The Bucket Foundry

[Flettner]

24 Teeth to 63, also to help keep resonance at bay.

[WilDun]

Went on the scrounge today, found a place where they sold welding rods in small quantities, got 12 s/s - that'll keep me going for a while.

Then as I passed the scrapyard (my car insisted on turning in there for some reason) and I got a cardboard box full of reject unused castings - they look to me to be diesel injector pump bodies for Bosch/CAV - probably rejects from setting up for production runs, some ones are labelled Lucas, with some other unidentified castings as well, two unused diesel pistons etc.etc. - one of my lucky days really! I tried a cut on one with my little power hacksaw and they seem to be good strong quality aluminium, and not a spot of oil on them!
I should have some of them in the pot soon!

Some pics to show that I'm actually doing something, like beginning to try melting ali in the microwave ( got it up to 5 mins now) crucible stinking hot but no melt yet.
Beginning to think I'll need a good fan to keep the works cool though, wiring can burn!
Still using the original glass plate and rotator - everything is reasonably cool outside the insulation blanket which I secured properly with fibreglass tape and which stayed intact!
Something else I bought today in the secondhand shop was a couple of little porcelain cups to contain the crucible packed around with charcoal granules (helluva stuff when you try to break up charcoal into granules - got to wear a good mask! Going to try some of my Raglan magnetite sand mixed with it next, also coke if I can find it - anybody know who sells that? (no smartass remarks please).

My ordinary furnace is ready with it's broken lid replaced with a big pot plant saucer with a hole gouged in the top!

Don't worry Neil,I won't up there challenging you for a while yet

[speedpro]

Ages ago, Suzuki made a race kit for their A100,. These might have also been around in Kiwiland as well.

They were. A mate and I bought a fully kitted A100 for $50. I wanted the wheels for my 50 and he got the engine. Suzuki NZ had 5 race kit cylinders. We bought them as well for $15ea, in about mid 80s.

[husaberg]

Went on the scrounge today, found a place where they sold welding rods in small quantities, got 12 s/s - that'll keep me going for a while.

Then as I passed the scrapyard (my car insisted on turning in there for some reason) and I got a cardboard box full of reject unused castings - they look to me to be diesel injector pump bodies for Bosch/CAV - probably rejects from setting up for production runs, some ones are labelled Lucas, with some other unidentified castings as well, two unused diesel pistons etc.etc. - one of my lucky days really! I tried a cut on one with my little power hacksaw and they seem to be good strong quality aluminium, and not a spot of oil on them!
I should have some of them in the pot soon!



Don't worry Neil,I won't up there challenging you for a while yet

This might interest you Wil a much better use of the Microwave.





Has some pretty Cool Rockets motors as well

[WilDun]

Yes, but I'm reliably told that a lot of people insist on using aluminium cans and which, although high quality aluminium, it is a totally unsuitable grade for casting - But I'll check it all out just the same!
I intend to try all the different ways of casting and figure out which is best for me - all good fun of course and maybe in 20 or so years, I'll be right up there with Flettner! - hang on a minute - I'm 71 now ........91 yeah, well maybe!

[husaberg]

Yes, but I'm reliably told that a lot of people insist on using aluminium cans and which, although high quality aluminium, it is a totally unsuitable grade for casting - But I'll check it all out just the same!
I intend to try all the different ways of casting and figure out which is best for me - all good fun of course and maybe in 20 or so years, I'll be right up there with Flettner! - hang on a minute - I'm 71 now ........91 yeah, well maybe!

It was more for the other stuff, it was a bit of fun, I believe that the Cans are poos because they are not cast material.
The Arc furnace looks esp fun.
I will see if I can find the kitty litter rocket motors (well not totally kitty litter) but a great potential source of Bentonite clay.

2000FT 70c US

[Frits Overmars]

... a great potential source of Bentonite clay.

