making cast aluminum wheels

[longcaribiner]

I came upon a small wooden spoke wheel in bad shape, but all there.  16 inches in diameter, 6 spoke. to use as a model.    I was thinking of casting a pair of wheels and I have a few bushel of aluminum cans.  I have limited casting experience.  I know how to make a sand cast mold.  What manner of crucible will I need?      (I've experimented with melting some cans down in a fire and made a few "puddle" ingots.)     It was easier than I thought.    I can supply the "blast" with the exhaust from a shop vac and some steel pipe under the coals.   Would a cast iron pot work as a crucible?   Maybe a piece of 8 inch pipe with an end cap?  I can jury rig a crane and trolley hoist with a swingset frame and a sliding barn door trolley.  A 8 foot long steel pipe with cross piece ought to work as a pour handle.      

[GGaskill]

Would a cast iron pot work as a crucible?   Maybe a piece of 8 inch pipe with an end cap?

Although many home casters use steel/iron crucibles for casting aluminum (and some get really defensive about it), iron contamination in aluminum causes porosity and weak castings.  It is possible to put a wash of refractory on the inside of the iron and minimize the problem but it is better to use something other than iron.  The problem is that better crucibles are not cheap.  So you have to decide what quality of product is desired.

I don't know how good a casting alloy melted cans is; probably not optimum, at least.

[longcaribiner]

Thanks, I thought there was a reason not to use iron, or more folks would attempt it.  The "can" aluminum I melted down to ingots so far has been pretty good.   Nice and shiny with very little slag.  I think I'll try to cast something small first to see how it goes.

[GGaskill]

I would add six more spokes to your pattern as US artillery wheels were either 12 spoke or 14 spoke.

[Matt Dixon]

I have tinkered a round with aluminum and i also found a cheep chunk of good aluminum is engine blocks mine was a 5 horse lawn mower engine just strip off the steel and if it has a cast iron sleeve melt it off.

[m223]

Longcaribiner, if you can, post some pictures of your results and equipment, even if it doesn't turn out the way you like. I like seeing do it yourself projects.  Good Luck.  Tracy 

[CU_Cannon]

A good place to go to find casting supplies is budgetcastingsupply.com.  Casting is hot stuff.  You don’t want to go cheep on the crucible. 

[Double D]

Which wheels are you goning to cast?  I have my doubts that if you cast field gun wheels that they will be strong enough to stand up to the stress of firing.