Budget electric furnace HONEST review - ToAutoTool - by VOGMAN
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 9. 07. 2024
- Electric furnaces can be expensive, so what about a Budget version from ToAutoTool.com - is it worth thinking about? Here I put this half price furnace through its paces in my usual no-punches-pulled way, melting some bronze and casting so Roman coins along the way.
** PURCHASE LINKS **
Amazon US - amzn.to/437kI6p
Amazon UK - amzn.to/3TdIBVn
Amazon CA - amzn.to/4c8LWNW
Amazon DE - amzn.to/3Teg9CH
Amazon FR - amzn.to/43881It
Amazon IT - amzn.to/3wNyNdb
Amazon ES - amzn.to/3Tb0lAv
0:00 - Introduction
1:30 - First impressions
2:53 - Crucible sizes
5:34 - Max temperature
6:08 - PID Programming
6:48 - Metal casting test
9:38 - Price
10:28 - My conclusions
** ROMAN COIN FILE **
Found on CGTrader here - bit.ly/3xvkd4l
** BUY SIRAYA TECH 'CAST' RESIN ON AMAZON **
US link đž amzn.to/33O7622 đž
I also STRONGLY RECOMMEND you buy this đčamzn.to/3bo5YX2 đčor similar.
And remember, DON'T buy this resin if you're not into metal casting! It's a speciality resin!
See my instruction for using this resin here - âą Siraya Tech Cast casta...
** DISCLAIMER **
This product was given to me, free of charge and without obligation. No money has changed hands and the only agreement made was that I video an INDEPENDENT review, expressing my own personal and above all honest thoughts on the product.
This video demonstrates dangerous casting techniques. Do not try and replicate what you see here without proper equipment, safety gear and a thorough understanding of the processes involved. It is a VERY dangerous.
** PLEASE SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL **
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** EQUIPMENT & PRODUCTS USED **
I often get asked where I buy my investment powder, what type of oven do I use, etc, so to make life easy Iâve made a list with links on my website here vegoilguy.co.uk/equipment.php
** ETSY STORE **
I sell a few castings on Etsy. Proceeds help me maintain my channel. www.etsy.com/uk/shop/VegOilGuy
** LINKS **
vegoilguy.co.uk
/ vegoilguy
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#metalcasting
#lostresincasting
#3dprinting
#vegoilguy
#vog - Jak na to + styl
Thanks for your fair and real product review for our 3kg melting furnaceă
Any time, especially if it's useful casting equipment for my viewers to enjoy. Here's some stuff that's often expensive you guys might want to look into:
1) Burn out ovens
2) Vacuum systems
3) Wax injectors
If you can offer great deals on those, I'm sure you'll find my viewers will take a keen interest.
Will it melt aluminum?
Easily đ
@@vogman I was hoping so. I have this in my wish list on Amazon for a while now but practical reviews are few and far between .
@@vogman Starting to weigh cost as I'm just getting interested in melting (reuse of excess aluminium from CNC). Could this also be used as burn out oven ? Why (not) ? How much of the burned out material would I have to dig out after each burn out cycle ? Would this be an easy task ?
At the risk of sounding like an old man; when I was younger this would have cost 5x as much, would have been ordered out of a catalog over the dial phone, and would have taken 6-8 weeks to show up. We really do have it quite good today despite news to the contrary -- $330 and it's delivered in two days here in Amazon Prime Land.
yep you sound like an old person. :)
I have to confess Joe that all of what you say sounds remarkably familiar to me too. And you're right - quick, easy, cheap. It gets better all the time đđđđ
Hey Iâm planning to buy one of these but Iâm wondering if I can use it indoor or if it produce some dangerous gas that I should not breath ?
I was so excited when I saw the notification that I actually stopped watching my Hells Kitchen marathon just to watch this! Always get super happy when I receive a VOG notification!
