singleshotbuff
04-17-2006, 08:01 PM
Gentlemen,
I completed a project last night that I thought might be of interest to others.
I had been using my turkey fryer burner to process wheelweights and cast boolits in my garage. Worked well enough, just a bit too low to the ground. I decided I needed a taller, and if possible portable, casting setup that I could use in the garage during wet weather or roll outside when it's nice.
So, from my neighbor who hauls junk for scrap, I acquired an old gas barbeque grill that was missing the grill part. The cart was in decent shape and the regulator and side tables were intact. I had planned on attaching my fryer burner to it at the right height and making the rest into work space. Howver, this grill had a side burner on it that is used (when cooking not casting) to prepare side dishes etc. On a whim I hooked my tank up to the gas line and tried to light the side burner, thinking if it worked I might use it to pre-heat my molds instead of my hot plate. It worked just fine, so on another whim I set a pot of boolit metal on it. I really didn't expect it would melt very well or fast, so I was surprised when it melted the pot of metal just about as fast as my fryer burner.
I used some scrap wood to make a workspace where the original grill was, and I made a removable leg from a 2X2 that I can bolt under the burner side to keep the cart stable. I now have a casting table at the right height that I can roll outside when the weather is nice. It has plenty of work area, I'm going to add a bit of storage underneath by the propane tank for ingots, and it even has a little basket on the front (originally for salt & pepper etc) where I can put my ladle and sprue knocker.
If you're looking to build a portable casting cart, consider an old gas grill. People throw them out all the time when the grill part rusts out.
SSB
I completed a project last night that I thought might be of interest to others.
I had been using my turkey fryer burner to process wheelweights and cast boolits in my garage. Worked well enough, just a bit too low to the ground. I decided I needed a taller, and if possible portable, casting setup that I could use in the garage during wet weather or roll outside when it's nice.
So, from my neighbor who hauls junk for scrap, I acquired an old gas barbeque grill that was missing the grill part. The cart was in decent shape and the regulator and side tables were intact. I had planned on attaching my fryer burner to it at the right height and making the rest into work space. Howver, this grill had a side burner on it that is used (when cooking not casting) to prepare side dishes etc. On a whim I hooked my tank up to the gas line and tried to light the side burner, thinking if it worked I might use it to pre-heat my molds instead of my hot plate. It worked just fine, so on another whim I set a pot of boolit metal on it. I really didn't expect it would melt very well or fast, so I was surprised when it melted the pot of metal just about as fast as my fryer burner.
I used some scrap wood to make a workspace where the original grill was, and I made a removable leg from a 2X2 that I can bolt under the burner side to keep the cart stable. I now have a casting table at the right height that I can roll outside when the weather is nice. It has plenty of work area, I'm going to add a bit of storage underneath by the propane tank for ingots, and it even has a little basket on the front (originally for salt & pepper etc) where I can put my ladle and sprue knocker.
If you're looking to build a portable casting cart, consider an old gas grill. People throw them out all the time when the grill part rusts out.
SSB