Reddit reviews Hardin HD-2344SS Stainless Steel Tabletop Melting Furnace with 4 Kilogram Crucible 110 Volt
We found 2 Reddit comments about Hardin HD-2344SS Stainless Steel Tabletop Melting Furnace with 4 Kilogram Crucible 110 Volt. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Proven and Durable 14 Gauge Swedish Kanthal Heating Element4 KG High Purity Graphite Crucible IncludedRoughly 20-35 minutes for most melting operations. Max temp 1200°C/2192°F (Display in Fahrenheit)User Friendly Microprocessor PID Electronic Temperature ControlContinuous Run 4 1/2 Fan To Keep Electronics and PID Cool
https://www.amazon.ca/Hardin-HD-2344SS-Stainless-Tabletop-Kilogram/dp/B00A9WQO5O
So what hot stuff do you work with? Hot is kind of an understatement when it comes to molten metal. Molten metal comes with it's own share of unique problems, that quite frankly many back yard casters choose to ignore.
u/vigg-o-rama has set you up on the right path, but I think he overlooked that you were talking copper too. The advice he gave is pretty damn good for aluminum, but copper is not aluminum, and behaves nothing like it. Take it as a starting point.
If you want to buy something, buy a gold furnace. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/HARDIN-234-4-Melting-Furnace-Casting-Recycling/dp/B00A9WQO5O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469799337&sr=8-2&keywords=jewelry+furnace
a 4kg gold furnace will have a melting capacity of about 1lb of aluminum, and about 4lbs of copper. I am assuming your dad is a contractor and you're using wire scraps. You shouldn't have any troubles putting it into one of these furnaces.
If you want to DIY it, but are concerned about the refractory, just buy a commercial furnace refractory. It takes some looking, but it isn't hard to get if you are willing to pay for it.
Get a real crucible, you don't have time to play around with DIY when dealing with copper. I would do my best not to use metal molds, and if you do, make sure they're steel, and have been pre-heated before you pour anything into them.
On the safety side of things, leather is your friend. Copper will ignite cloth on contact, and really does't stop it at all. Aluminized PPE is even better.
What do you plan on doing with your ingot when you're done?