Alex W.

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.

As long as I can dislodge the divisor, and I believe I'll be able to, I'll have 18 ingots in a single pour. If it isn't obvious already, anything ferrous is a very bad idea, but anything below oughta be a cinch. I work at a rather large thrift store, and I arrange shelves for anything small on the sales floor, and I see these all the time, a dollar fifty easily keeps it on the shelves for at least a week, and I usually see them a bit higher, so they're almost always available. Otherwise, expect around $20, apparently they're a TV product or something. I will clarify, our thrift store gets a whole lot of donations, so I wouldn't be surprised if a pan like this isn't available all of the time as it is in our store, but still worth a look.

Is it a problem if the silica suspended in the water I put it in isn't colloidal? I would be able to grind a piece of quartz to the point that a large majority of that piece is easily suspended in the water I put it in. I would use a pair of steel surfaces grinding against each other with wet quartz in between, and after a good deal of grinding it as fine as possible, I would use a magnet in a bag in the solution while stirring to extract the iron as much as possible. I would like to know, if there is one, what the problem is if it isn't a colloidal solution, and if it is a big deal or not. Any idea?

I don't expect I will, but I do want a solid interior to my foundry. The request for a stainless steel casting ended up becoming a copper casting instead, which is a fortunate thing. And before a copper casting, I already had a bit of experience around aluminum brass and copper.