I was in hell's kitchen washing the evil-one's dishes, but scampered away when she went to watch her soaps đđ€Łđđđđđ
Thanks so much for reviewing this. It was just what I was looking for after struggling to reliably melt small amounts in my gas furnace. I had looked up the Italian units before but was put off by the price.
You finally convinced me to get one of these and I really appreciate you getting a discount for us all too! Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the video. I really like your style of video and your small dose of humor. Please keep up your good work. Greetings from germany.
If you want real bargain then look for microfoundary. I have crucible that can take not more than 200g of brass but it melts it in 7 minutes, in microwave, and I mean 7 minutes from beginning to end, no preheat no nothing, put crucible in microwave and after 7-9 minutes take out melted metal. I did belt buckle and it works great. The only issue is the temperature control as there isn't such thing. So I used temperature probe kit that goes till 1200 degrees Celsius. You just need to experiment few times to understand how long it takes to specific temperature. On top of that the crucible holds heat for long time, so you have like 20-30 seconds to pour the metal. I bought 3 crucibles and with delivery it was around 80ÂŁ. Also this method can be very cheap as you ain't using electricity for long time 800w for 7-8 minutes. On youtube you can find their channel ĐĐŸĐŒĐżĐ°ĐœĐžŃ ĐĐžĐșŃĐŸĐžĐœŃŃŃŃĐŒĐ”ĐœŃ if you type "melting in microwave". Just don't use microwave after that for food.
And I am not associated with them, but bought the kit from them a while ago.
Yet again a helpful and well thought out video
I would so love to see a guide/ tutorial series of "How to 3D Print and Cast Jewlery" From Design to actual product plus what you really need as an hobbyist. Greetings from Germany.
Great review. I purchased one off eBay ( no label ), On the 15th April 21 and I have melted and cast gold, silver, brass, copper and a load of eco-solder with out any problems except cleaning the crucible between melts. Mine is the 3kg model and the hinge is just as crappy. Mine was ÂŁ185.
Be aware that the electric element will eventually wear out and the crucible will slowly burn away but element wire to make your own elements is cheap and available and the crucible are easy to replace. Let the crucible cool slowly in the furnace to prevent cold shock.
Many thanks.
Thanks for the review. They sent me the same furnace. So far Iâve enjoyed using it. Itâs so strange to melt bronze inside without my roaring propane furnace.
I noticed that my larger crucible bumps up against the thermocouple inside the furnace but does actually fit. The thermocouple in your unit must be in a different location.
My larger crucible does the same thing. I have not tried using it as of yet. If you had the chance to use the lager one did you have any issues with it?
Thanks a lot for this video! Exactly what I was looking for the other day In your channel.. You got me hooked to the idea of starting this hobby, now I'm looking for a entry level way to start doing it. Would be awesome if you gave us other recommendations for the vacuum machine and the wax melting furnace. Thanks again man
Brilliant balance review as always!
AMAZING REVIEW! I found a few of these chinese electric furnaces and I was searching for reviews but most of them were crappy so I didnt buy it, but yours is what I was searching for, well done!
It ticks all the boxes and it works. I've made enough of my own equipment to spot an easier option when I see it đ
I gave up with the electric Furnace last year as I found the electric bill were getting higher and higher, yes I had the SY electric furnace for well over 2 years and even though it said made in Italy the instructions were all in Chinese! So know I have settled with the Devil Forge and I is not looking back. Also with the devil forge (I have the 4 Kilo) you can also put a 1 kilo crucible inside or bigger depending on the DF model you have. But as always you have done a fair review, they are great for the beginner to practice with but as I said it is a little expensive to run! Keep up the good work and I will see you in the next one đâââââ
Awesome video as usual!
Great show, awesome review đ
Appreciate you sharing these reviews, thank you very much. What burn out furnace do you recommend and maximum flask size that you use. Are you able to program the different burn out schedules easily?
