Serious question, has anyone else had issues with cold shuts on aluminum castings from a home furnace?

I was getting them constantly until I started pre-heating my ladle over the crucible for a full minute before the pour. What's your go-to fix for this?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendyk561mo ago

My old mentor swore by heating the sprue with a propane torch first.

emmag221mo ago

Preheating the mold really well helps me too, sometimes I even hit it with a torch for a bit.

mila_brown101mo ago

My casting results got worse when I torched the mold, it made the wax flow too fast and I ended up with thin edges. I prefer keeping the mold warm but not hot, just enough to prevent the wax from chilling too quick.