casting brass hardware

[Dan Fruth]

   I'm setting up to start casting my own brass, and curious as to what size crucible I should get. Typically, I'm looking to do a guard, a flat piece for swagging a butt plate, and a piece for the side plate. Hoping Eric K comments....Thanks all for your help

[Clint]

Over the years Ive poured quite a lot of brass, and I used crucibles that were about 4 inches in diameter and 5 or six inches deep. I know that crucibles are sold by number sizes but I don't remember any of that. It is a balance between having enough volume to pour and a size that can easily and effectively get hot and actually handle, weight wise. I typically would pour one trigger guard and one butt plate at a time because it takes so much sand or ceramic for the molds and I didn't want to turn the blacksmith shop into a foundry.

[Eric Kettenburg]

Dan I haven't done it for quite some time now, was a lot more effective to just farm out my patterns.  I think I still have a couple unused crucibles and will check the numbers on them.  All my used ones are unreadable now.

[Dan Fruth]

Thanks everybody. I’ve got a A6 salamander on the way.

[45-110]

Over the years Ive poured quite a lot of brass, and I used crucibles that were about 4 inches in diameter and 5 or six inches deep. I know that crucibles are sold by number sizes but I don't remember any of that. It is a balance between having enough volume to pour and a size that can easily and effectively get hot and actually handle, weight wise. I typically would pour one trigger guard and one butt plate at a time because it takes so much sand or ceramic for the molds and I didn't want to turn the blacksmith shop into a foundry.

That's the size I also used in the 70's, don't recall the number size. Had a foundry supply company nearby so just went there and looked. Some crucibles had a skimmer pour nozzle which I liked.

[Darrin McDonal]

We use Baystate crucibles and the average cast of a guard and butt piece or two guards, a 6"x7" should work fine or if you want the next size up of 7 1/4"x8 1/2" will hold a lot of brass depending on how many flasks your filling.
Darrin