Hello.. I am in the process of buying a new electric furnace for scrap electronic gold smelting/melting and your review is an eye-opener and helps in decision-making. I do appreciate the emphasis you put on crucible size given that in gold refining there is barely any need for 1 plus kg crucible. From what I have heard, refiners using 2-3 kg crucibles are having hell of a time melting small amounts of gold. Just one thing VOG gold powder (gold dust or mudd) does NOT behave like metal gold and needs pretty higher temperatures (well above 1063°C) and this is a common issue in powder technology. Thank you Sir for your honest review.
Great video. This is the content I like seeing and you did a fantastic and thoughtful job presenting it. I am curious about the quality of the wiring. Being a device that draws a lot of power, I'd like to know that the proper electrical connections were made in the electronics. Maybe you could do a video where you open it up to see? I'd love to see it. Improper terminations and other issues can be made in the race to the bottom of the market segment. I'd likely buy from Amazon in case the quality is suspect, as returns would be far easier.
Another great review!!!!
Finally pulled the trigger on an electric furnace just waiting for it to arrive. Think mine is something similiarto this so i cant wait now
Just bought one (Australia). Thanks for your great videos and advice!
Glad to help!
great video. thanks, what type of sla resin are you using? and also that casting material?
Nice content VOG, I have been wondering do you spray you wax moldings with and release agent or as oldfordboy uses so.e water and dish soap?
I own the electric furnace you just tested. I bought it when toauto were selling these on amazon germany. I have to say im quite happy with the product. I have done around 20+ casting and so far its all working great.
Thanks for your support to us and our products
My father spent his life specializing in lost wax mould making. He spent countless hours making moulds for the medical, weapon and other precision engineering fields. He was a bit of an ass as a father but I think he would be very interested in the new use of 3D Printing in mould making.
It sounds like your father was a very talented guy. I truly admire such skills đ
Very nice and detailed, thanks a lot! What happens if I use normal paris plaster? I remember when I was young we didnât use vacuum when casting but pressing a half potato onto the heated mold - the steam pushed the metal onto the tiniest canals of the shaped.
Great vid as always man. For the bronze shot you could use a stainless steel kitchen tablespoon or something similar! Cheers!
Just found your channel. Really interesting and great description. Subscribed. đ
Welcome aboard! đđđ
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I have been contemplating an electric furnace and had been scared to try some of the lower cost ones.
Wow, love your films ⊠your charismatic persona is very captivating ⊠makes me feel rather amateurish with my videos⊠would love to learn 3-D printing and scale up to vacuum casting one dayâŠ. Being a bit old-fashioned Iâm somewhat nervous of how much time digital 3-D would take to learnâŠ. Thanks for all your fascinating content⊠Nick
We're all amateurs on CZcams Nick... or were supposed to be once I think. Anyway, as long as you're enjoying what you're doing and no one is getting hurt, Tube-on my friend đđđ
ToAuto is a big company. Mostly automobile lighting, but varied machine tool accessories such as DROs of which I have one, and a number of others. We can buy ToAuto products from eBay in the USA as well. Itâs where I bought their DRO for my mill.
This looks quite promising. How long does it take the bronze to get ready for casting once you have switched it on?
Thank you for this fantastic video! As a beginner can I ask please if the crucible will hold 2kg of Silver? I would like to reproduce a small chest.
Hey! I need to know if i can fit soda cans in it before i buy it
Great review!
Honest incisive as always!
I like the price on this one better as well! LOL
Thanx Geoff! :D
I appreciate that Cap. Take care buddy đ
To add to the crowd, I have virtually the same one as your original one (and the one reviewed) and it is a good little workhorse. My only complaint is that it takes alot longer than a gas fired furnace. That said, it is quieter, smaller, easier to store and neater than my gas fired beasty. It teaches me patience while its melting my metals..
How long is the heating elements life? Also how long do the crucibles last?