Great video. Also a great potential way of losing a hand or an eye, or both.
I fooled around quite a bit with those ingredients when I was young and reckless. Now that I'm old and reckless, it may be the time to say a few words.
In this 5 minutes video you will have lots of opportunities to hurt yourself for life. You may not even need two minutes.
At 1:35 , screwing the lid on can have a surprising effect if a bit of the powder mix is caught in the thread.
But don't be disappointed if nothing happens; at 1:40 shaking the stuff just might set it off.
Still no joy? Then at 1:50 pouring it from one plastic container to another could be a fine opportunity for static electricity to throw in a spark.
If all of the above was without success, then there's 3:20 : hammering it with a mallet. I wouldn't try that if they offered me a million.
And finally, at 4:05 : drilling. Friction? What friction?...

[husaberg]

Great video. Also a great potential way of losing a hand or an eye, or both.
I fooled around quite a bit with those ingredients when I was young and reckless. Now that I'm old and reckless, it may be the time to say a few words.
In this 5 minutes video you will have lots of opportunities to hurt yourself for life. You may not even need two minutes.
At 1:35 , screwing the lid on can have a surprising effect if a bit of the powder mix is caught in the thread.
But don't be disappointed if nothing happens; at 1:40 shaking the stuff just might set it off.
Still no joy? Then at 1:50 pouring it from one plastic container to another could be a fine opportunity for static electricity to throw in a spark.
If all of the above was without success, then there's 3:20 : hammering it with a mallet. I wouldn't try that if they offered me a million.
And finally, at 4:05 : drilling. Friction? What friction?...

Physicist's take all the fun from Chemistry.

If you really want to see something lethal have a look at the Variable speed power supply Scary-a-vac.
That made me very very scared.
I was surprised at the lack of American litigation protection stuff.
Then again I learnt to make Fulminate of Mercury from an old encyclopaedia when I was about 11.

[WilDun]

Husa,
Sorry Husa,
Yes it is fun to watch, I hadn't seen all the videos before I replied but I had seen the "can melting " one before
Been having a look since and I'm amazed at what can actually be done! A far cry from the old lead medals we used to cast in metal jam jar lids when we were kids ....... or is it?
I do actually have some long carbon rods somewhere in my lifetime collection, these are specifically for welders, so I may drag them out again (I can see a few blown fuses or tripped switches looming though!).
I do know a few little guys who I wouldn't like to see trying any of this stuff though! - the guy in the videos, although good to watch doing this stuff, makes it look a bit too easy and I do agree with Frits on safety! - the SCARIAC, ....... amazing, lethal? I would like to try that but maybe I shouldn't, should it be on video????

The mini furnace etc. tends to make all my efforts look a bit over complicated but hopefully mine will last (as opposed to a one shot wonder), but I mustn't detract from the sheer ingenuity and simplicity of this guy's stuff!

[Zedder]

Physicist's take all the fun from Chemistry.

If you really want to see something lethal have a look at the Variable speed power supply Scary-a-vac.
That made me very very scared.
I was surprised at the lack of American litigation protection stuff.
Then again I learnt to make Fulmate of Mercury from an old encyclopaedia when I was about 11.

Lol, love it!

[Frits Overmars]

Physicists take all the fun from Chemistry.

I was more concerned about the reverse situation...

That Scariac didn't scare me all that much. Maybe because I grew up with this system; it was used to control the merry-go-rounds at the fairs.
But back then they didn't use that dangerous drain cleaner; they just filled the device with salt water. You know, the stuff that emits chloric gas when you send an electrical current through it.
(Chloric gas nearly killed me when I made it at home as a kid. I was playing with sulfuric acid and bleech and I can now say: don't try this at home. Or anywhere).

[Flettner]

Slowly assembling the parts.

[husaberg]

Slowly assembling the parts.

that's not slow when you have designed and made most of it from scratch Neil..............

[F5 Dave]

Can you add a gearbox to that? I've been wasting my time with my 496 CPI.

[Flettner]

Can you add a gearbox to that? I've been wasting my time with my 496 CPI.

I have gear clusters in my pattern shop ready for a modified pattern. Will run a ballance shaft.