high temperatures required to melt aluminum.

After two successful firings and some refinement of our technique, we decided to share what we had learned by teaching a workshop on aluminum casting.