7:56 I loved this part you learned from your mistake in the first take đ
I seem to always have to learn the hard way đ
Thanks for reviewing this I've been thinking about buying one for ages. Discount didn't work for eBay but it's still a decent price. đ
they do the unupgraded (which is the handles and a bit more) for ÂŁ178
I've been thinking of upgrading from my spin casting setup. Of course you can't just buy the vacuum casting machine, you have to buy everything else as well. I usually use an oxy/acetyline torch to melt my bronze which is essential when spin casting, but thats bloody expensive. That furnace looks a much better option to me. One thing that worries me is the crucible. I've heard these graphite crucibles only last a couple of castings which is no good to me. Maybe you can tell me what the manufacturer recommends? Also what happens if the crucible cracks when your heating the metal up? Does it all drain out into the furnace and knacker it?
Hi VOG, first thanks for your video which is very explicit, I'm from France and I was wondering if you know a good electric furnace in 220V ? The one in the video is actually only available in 110V
Very cool furnace!
What print material are you using for your lost casting process?
what is ur casting thing where u put your plaster?
Great review. Wonder with a changed controller these could be turned into a meltout furniss
Perhaps you can answer a question. I have an electric furnace, bought it years ago now, used it a few times with mixed results melting copper. In all other smelting operations I've seen there is the top hole for expelling gas, but this one I have has this foamlike membrane. Have you encountered this? Does this need to be punched out and was just some manufacturing oversight? Or is this some kind of indicator of material specific melting?
Also some time ago now, I remember swapping out the internal ceramic with the heating coil hoping to find a break in the heating element being a cause for faulty melt. It was fine, and a huge pain to reassemble. I noticed a layer of something coating my thermocouple rod. Is this typical? I wasn't sure if the rod had annexed some graphite from usage, I bought it used. I didn't know if this should be removed as a hindrance to the temperature read or if this was a normal thermal paste of sorts to prevent oxidization.
Any insight would help me out, thank you.
I too have the "S.Y., Italy" and have been using it for a few years. Great Value for money but you need to be aware of the limitations. It is great for sub 1000c melts but copper & copper alloys get tougher on the little unit. It can not melt cupronickel for example and copper / brass etc is right at it's limit. You also need to keep an eye on those cheap replaceable crucibles as I've had one drop it's load into the body of the furnace when the bottom fell out. Given the long cylindrical shape of the crucible it is also harder to scrape the dross off (especially for less than a full charge). I do find I get better results from my (small) pours from this furnace than my Devil Forge as you can hold the load at the temperate you want. Overall, a great little furnace but I wish it had another 100c at the top end.
You're right, these things aren't really meant to be used for casting all day long. A small business or amateur should be fine, but anything more would need more substantial equipment.
Thanks for your input đđđ
Thanks for your words of wisdomâŠâŠ Nick
Great, one less reason to put off getting into casting...the wife's not going to be happy! This looks like exactly what I'm after, something that's not extortionate and does the job. Just a heads-up, the eBay shop doesn't send to Northern Ireland (not much surprise there as it's quite the norm now) but the Amazon one is quite happy to serve us.
Also, keep up the great videos, educational and easy to digest as always :-)
I just got this same furnace (the updated one). Is it safe to use on a sturdy table in my ventilated garage? Or should it be outside on my concrete driveway?
Great video, many thanks. I think I am going to take the plunge and give casting a go. Do you have any recommendations for burnout ovens?
Im looking for a cheap burnout oven too, anyone has recommendations for Shipping to Germany/Europe?
I don't know about burying them but I'm getting excited watching you clean em up! Lol.
Thanks Nick đ
See I wanna buy this bc I donât have a big furnace like yours (that you used for the burnout) is there another alternative? Does the casting resin melt out in an oven?
Silly VOG, the hole is called the 'Ians's Aperture', or in some literature 'The melty place'. Looks interesting, and I'd probably be buying one if I had the room! And, not that I have the room for one of these either, but do they sell burnout furnaces/kilns? And as for the metal detector confusion scheme? Go for it!! Sound hilarious!!
