Is it possible to melt cast iron using propane?

[Andrew Mawson]

Hi,

I down graded my foundry furnace from one that burnt diesel oil, to a
propane fired one, all caused by the neighbour building a kitchen only
10 foot from my garden foundry!

Previously I melted cast iron occasionally, and it was fine with the
diesel, but so far I have only poured aluminium and its alloys since
installing the propane.

Has anyone any experience melting cast iron with propane, indeed is it
possible, or will I just empty a gas bottle for no good result?

TIA
.... Happiness is a fully ticked off list ....

Andrew Mawson Bromley, Kent 0208-402-0355

[Wolfgang Habicher]

Andrew Mawson wrote:

> Has anyone any experience melting cast iron with propane, indeed is it
> possible, or will I just empty a gas bottle for no good result?
>

Andrew,

Although I haven't cast any iron as of today, I do hope to try my hand
at it in the not-so-distant future. It IS a fascinating subject / skill.

Depending on the cast iron and your propane burner you should be able to
melt iron. Unfortunately I cannot give you any particulars but I
believe others have done so. Perhaps an experienced hand will enlighten
us with his experience.

Gray iron and a large burner with good fuel/gas mixing should do it.
IIRC the combustion temperature of propane in air is over 3500 deg F.,
and most cast irons melt well below this temp. in the range of approx.
1900 deg. F. to 2700 deg. F.

Wolfgang

[Todd Rich]

http://www.webpak.net/~rreil and go the the forge and foundry page.

Andrew Mawson <and...@br13jl.demon.co.uk> writes:
: Hi,

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[mark rand]

What sort of burner did you use when using diesel? I have been thinking of
this as the next millenium's project and haven't seen many examples of
diesel/paraffin fueled burners.

Regards
Mark Rand
RTFM

"Todd Rich" <to...@xprimenet.com> wrote in message
news:92j9ck$v$1...@nnrp2.phx.gblx.net...

[chuck fellows]

There are a number of interesting web pages on propane forges if you do a
search from Google. They mention reach high enough heat to forge weld
steel.

Also, I had (had is the operative word) plans in a 1970's Popular Science or
Popular Mechanics for a small blast furnace that would melt iron. It was
made from insulated fire brick and the burner was made from gas pipe,
nothing fancy.

If you have a powerful enough blower and can get enough propane through the
nozzle, you should be able to melt iron.

Chuck Fellows
Cave Creek, AZ

"Andrew Mawson" <and...@br13jl.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:onnBVBAf...@br13jl.demon.co.uk...

[Al Schoepp]

A friend of mine regularly melts cast iron with a normally aspirated (no
blower)propane burner. His website is;

http://www.cable-lynx.net/~rwenig/index.html

Al

--
Al
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/a_schoep

[Andrew Mawson]

Mark,

The burner was a simple orifice for the diesel that flowed under gravity
(5 foot head) co-axially with the air. This assembly put the fuel/air
into the furnace tangentially so the flame burnt in a circle around the
crucible emerging from a hole in the top of the furnace. The air was
from a centrifugal fan that gave something like 150 cfm at 20 psi, it
was driven by a 3 HP motor.

Both air and diesel were tap controlled (diesel was a needle valve, air
was a butterfly) to adjust flame volume and colour - the makers
instructions were to adjust until there was a 3 foot long flame emerging
from the top of the furnace with a nice 'Bunsen' appearance.

Quite scary firing it up for the first few times until familiarity bred
incaution!

Regards,

Andrew

In article <978136099.5097.0...@news.demon.co.uk>, mark
rand <ra...@willans.demon.co.uk> writes

[mark rand]

Thanks!

Regards
Mark Rand

"Andrew Mawson" <and...@br13jl.demon.co.uk> wrote in message

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