Newbie, Idea's or the right place to look for a one time need to cast steel myself?

Hello all, I am new here. I have had an interest in casting and forging for years but have not done it since my teens. I want to set myself up with a small forge someday both for fun and to complement my home business but I am about to move and now is not the right time.

That said, I have a small steel chain that weighs about 10 ounces. This might sound odd but it holds a lot of sentimental value for me and represents an important part of my life. I would like melt and cast the majority of it into a small ingot while leaving a few links hanging out of the ingot - so it is still recognizable. I know the best way to do this is to find someone who is knowledgeable and has the right equipment but it's important to me that I do it on my own. So, basically I have a one time need to melt and cast a bit of steel short term. I am okay with spending $200-300 on a small furnace and tools if needed but maybe there is another way? I have a acetylene/air torch and the bottle will need to be emptied before I move cross country, can I just stack some chimney bricks or chimney liners (have both) with a crucible in the center, heat it up with the torch and wait (the math seems to work). I also have plenty of full propane tanks laying around. Or? All suggestions welcome.

Thanks, Travis

 

Steel with it's low carbon content melts at higher temperatures than iron and requires precautions to prevent it burning, like inert atmospheres or cover fluxes and bottom pour crucibles. You could melt it in an induction furnace with extra carbon to make iron but it's going to lose a significant amount to oxidation. Heating the chain and forging it into a block would be readily do-able,

 

Thank you both, that seems like excellent advice. I am betting there are already resources on here for forging on a budget? or do you think I can get away with just heating the chain up with my acetylene/air torch? I don't have an anvil but I have a lot of heavy steel around and can probably find something that will substitute for a one off, also have a large selection of sheet metal hammers, so I am probably good there.

 

Are you the Travis I know? (If you don’t recognize my hat avatar, then no.)

 

10 ounces is about 310 grams, if you have a decent welder (200 amps or more), you can order carbon rods and attach these to the welder and melt the chain with an electic arc. An oxyacetylene torch is rather tedious, unless you have a very large burner, but that will consume much expensive (and dangerous) C2H2 and oxygen gas. Instead of C2H2 you can use the cheaper propane but for melting 310g of steel it is rather tedious.
Commercial steel industry uses arc melting very often because of it quick and energy efficent way of reaching really high temperatures, much better than combustion.

 

Hi Salomon, The Salomon that I know on the east coast would likely describe his interest in haberdashery as a penchant for hats - at least from what I know of him. So I suspect you are him. Sorry for the delayed reply. Shoot me a PM, I will do the same shortly.

 

Thanks metallab, arc is a great suggestion. I had not thought of it. I have had several welders over the years, the last being a 1600amp but I do not have one at the moment. Your thoughts on oxy and propane are good to hear as well. Sorry for my delayed reply.

 

I think I am going to go with forging it into a block. I will buy some similar chain to test with and learn with before I try my hand at the final length of chain. I am looking at this inexpensive forge:

Mr Volcano Magma - Propane Forge Double Burner for Blacksmithing - Knife Making | eBay

I will likely have other uses for the forge long term, is it worth spending a bit more money for something a bit better or will this suffice for occasional use?

 

Seems we each know somebody with the other’s name. I’ve recommended this forum to the Travis I know, who’s also getting started with a foundry & forge.