Many thanks for the review đ
Glad it was helpful!
@@vogman certainly was. When I get the room I will invest.
The illustrious Sir VOG I have a question I thought you may enjoy answering.
Could this budget furnace be converted into a burnout furnace for lost wax flasks?
Thank you for all the help your vids have already provided me into taking the dive, with hundreds already spent I have almost everything needed bar a reliable burnout furnace, as I have one similar to this already on the way your in-depth analysis of this possibility would no doubt help more than just myself and possibly result in the purchase of a second to be modified.
I used to think that this style of furnace used induction heating. For this price and size though I donât think it isâŠ.
Are these âresistanceâ element furnaces?
I have a foundry made from an old tank, kaowool and a stove element hooked up with an âink bird pidâ. I havenât ever tried to push it beyond 650c. Anyone know of a stove element could get to 1900f for copper?
Looks like mine, I've made over 40 pours so far. For the price, I like it
Exactly. Cheap and cheerful. Not fantastic quality, but they work! That's all that matters đđđđ
I bought this same furnace just a few weeks ago. Have used it for several pours so far, works just fine. For me, the smaller crucible fits well, but the larger one has slightly too large a diameter, so I can't even fit it in! I did so once with a great deal of effort, and it did sink all the way into it (unlike yours, it seems!), but boy was it tough to get back out! I've complained to them via Amazon, so we'll see if they do something about it.
Thanks for Sharing Scott. It's a shame they haven't sorted out their act with the crucibles yet, but at least these things are cheap enough to source elsewhere. Luckily the furnace itself works nicely đ
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
What surface do you have this sitting on?
Howâs the furnace holding up?
code does not work on the uk ebay site and wondering it the unupgraded one would be just as good at a lower price ÂŁ178
Induction furnaces are something you might want to look at! The speed is just amazing.
Aren't induction furnaces more expensive?
Good to know!
@@mimked depends. A DIY kit only costs a couple hundred, but it does involve some DIY. However, even a fully contained unit is a few hundred from China.
@@vogman it's like microwaving a cold meal, just astonishing. The crucible is cherry red within just a minute or two!
Thanks for your support, I hope you enjoy awesome metal casting experience.â„
The hole where the crucible go, hahaha
Unusual to see Cousin's mentioned, its my main "go to" watch part supplier and didn't think they did furnaces lol
We don't have a great deal of choice here in the UK... Cooksons, Cousins, Walsh... I use all 3 but Cousins is my usual đ
What about time issues? I read quite a bit that these units cannot run more than three hours without a break. But I can take an hour and a half just to get heated up. So you may only get two fires a day.
Also Iâve read that electric furnace is a go through crucibles pretty quickly due to oxidation since nothing is there to burn away the oxygen why can I guess system. People say they get no more than 2 to 3 fires with a crucible. What is your experience with these limitations?
You can find these furnaces on aliexpress for quite cheap. Same goes for the crucibles. But as you said shipping costs are the problem.
My 1st thought is how much does it cost to run please ?
I am pretty impressed!
Me too!
Awesome content as always!
Just a heads up, the certificate of your website is expired, thus browsers are advising to stay away.
Would be so cool to do project just like you ! In a budget ....
I have the exact same plan with Spanish replicas in the Florida Keys!
Hey Iâm planning to buy one of these but Iâm wondering if I can use it indoor or if it produce some dangerous gas that I should not breath ?
It's safe to use indoors but good ventilation is always recommended.
The handle problem seems easy to fix, just have to use the furnace to create your own handles.
Please make a video on jewellery tools for polishing
I'm late to the party, finnaly you made it! @VOG
Cast new handles, add some jewelry finesse!
Cool. It's like you read my mind, I was just about to ask you about budget electric furnaces lol. also, how often do you need a new crucible?
