Recyling metal

HI Gang -

Want to melt my scrap metal - copper, Fine silver and Sterling
silver.

What do I need to buy in terms of crucibles, flux, forms?

Thanks!!
Jean O

Dish crucible with a handle. Borax for Flux and an ingot mold. You
can make the ingot mold but it needs to be steel.

My favorite crucible is the Burno which comes in three pieces.
Melting dish, the hood which covers the dish, and tongs. I use iron
bindingwire to securely fasten the tongs to the crucible. That way
it cannot come apart at an inopportune moment. The reason I like it
is that it holds the heat well, when melting my silver, and best of
all has a lip, so that pouring the molten metal is very easy, and
the silver goes where it is intended. Rio Grande has them.

I gave a workshop in cuttlebone casting, and the funnel we cut into
the cuttlebone is quite small, and takes accuracy in pouring. Those
using the Burno had complete success, even though it was their first
time melting and pouring metal.

Another crucible is the “Whip” also carried by Rio. I have not used
it, but it has been highly recommended by several Orchidians in the
past. Whichever you get, be sure to season it well with theborax
flux—good old 20 Mule team works just fine. You will get
directions with the crucible, or on the Rio website. Alma

Metal poored into sand casting has a better structure to work with.

A steel ingot is not a must. Sand casting is much easier to do to my
opinion.

Just saying.

A steel ingot is not a must. Sand casting is much easier to do to
my opinion. 

What holds the sand?

I gave a workshop in cuttlebone casting, and the funnel we cut
into the cuttlebone is quite small, and takes accuracy in pouring.
Those using the Burno had complete success, even though it was
their first time melting and pouring metal. 

Thanks, Alma! Great ideas!

I know this is done with silver scraps, but can you melt and cast
copper scraps, too? I realize the alloys aren’t always the same,
which is my concern about copper and why I ask.

Cheers,
Becky

Rebecca- No, not with the kids of tools that most of us have. Trust
me on this.

Have fun and make lots of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com

What holds the sand?" 

Frames used for delft clay casting in a stand-up position.

The round ones are to my opinion not as good as the the rectangular.

The frame just need to hold the sand, they don’t need to take any
heat.

I’ve seen wooden ones and they last a long time if you take care of
them.

You have to be careful because they are subject to burn if you spoil
molted metal but other then that they serve you perfectly.

If you’re a handy person you can make them yourself.

The benefit of making them is that you can decide by youself about
the size you want them.

always just used wood

You can easily make casting frames out of the PVC boards that you can
buy at Lowes, Home Depot Etc. Just keep the heat away from them. Rob

Rob Meixner