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View Full Version : Scrap Aluminium anybody ???



Beerbotboffin
22nd May 2006, 08:24 PM
Hi All,

was wondering if anybody in the Brisbane area has scrap aluminium that they would like to get rid of.

I use it to cast my own machinery.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Schtoo
23rd May 2006, 01:20 AM
What have you made so far? Pics would be nice too.

Just wondering... ;)

Beerbotboffin
25th May 2006, 06:59 AM
Have cast the bed and support blocks so far, pouring saddle, crossfeed slide on saturday. Need some more aluminium to do headstock and tailstock.

Will post a photo tomorrow, as I'm using the laptop today, and don't have any photo editing software.

The Big O
25th May 2006, 09:19 AM
I've got a truckload of scrap aluminium. Compliments of a man in a hurry.

Beerbotboffin
25th May 2006, 09:29 PM
Wow,

Wonderful offer, and You wouldn't believe how excited i got reading Your post.

Sadly, I'm in Brisvegas, Queensland.

Thankyou VERY kindly, though.

Mick C.
25th May 2006, 11:13 PM
Not sure what grade you are after, or even if it matters for what you are doing. But a good source of aluminium that i have used before for the same pourpose, is old Pistons, from all sorts of engines, maybe go and see a few engine reconditioners??? but maybe they sell them for scrap themselves??? Just a thought... Would love to see some pics! :)

Schtoo
26th May 2006, 12:24 AM
Uhh, pistons are about as good as it gets for casting ally.

Not like I would have found that out or anything... ;)

Beerbotboffin
26th May 2006, 05:58 PM
Hey guys,

Thanks heaps to all for suggestions - Yes, scrap pistons are an excellent source of ally, getting the shops to hand them over is another.

I really liked the offer of the caravan, having been chuckling about it all day.....

As for the grade, at this point it doesn't really matter, as it's just for machinery parts, nothing too exotic (at this stage)

Still looking though.

In the mean time a snap or two to see what you think.

Gra
26th May 2006, 06:11 PM
Not going to make your own world record Indian motor are you???:D:D

Mick C.
26th May 2006, 07:14 PM
Looking good! But whats it for???

Wondering what the mould is made from???? When i last cast something we used green sand? (sand, bentonite, coal dust..), its been a while, and was a total of just over 6.5Kg's for a Wheel for a project that never happened.

Whats the largest pour anyone has done in one go??? That 6.5Kg's was a BIG lift out of the furnace :)

Beerbotboffin
26th May 2006, 09:09 PM
Nah, no record attempts (yet....). It's the bed for the new lathe that I'm building, based on the Gingery design.

I have a Graphite-clay Crucible, which the size has burnt off, so can't actaully remember how much it holds, but think it's in the region of 4-5kg of ally. I usually melt MUCH more aluminium than is required, as it costs a fair bit for gas, so I think it makes sense to melt down as much as I can in a session, saving the balance for Ron (later on).

I too used to use green sand, with Bentonite as a binder, but when you actually compare green sand to an oil based sand, there's not daylight between them, it's a blazing sun! GREATLY improved surface finish, no porosity or ventng for moisture, no need to re-mull every 10 minutes etc. etc. Just pull it out of the bucket, and away you go. It's not cheap, though........

The only problem now is trying to get more aluminium to melt.

Actually, while I think of it, does anyone know a way to convert 3/8" L/H to 3/8" R/H? As in gas fittings????????

Mick C.
26th May 2006, 10:00 PM
Silver solder and a lathe ;)

The furnace i have under the house is fueled mainly with old transmission fluid, as oil yeilds a lot more energy than gas and can be made a lot hotter if you wanna get silly and start casting bronze, steel etc... and its FREE!

We actually start the furnace on kero then quickly change over, to oil only, using a twin needle valve made specially for the job. Setup is basicly two pressurized tanks @ about 15psi (one kero, one oil) fed to the twin needle valve, to allow mixing, then to a jet inside a nozzel with the exhaust from a vacume cleaner fed up its bum and its all away and so easy. From cold to a 6.5 Kg pot of molten aluminium ready to pour is under 12mins. If you want any extra info on my setup, i should be able to get you some pics.

I wanna see more pics as you go... I also wish i had more spare time! :)

Schtoo
27th May 2006, 01:23 AM
I think I should be using waste oil myself, but the big blue/purple flame I get off kerosene will just have to do. Just wish it wasn't such a PITA to keep running as I use a pressurized tank that runs at anywhere from 20-150 psi.

