Need some info on burnout furnace

Discussion in 'Lost wax casting' started by flask_copper_man, Jul 11, 2022.

  1. Up until yesterday I was thinking that putting the lost wax mold in the burn out furnace was to meld the wax and let it drain out. I was reading on this one web site and it said that the wax was evaporated, not melted and drain out of the mold. Is thas true? I am trying to get around paying over $700 for a burn out furnace. When you put the mold in the burnout furnace do you put the hole where you pour the metal in the mold down or up?
    You can tell I am very new to casting.
    Thank you
    Renny
     
  2. Mantrid

    Mantrid Silver

    The wax melts and flows out. Heating is continued and the temperature rises higher and the remaining wax burns in air to make mostly carbon dioxide and water vapour which are gasses and go up into the atmosphere. The shell or invetment should be free of soot if done properly. In the case of ceramic shell it turns a nice clean white colour.
     
  3. mytwhyt

    mytwhyt Silver

    Since it's jewelry you want to cast this is what you would need. There are other ways, but this would be a cheap way to get started. The metal is melted in the crucible, and the machine spins and moves the metal into the flask. The burnout oven can be a small used electric oven, big enough to accept the largest flask you'll be using. You can buy everything new for a lot move money.
    You'll also need a couple tanks and regulators, one small oxygen tank. and one propane tank. A 5-gallon propane tank is what I use. Acetylene regulators work fine with a propane. A torch for melting the metal will be needed. There's more needed, but first a lot of reading on the process involved on jewelry casting and finishing.
    The tub you'll need can be bought at Home Depot. If metal spills when the machine spins, it pays for itself first time... Kerr casting machine for sale | eBay

    Came here after posting in your printer thread.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2023
  4. mytwhyt

    mytwhyt Silver

  5. I don't use wax, all my investment casting uses models printed with castable resin.

    You do need a way to adequately burn out the pattern, whether wax or resin. It is also highly desirable to have a programmable PID controller on the oven so the burn out cycle is done automatically to properly burn out the pattern and make the investment go through the chemical changes it needs to go through. At one time the temperature adjustments were done manually, but it involves adjusting the temperature about half a dozen times over about 12 hours.

    There are a couple of lower priced sources for a burn out oven. One is to make your own. VOGMAN on Youtube shows how to do it in videos 3-4 years ago, including how to calculate and wind the element.

    The second way is to get a *small* ceramic kiln. Front loading is nice, but top loading can be used. The ones that come at a good price probably don't have the programable PID and relay but one can be bought or built and the kiln plugged into it. It will still set you back about $100 for the PID and $100 or more for a used kiln.

    I'm on my third burn out oven, each a little bigger than the last, and I have only put a total of about $600 into all of them.
     

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