I've got the same furnace. Haven't had a problem at all with it. But so people aren't freaked out, all graphite crucibles decompose and after 8 to 10 casts (or when powder starts falling off), it's best to throw the crucible away away and buy new.
Thanks for the input Dave đ
Can you help me out maybe? I want to buy this and only using for silver melting and maybe some alloying silver 835 to 925......What do you think is the best capacity, 2 or 3 kilo? Thanks.
This furnace can handle 1, 2 or 3 kg crucibles, so you have options. As for what you need, this will melt silver with ease and the quantity will depend of how big your castings are đ
Looks like its $330 on the US amazon site. But there is a $25 coupon right now
I found that the larger crucible that comes with the furnace works if you place it in at an angle.
Excellent!
Quick question regarding the rotary bits you use for cleanup. My designs are very intricate and my dad's rotary burs are defacing my intricate designs. What bits are you using in this video for post processing. They seem great for hard to reach areas and not scratching the model. Cheers and thanks as always!
Hi Emin. Here's a video covering everything I personally use for polishing czcams.com/video/qudhL_BVsq0/video.html đ
@@vogman freakin' legend... đ
I bought one works really good
Good to hear! đ
Can we use melting furnace to burnout pla??
No, it's not a burnout oven. They need to run for hours on end.
If you have iron hot white color then add /touch with brimstone đthen it wil melt
Much love from norway
Cool
Good job guy !! but is it possible to melt 1kg of brass in this oven ?
Yes... up to 3Kg actually đ
How long does a graphite crusible last? Mine was gone in 15 times heat up
To be honest 15 is pretty good. They wear our quickly as they have a very hard life đ
@@vogmanYes isn't it? my expectations were 2000 times..đ€Ș it was a hard way down.. đȘ is clay/graphite more bearable?
I have mine for over 20 castings now and its still pretty good. Idk why though.
Donât these devour crucibles? Like use two-five times (bronze/silver temps) and replace the crucible?
Really? I generally get between 10 and 20 casts.
@@vogman had read about short crucible life at higher temperatures - as in the crucible actually burns up when at glowing temperature.
I was thinking about buying another 3D printer. I have 2 already and a resin printer (so 3).....now I'm going to have to buy one of these instead !!!! :-)
Hi VOG, do you think you could get around to making a video of two about polishing and finishing casted pieces? Like the equipment that you use and the overall techniques you've picked up as a hobbyist? I would like to learn to do some work my self and I would absolutely love to see your take on the learning curve. Thank you as always, take care. Regards, Tanner N
I do keep being asked for this, even though I thought I covered it in most videos. I'll have to add it to my to-do list đ
@@vogman Awesome awesome thank you! I'll be looking forward to it! :)
@@vogman Also, if I may add another idea, is it possible to go over converting 3d print weight to casted metal weight? I've done some castings and the method of specific gravity estimation (wax weight * specific graity of metal) is quite off from my actual weights that I got out, I would really appreciate some help in this area as it would be ideal to know how much the piece will weigh when casted for cost purposes. Thank you as always!
I just tried the code in the UK eBay one, it's not recognised.
Thanks for letting me know. Someone else already mentioned this so I have dropped them line. Hopefully they'll get it sorted for you guys đ
Hey please how much is this cost?
Those coins came out very nicely.
Thanks Jeff đ
@@vogman You are welcome. I have to admit, I would be hard pressed not to prank someone with a metal detector. đ
Thanks for sharing! Can I ask the name of the plaster? TNX!
Check out vegoilguy.co.uk/equipment.php - I list everything I use there đ
@@vogman Thank VOG
Your voice is so wonderful! You should do voice work for the animation industry!
In horror productions, presumably đđđđđđđđ
@@vogman Nooo! You could be a wizard for example, stirring his couldron (to stay on topic) :-))))
Rumour has it he has a great face for voicework! ;)
Good