Plenty hot, lots of energy in the flame, just a pain to keep ticking. I go from a stone cold furnace to pouring ally (lots) in about 10-15 minutes. If the thing is already hot, another load takes about 5 minutes.

Faster if I have flames coming out the top, but I don't do that after I melted an iron pot in there...

Might even go with charcoal soon as I think I can get plenty of bamboo charcoal cheap/free and I can use it to run a cupola too.

I wish I had enough time to keep at it myself. ;)

BTW Beerbot, looks pretty good. :D

Beerbotboffin
27th May 2006, 09:16 AM
Mick C, not sure what you meant by 'silver solder and a lathe'.

Would love to check out your setup next time you give it a run! sounds awesome. Love to see some pics, too.

Schtoo, thanks heaps for the rap.

Mick C.
27th May 2006, 09:50 AM
Silver solder and a lathe... Get the two fittings that you wish to join (that arent ment to go together) and turn a lil spigot on one fitting, and a place for this to sit or press into on the other, and silver solder the two together, if you take your time, most people won't know that they have been joined.

Its been ages since the furnace has been fired up in anger, but i have one or two pics pitting about, i'll see what i can find and if i can scan a few.

I still wanna see more of your project :)

Beerbotboffin
27th May 2006, 10:19 AM
Will take more happy snaps as I progress. Doing a pour this afternoon, so expect a couple of shots tonight.

Stay tuned.......

soundman
28th May 2006, 11:51 PM
Have you tried the scrap metal dealers like scott metals at the gabba.
I usualy take my scrap copper there and what little aluminium scrap I get.

If you are paying the going rate I have a few kg at the moment.
some bits of extrusion, a few old pots & pans and some flood lights.


A mate of mine had a little side business casting ram tubes for webbers in his back yard. His source of choice was the wreckers for broken/ damaged mag wheels.

Speak to life line or vinnies & see what they do with all the crap cookware that people dump in their bins.

have you tried the dump.

cheers

Beerbotboffin
29th May 2006, 07:58 PM
Yeah, have tried the tip - they seem to think that they are Harrod's or Sach's. Don't think that anyone has pointed out to them that they're supposed to be RECYCLING, they want to charge retail. Good work, Logan Council......

Have also tried a couple of wreckers, none were keen on letting anything go. One bloke tried to tell me that he gets $8 a kilo............ Must be something in the water out this way...

Have also tried a few workshops, promise that they will get back to me, but never do.

Was just sort of hoping that somebody may have some old car/bike rims, or outdoor settings (things of that nature) that they no longer wanted. Quite happy to pickup, of course!

Thanks for the suggestions though.:D

Mick C.
29th May 2006, 11:05 PM
Panel Beaters, usually have heaps of bent roo bars, well out here anyway :) or you could try some auto gear box places, or maybe an Aviation repairer or engine shop, they frequently are changing pistons, or maybe u can get ur hands on left over spar's and strange lil pieces and castings, or a few bent props, lots of aluminium in them :) what about workshops, or better still engine shops, Repco and the likes, that do reco cylinder heads, there has to be a heap of rotted out and cracked beyond economical reapir cylinder heads out there, and corroded intake manifolds, maybe the junk pile at a machine shop........... but i guess u have already thought of all of these...... what about a mower shop, all those mower bases and whipper snipper crankcases, and pistons ;) ok i'll stop now. or maybe a turbo place for a few compressor housings.....

Wood Butcher
29th May 2006, 11:12 PM
Not to makeyou feelbad or anything Beerbot, but I gave around 120kg of ally scrap to the recyclers last month (good mate of mine, he'll return the favour, i hope).
Dad and I spent a weekend cleaning up his back shed and collected all the old engine pistons, mower casings and a couple of gearbox housings. If you had've been a bit earlier you could've had the lot.

Beerbotboffin
30th May 2006, 07:55 AM
bugger!

fxst
30th May 2006, 11:38 PM
bugger!
another hint....try the sailing clubs most masts are ally and can get bent (dont ask how I know) and get chucked out
Pete (who cast his for metal turning :D )

damienhazo
31st May 2006, 12:00 AM
If the cars in your neighbourhood start looking like this, we'll all know why:

24210

;) Damien

gpbrowne
1st Jun 2006, 09:33 PM
there's a scrap metal dealer behind stratco at virginia. can't remember the name but you can pick up aluminium for $3 per kg.