Refining crucible melts.

[Matthew Schneider 28]

Getting my process down much more reliably. After 3 incomplete melts I tore down my furnace and started experimenting at my forge instead.   So far every one I've done in the forge has fully melted though the heat and fumes aren't as nice as running the furnace in the open with a ocean breeze to carry away heat and coke fume. 

much higher heat covering the whole thing with soft firebrick and much less fuel used as well. 

This . Has led to plans for the furnace rebuild, soon as the ceramic wool arrives I'll have a furnace I won't have to fuss with constantly. 2 pucks roasted and ready to forge today, this stuff keeps me up at night and wakes me up in the morning and I LOVE it!

[Jacob Christian 15]

Did you ever get your furnace rebuild completed? 

[Matthew Schneider 28]

JACOB ohh yeah this past summer I did, welded up a steel grate from 1/2" round bars and an airbox underneath so the blast comes up all around the crucible/pedestal. Works F A R better than the tuyeres from the sides I had before, like unbelievably better, FAR more even heat and far hotter. Getting to molten in less than half the time, no more half melted runs with only like a 5 gallon bucket of coke for the whole run! There's a few improvements to be made when I rebuild it this coming spring but it's soooo much better thsn what I was struggling with for months.