Smelting copper

[bangerjim]

I'm buying scrap jackets for my own projects.

You can definitely get them to melt but it requires a lot more then just an open flame.

You'll need a partially enclosed refractory lined vessel and something inside to hold your jackets(crucible)

You then need some intense heat,

Propane weed eaters are popular.

Good luck with your projects.

Yep...............that is what it takes. I have a totally refractory lined electronic-controlled electric furnace that goes to over 2,200F (never run it that hot!) and will melt almost any "precious" metal I can stick in it. My largest crucible will hold ~10# Cu or other malleable metal. Oh......it is also a vacuum furnace, so it is great for heat treating the tooling I make under very high vacuum to eliminate oxidizations.

The only thing that comes close to those prolonged very high temps is a forced air blower charcoal furnace where you set the crucible down inside the charcoal pile.

banger

[onlylead]

I work at a copper refinery ,you will have to have thick molds of castiron to pour into .the copper has no reguard for plain old steel .

[TES]

If your making a trip to the scrap yard for lead, it cost nothing to take them along. I get dirty red brass price for jackets, and that buys more lead. I can always find some other junk to sell to pay for the trip.

This is what I was thinking.

I can buy a set up for 400.00 that will smelt and cast into ingots.
Take ingots to scrap yard and buy more lead or other stuff. That is unless you guys had a need for it first.

I figured that if I smelted and cast them I might get more money for them.

Right now all that copper is free and just a by product of what I do....so I figure a 400.00 investment and another tank of gas wont break the bank if I can get around 2.00 per pound out of them.

[shadowcaster]

TES...
I can buy a set up for 400.00 that will smelt and cast into ingots.

There is definitely interest.. Can you post a picture and a link to this setup?

Shad

[TES]

There is definitely interest.. Can you post a picture and a link to this setup?

Shad

http://www.foundry101.com/search.htm

[clodhopper]

That set up will be pretty time consuming. To overcome that, perhaps taking it another step farther and make your ingots art.
Pretty big step for us guys who want to make bullets.

[sparkz]

Copper or brass Small (Tube shaped) for (Cast Boolit) dead blow soft hammers,
might drill hole for say 1/2 x 13 for handles

best i could use it for, like to have a few small copper hammers for small work

Patrick

[TheGrimReaper]

Here they don't give anything for jackets. Buy it has srap like 0.10 a ibs

[bhn22]

Silly rabbits. Take up bronze and copper casting. You can make some rather unique items and sell them as a home based business. I've always wanted to do bronze, but never have had the time for it. Copper would be cool too. There are a large number of people doing it, just do a web search on it. As for the ingots, sell them to people who do home investment casting. So what if they're not pure? they'll probably make jewelry and do-dads for historical reenactors anyway. Or props for historical displays. Or an improved Tyler T-Grip for revolvers. Or...

[clodhopper]

An old thread from the swaging forum http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ing-range-lead

[Salmon-boy]

I'd suggest a copy of Mike Porter's book: http://www.amazon.com/Gas-Burners-Fo...michael+porter

[Victor N TN]

Jacket metal is referred to in the trade as "guilding metal". J4 jackets make their guilding metal from 90% copper and 10% tin. I have read there are a few companies using pure copper. But I can't remember them right off hand.

[kens]

There are several threads on this forum talking about sweetening lead with copper.
If you could make small ingots of a copper enriched alloy that folks could use to 'sweeten' their melt, you might get onto something.

[dikman]

The only thing that comes close to those prolonged very high temps is a forced air blower charcoal furnace where you set the crucible down inside the charcoal pile.

banger

Or a coke/coal forge. I melted brass in my coke forge, mainly just to see if I could do it. It worked, but then I couldn't think of a use for it. I also have a stash of copper pipe offcuts, which I also had the intention of melting down, but then wondered what I would do with it once it was melted .

Think I'll just stick to melting lead .

[lmfd20]

Check out backyardmetalcasting.com. I love that site. Shows you how to make furnaces at home.

[375RUGER]

I would want them to be hammer shaped.