JHCC

Well, if it doesn’t hold up, we can tear it down to the wall and start over.

Well, I went to fill those cracks, and a couple of little chunks of Kastolite flaked off and crumbled. I’ve stuck everything back together with the Meeco’s and crossed my fingers. The Metrikote is expected in a couple of days. I’ll fire things up before I put it on, to see if the Meeco’s holds up to forging temperatures (it’s rated to 2000F).

By comparison, Kastolite 30 is: Silica - SiO2 35.8% Alumina - Al2O3 56.7% Titania - TiO2 1.1% Iron Oxide - Fe2O3 0.9% Lime - CaO 4.8% Magnesia - MgO 0.2% Alkalies - Na2O + K2O 0.6%

Will have to try the Jet Dry. We have several bottles from a bulk pack we got at Costco a couple of years ago, just before we switched to the dishwasher tablets that already have the rinsing agent.

The Rolling Stones had a great song about being unable to find good food in Jakarta. It was called "(I Can't Get No) Sataysfaction".

Do a quick hand brushing to take off anything that's really loose, but don't bother beyond that. You're probably going to be going over it with a brush after anyway. Remember that the anvil will start rusting again immediately after you take it out of the bath, so be ready to give it a coat of something to keep that from happening. A quick spray with WD-40 is good ("WD" = "Water Displacement"), as is drying off with paper towels and giving it a wipe-down with linseed oil, wax, or automatic transmission fluid. As for which clamp goes where, remember that "+" = MORE and "-" = LESS. Put the "+" where you want more rust and the "-" where you want less rust.

Only the ones I don't get to first!

I just got a mini-tub of Meeco's from my local hardware store, which has the advantage -- unlike the big-box retailers -- of actually carrying pretty much everything all year round. I'll let folks know how it works.

Beeswax is a good food-safe choice. Rub your piece with a lump of beeswax while it’s still warm from the forge, about the same as a hot cup of coffee. It should just barely melt and run over the surface; if it smokes, it’s too hot.

How about a miniature spider inside a rose?

It would work very well.

“Instant Pot” is the brand name for a popular multifunction cooker, essentially a combination electric sauté pan, pressure cooker, and slow cooker. Basically a combination gas forge, computerized heat-treatment oven, and molten salt pot for the kitchen.

Just keep the salty language to yourself.

Are we talking the stuff that comes dry in a tub that you mix yourself, or the stuff that comes in a tube (like caulk)?

Much better than my own first pair of bolt tongs!

"Then askéd he of her, 'Have you any onions? And have you savory?' "But she answered him not, saying, 'Onions have I, but savory have I none.' "Whereupon he scolded her, saying, 'Then thou art an unsavory rapscallion!'"

Does Metrikote stick to refractory cement?

Frosty, if you and Deb have an Instant Pot, there's a terrific book about making curries and other dishes therein, with great ease and major flavor.

Make sure to include the threads here about RR track anvils and improvised anvils. Short version: stand it on end.

Welcome to IFI! Not sure if this was one of them, but if you haven't yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!!

I've just ordered some Metrikote to wash the inside of my gasser, and I had a question about application. There are a couple of little cracks in the Cast-O-Lite (at the junctions between the separately cast sections) that seem to be catching the swirl from the ribbon burner. Does the Metrikote have any significant gap-filling properties? Should I coat the cracks first to build up a little thickness and then do a wash over the entire interior? Or am I just overthinking (again)?

Welcome to IFI! If you haven't yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!!

Looks good! If it's burning things, it's definitely plenty hot! (Now, let's do something about that anvil....)

And did the drilling and shaped the handle. Ready for heat treatment and finishing.

Don't forget to put some photos on the "What did you do in the shop today?" thread and on the bed rail tongs thread.