Is it feasible to smelter aluminum at home?

**LonesomeTriZ** · 10-03-2009, 11:00 AM

I do not even know is smelter is the correct word to use here. But I am wondering if I could smelter aluminum at home into billets myself. I got the idea from my dad. When I was young he would melt down lead to use for bullets and other things. It looked like a simple process, when he would get the lead to a melting point the impurities would float to the surface. I know aluminum has a higher melting point and the fumes would be an issue, but for the most part is it a feasible idea? Considering my future plans to buy machining equipment and my ideas for using aluminum in some future custom builds I would like to know if I can melt down the scrap I have myself at a cost effective way. If this is not a feasible idea do not flame me for it. I am asking because I do not know.

**SWIGIN** · 10-03-2009, 03:58 PM

sure, if you got a smelter (furnace) we had a nice little one in metal shop back in high school about the size of a small trash can.

i beleive the term is smelt.....like....i would like to smelt some aluminum.

but what do i know.

**LonesomeTriZ** · 10-03-2009, 04:04 PM

Thanks, I was nto sure how to use the word.

**lndy650** · 10-03-2009, 04:54 PM

i used to make my own bullets with lead too...it would be interesting to try aluminum

**LonesomeTriZ** · 10-03-2009, 05:58 PM

i am on the fence on whether or not I should go for it.

**300rman** · 10-03-2009, 06:33 PM

you just need something to heat the aluminum up enough to melt it. shop around for such equipment, and pound C/L and the rest fo the web. someone might just be going under and be willing to sell for cheap.

**hublake** · 10-03-2009, 07:30 PM

Would a furnace that they use in cermics work? Don't know how hot aluminum needs to be to melt.

**lndy650** · 10-03-2009, 07:56 PM

^i think that would work. aluminum melts around 1250

**LonesomeTriZ** · 10-03-2009, 09:09 PM

That is a good idea.

**harryredtrike** · 10-03-2009, 09:34 PM

melting point for aluminum 1220.666 degrees fahrenheit

**LonesomeTriZ** · 10-04-2009, 09:06 AM

That is pretty hot, but in small quantities I think it can be done at home.

**wheelie king** · 10-04-2009, 12:23 PM

Louis, you friggin amaze me. You don't slow down for a minute, bro.

YES is the answer, but the difficult part will be maintaining a manageable temperature and environment to prevent the metal from rapidly cooling, leaving you with an unmanageable glob. Melting the stuff is easy, but handling it and containing it, while still maintaining malleablility is the tricky part.

Let us know what you do, Louis.

**LonesomeTriZ** · 10-04-2009, 12:43 PM

If I am able to pull off what I have planned (after I get hired and start getting an income) I can go through with the ideas I have for all the parts I need that no one makes.

**hondahaulic** · 10-08-2009, 12:39 AM

when i was in highschool we had a small furnace 'thing' that would melt maybe 2 quarts of aluminum at a time. We used it for making sand castings, for my project I had about a 5x10 inch plate about 3/4" thick with HONDA in raised letters on one side. There was never an issue with the aluminum cooling too quickly after heated. It probably took about 30 seconds of handling it off of the heat to get it poured, and there were never issues with it cooling too early.

**LonesomeTriZ** · 10-08-2009, 08:22 AM

What kind of parts was the aluminum from that you melted?

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Is it feasible to smelter aluminum at home?