[Inventthis]

Does anybody know where I can find free cupola plans to melt iron?
I looked online without any luck.

[acondit]

I don't know about free but if you google Lindsay Books they have some good books on building cupolas.

Alan

[ErnieD]

Try Lindsay's Publications. They have many helpful plans for the home shop "tinkerer". Just Google Lindsay's and you will find them.

ErnieD

[rowbare]

I googled "cupola furnace" and found these in the first few links:


http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/cupola02.html

http://www.rockisland.com/~marshall/foundry.html oops not free...

[paprjam]

I have Marshall's book, it's excellent. The BYMC site's furnace didn't work very well and he hasn't posted any updates on it.
Cupolas are pretty simple, just a metal tube with a good refractory lining. I wouldn't recomend any homemade refractory or all you'll get done is patch.
Size depends on how much you want to tap, and how many people you have to help run it. If it's just you, then your probably limited to a 7 or 8 inch bore.
I'm planning one out of 3 five gallon metal buckets with about an 8 inch bore.
Fuel is the tricky part, if you can find a good source of coke I think that would be the best or real hardwood charcoal as a close second. Brickettes won't work and will clog up the whole thing with cinders from the binders they use.
You'll also need a pretty big blower. better to have too large than not enough.
For now, I'm melting small amounts of Iron in a crucible furnace. Sure messes up the crucible.

[paprjam]

Here is a link to a very old table top cupola. I would suggest more safety equipment.
http://www.copperstarways.com/Downlo...laExcelent.pdf

[Inventthis]

Thank you all for your replies and the useful links.
Cheers

[paprjam]

We expect Photos and videos.

[TrickyCNC]

Here is a link to a very old table top cupola. I would suggest more safety equipment.
www.copperstarways.com

this is now a broken link

[Rocco85]

Fortunately, it's been mirror on a few other locations, here's one of them: http://173.201.227.192/docs/Blacksmi...kshop_2004.pdf

[paprjam]

That's great, I thought I had the PDF saved but couldn't find it. I saved it now.
They are pretty simple to build. Get the tuyere height correct is the hardest part. Too high and the Iron will solidify before it comes out the tap hole. Too low and it gets hot and plugs up the tuyere or you don't get much metal. It depends on the diameter of the cupola.
Chastain has a formula for it, can't remember what it is right now.

[TrickyCNC]

Thanks