Can i use clay as a mold for molten aluminum?

Question

can i use clay to mold molten aluminum, or if not what do others use as a mold, or the easiest way to make a mold

Answer 1

Clay can be very dangerous when used in combination with high temperatures. If there is any bit of water remaining the heat is going to turn it to steam making the mould explode. Think hot pieces of mould and molten aluminium flying around.

It's best to use specialised casting sand for this. See the articles below. For safety you may want to use a metal casing for the mould as well. I did this for silver (slightly higher melting temperature) by cutting a square profile in two to use as container for the sand.

I don't know what you have in mind or what experience you have at metal casting but whatever you do, keep in mind that working with hot metals can be very dangerous and should not be attempted without proper preparations and knowledge.

Edit: I would recommend joining a metal homecasting site where you can ask for info with the specialist. I had a quick look and found this one: http://www.metalcastingzone.com/metal-ca...