You do not need to be a member of Castinghobby yahoo group to use this site, but we would welcome you there.
Most of the info in this FAQ will deal with aluminum casting in sand molds. It will touch on other metals and methods, as well. It is laid out like a book, with a 'Table of Contents' and hot links to the various chapters. You may need to use your browsers "BACK" button to return until we get all the formatting just right (if we ever do!)
It is a collaborative effort and will reflect differing views on some points. The membership of Castinghobby is made up of individuals from all over the world from raw beginners to experts. Some are experimenters and others, professionals.
So what is hobby foundry work? In a nutshell, it is heating metal until it melts and pouring the molten (liquid) metal into a form called a mold that will determine the shape of the metal as it cools and solidifies.
To accomplish this, you must heat the metal above it's melting point. This requires some way to concentrate heat, and that is to use a furnace. There are different types and styles of furnaces, but they all are used to concentrate the heat from whatever heat source is used.
To the many people who participated, and will participate, in the creation of this site, THANK YOU!