Electric Kiln for Metal Melting

Advantages

• Low cost - essentially the cost of a $10 kiln heating element, and balance for refractory material and steel for case and legs.

Howto

• Connect 2 heating elements by threading around a threaded rod - 3:30
• 1.5 meters long works for 250V - 3:40
• Resistance in his case - 33 Ohm when cold - 3:45
• Fire Bricks - 5:20. Note CEBs work well as fire bricks per results from Hydronic Stove, and results would probably improve if we used perlite. This would be a good product.

BOM

• Kiln Heating Element - $10 - [1]
• Clay graphite crucible - 10kg for $40 - [2]
• Make your own graphite crucibles - flake graphite - 25 cents/lb for ton quantities. Or 16 lb (1 gal) for $45 [3]
• Silicon carbide - $1.75/lb - [4]

DIY Clay Graphite Crucibles

• Open Source Metallurgy Crucible
• Article - flake graphite + silicon carbide + high fire clay - [5]

Limits

• Nichrome wire melts at 1400C
• Kanthal wire melts at 1500C - good for steel melting? [6]
• 20kW, 150lb aluminum furnace - [7]
• 2350F for this one - [8]

Industry Standards

• $150 on Alibaba - [9]
• $300 for 1.5 kW small electric - [10]
• 1.6kW 3 kg - $300 - [11]

See Also

• Open Source Metallurgy Construction Set