Alex W.

note: This is in in relation to furnaces(smithing and melting) that use a layer of kaowool in between the hotface and the outer wall. I hear a lot of good things about efficiency being increased a fair bit as a result of a highly reflective surface being added to a furnaces interior, as it inhibits the absorbtion of infrared and other radiation into the walls which would, as a result, emit on the other side, and also conduct to the other side, greater amounts of energy that is instead being directed at the item you are trying to heat up. However, I wonder what would happen if

Now, I didn't get any footage of it, and I could change that, but, I did a slag run, which I decided to do because I had a lot of aluminum come out with the slag I pulled out on a couple melts, which I retrieved about five or six muffin ingots of from about two liters of. I added borax to help separate the aluminum and the slag, seeing as that's what it's usually used for. But after I let it sit for a while to do it's thing if it even does at this point, chunks of slag started glowing hotter and hotter, behaving like pieces of magnesium, getting brighter and brighter, and started emittin

I already consolidated about a couple years worth of aluminum scrap, it was extremely fast, I have a liter crucible, and a wicked hot foundry, but I haven't properly tested out the predicted version of the brownie pan ingot caster(the other one had a separate bottom that kept leaking, not flush, especially with the sand). I'll get back with details when I'm done with the test, which is pretty promising given the results of the last test. During last test, friend pulled out the divider prematurely and I got a pan of aluminum squares that were literally as soft as brownies, which was

I have used ingots a couple of times, and I understand exactly what you mean. I might even be able to add an entire crucible of aluminum or whatever to a single ingot if i get a shape that won't allow anything to melt and drip out of the crucible, probably a somewhat shrunken crucible interior to account for expansion. Smaller ingots would be a wise idea if I needed a smaller melt though. Btw, is there anything wrong with a little sand ina melt, or is it gonna sink or float and get caught in a bit of slag? I think that's why I didn't originally go with it in the first place.

Nevada.

I have a few totes of scrap I mean to put in a single tote, and I don't wanna fiddle around with a bunch of slag in the middle of a project, I'd rather use ingots.

All the home foundry enthusiasts online are extra careful over aiming their crucibles above about a bunch of muffin tins as a way to make ingots, and I believe a single pour is a lot safer. All that time extra carefully pouring aluminum or whatever into a dozen ingot molds opens a door to a mistake a lot wider than a single pour, a lot of injuries prevented.

I assume you are referring to kastolite 30, but I would like to be sure. But seriously, I really appreciate the input, it's a big help to me.

I may yet aquire a bag or two of kastolite, which I will need guidance on, but I would like a little information about the way satanite degrades, because I want to know if a solution exists, such as whatever I can think of or find to make satanite stick to the kaowool so it doesn't matter if it cracks, or anything I can add to prevent cracking in the first place if possible. As I posted above, I'll be operating around 2300F, and i think up to 3000F is in my reach.

I would be willing to put in a bit of time in order to produce it myself if I get a good recipe I can trust. I expect up to 2300F operating temps, and I can fire it up to 3000F if that's how it cures, which is the only time I'd ever exceed 2300F.

A good prediction I hope is inaccurate, at least for aluminum. As long as a barrier exists between both the ingot and it's mold, I believe it's a high probability I will be able to knock out the ingots. Also, doesn't aluminum experience shrinkage when it freezes?

I know a possibility exists, a very good one at that, but a method untested is a lost opportunity. I believe a paint layer is enough of a barrier, even after burning, and only expanding of the aluminum is in the way. Whether or not a layer of anything exists after a pour, or isn't able to remain during a pour remains to be seen.

All the home foundry enthusiasts online are extra careful over aiming their crucibles above their muffin tins as a way to make ingots, and I believe a single pour is a lot safer. All that time extra carefully pouring aluminum or whatever into a dozen ingot molds opens a door to a mistake a lot wider than a single pour, a lot of injuries prevented.

Idk if anything changes because of this, but I opted out for a couple ceramic fiber boards as a way to spread what I have found to be 10.7kg max for full crucible and whatever is added by the ceramic fiber board. I will be aiming for a 10" interior, but a 13" interior is a possibility. In other words, I'll have a 10 to 13" kaowool circle on which about 11.7 kg I hope will be spread over. I will be operating at about exactly what the kaowool is rated for ,2300F, but there will be a fairly insulative layer in between the hotface and the kaowool layer.

I admit I was a little stupid, I only ever searched kaowool rigidizer and silica powder, which only yielded a bunch of lotions, and I didn't dig any deeper.