pkrankow

I'll add some non-calcined kaolin to the shopping list even though at 1650F it stops mattering as high temperature chemistry is occurring. Below that the added adhesion would probably help, especially before the first firing (at room temperature). Granted the firing of ceramic is a time at temperature thing, not just temperature, so I'll need to have a fresh propane bottle on hand. The price tag is also affected as calcined kaolin costs more.

The forge will need fired well above "welding temp" to get the most out of the zircon. ZrSiO4 is supposedly less reflective than ZrO2, and that "decomposition" is at 2800F, way HOT. My kaowool is not rated for that hot, but there is only going to be zircon in the "glaze" layer. The kaolin can take a few hundred degrees more, and will affect the kaowool only through conduction. I suspect that a thin layer of ceramic is a "good" thermal conductor.

I am beginning to think that the reason ITC costs so much is because it might be cubic zirconium, or powdered ZrO2. I don't think I'm going to get much out of the bound up Si in the ZrSiO4. Pre-firing the zircon to get ZrO2 will probably create a material I cannot process.

SiO2 is a glass compound after firing and in lesser compounds is included in the calculation for the glaze. Zircon *seems* to be treated as filler since little is fired at such extreme temperature. I am still at the "regurgitation" stage of learning on this ceramics business.

I am going to test my glazes on a brick before applying them. The durability of the fired product and the subjective reflectivity will determine which I use. I am thinking 100/0, 50/50, 25/75, and 20/80 kaolin (mostly calcined) to zircon. I have read somewhere (failed to bookmark) that calcium will lower the formation temperature of ZrO2, so I may try adding some lime to a similar set. I have a decent gram scale, and a fair number of empty glass jars with lids so I can repeatably mix this stuff.

Normal forging temperatures are below the low end of "maturation" for kaolin porcelain. Nobody has the forge set at the temperature they need, the forge is always somewhat hotter, so maturation will eventually occur. Propane *can* reach temperatures to melt porcelain and drive the zircon to ZrO2 as it has a adiabatic flame temperature of 3600F. Granted that is assuming no energy loss. I know my forge will have energy loss as it is not just a mental exercise.

I sent off for a quote/order from Zollerforge.com for the last of the stuff I need to fire this beast. Having a pressure gauge other than listening to the roar will be nice, among other things. I think Tuesday I will go for a drive for the clay and zircon.

Phil

I recall reading several papers on wootz and bulat. One or two included a recipe, but I am not looking for the link again. I spent about a month following wootz and bulat around the internet. All free information. A massive amount of (non)information worth scratch too. I do not have bookmarks and such anymore as I decided it was not getting me anywhere I wanted to go, at least for now.

The starting metals were analyzed or looked up from specification. Cast iron was diluted with known steel as carbon goes, and certain trace elements were added with some pottery glaze ingredients.

Again, take detailed notes, weigh materials to the best accuracy possible. Make sure your materials are cleaned to prevent mis-measurement. Be safe, several pounds of molten steel in a cracked crucible is a serious thing!

Good luck and have fun.

Phil

I talked to the pottery supply place, they have the ingredients prepackaged in amounts I am interested in. They only have ZrSiO4, but two different mesh sizes. 5# of calcined kaolin is about the size of a 3# bag of flour, and 1# of zircon flour is "about the size of your fist" so between 1/2 pint and a pint is my guess. I think I will get twice as much as I initially thought, so 10# kaolin and 2# zircon flour.

I would rather have WAY too much than not enough. Calcined kaolin is not supposed to shrink (much) as the bound water is cooked out already.

Phil

SWEET! Love the work, I want to learn that! I notice that you use several different collar designs. Is that just cosmetic? How do you generate the clean profiles and ridges on some of them, and keep them intact?

Please charge up that camera and post more!

Thank you for taking the time.
Phil

The china had gold and silver trim on the edges. You could see where it burned away after the nuking. Both colors of metal were affected, I say colors because I do not know the alloy.

Other plates, stoneware I think, get hot because of water trapped inside the ceramic.

Phil

Odd, I forgot to pull the wire off the Chinese leftovers yesterday, and the wire was cold, no sparks or fireworks, no scorch marks.

On the other hand, Mom's china is like the 4th of July or Chinese new years in the microwave! Mom put it in, not me.

I have also read some home made microwave popcorn recipes that use METAL STAPLES to close the paper bag for cooking. I haven't tried yet, but just got some GOOD popcorn (Tiny Tender) much more flavorful than the gigantic fluffy stuff.

Phil

Where does the Hofi hammer balance? With the concentrated mass of a hammer head I expect the balance is affected more by the shape and length of the handle than the shape of the head, for hammers of similar size. I would also not be surprised if the hammer balances inside of the hammer head.

I cannot justify the cost of a Hofi hammer at my stage of learning.

I just picked up a couple of Truper cross peen hammers, 2# for $5.49, 3# for $6.49, new. I am planning on adjusting the hammers to suit, starting with the peen, one is 1/4 inch round at best, and the other is thinner. I scribed a line at 3/8 inch width expecting that after its rounded it will be close to 1/2 inch diameter. Everything I have read seems to state 1/2 inch round on the peen is desirable for regular work. Is there a reason to be significantly wider or thinner for a general use hammer? I'll await a response before grinding.

The handle is fat enough I can shape it almost all the way to the head on both hammers. It is also too fat for my comfort. I have read about how Hofi makes handles in his blueprint. I have used antique framing hammers with a similar shape of handle, it is easier to control. The blueprint also states that he starts with a 12 inch blank, how long is the handle on a finished hammer? Is a large part of the Hofi method using the hammer relatively close to the head?

For adjusting anvil height I have read that some people work on a step (the smith is higher to the anvil) to set the anvil lower, so they can step down from the step to be closer to their work. Other than the obvious trip/fall hazard with the step, how good is this idea? Grossly adjusting the height of a stump is not quick and easy, yet making a wide movable step is quite easy, especially since you can put it away when not needed. Blocking up the anvil requires stopping work to adjust, even though with a small (<100#) anvil it is still easy.

Still learning, Thank you.

Phil

After reading some about slips, I think a safe try would be 20% to 25% calcined kaolin (Glowmax) and 80% to 75% ZrSiO4 such as Zircopax. Zircopax and Superpax have the same msds with the name changed where it should be, so I need to talk to someone when I go pick it up.

I think measurement should be by weight, as many recipes stated this.

I'm only going to have comparison of kaolin vs the slip I make for subjective reflectivity and adhesion. I will call tomorrow and go shopping next week if all is in order.

Many recipes add a small amount of borax to improve adhesion. The high level of ZrSiO4 improves resistance to chemicals and fluxes.

I still feel like I am taking a shot in the dark as this application is not listed elsewhere. Cost *should* be around $20 and gas, so the price seems worth it, and I can always put ITC100 over it later. Again I need to make a phone call.

Phil

I'm not sweet on blown burners, but I recall reading that too much air can cool your flame. Is there a dump gate or air shutter in your setup to control air blast?
Phil

I'm still learning here.

Why would Hofi method require a Hofi hammer? What about the HAMMER makes a difference?

I also noticed no one mentioned that the size of your work will change the "perfect" height of your anvil.

Phil

My apologies for getting bent, was not necessary either.

I wonder how much zircon (either type I can get) kaolin can hold and remain stable. I guess I need to look up pigmented slips. I suspect that it will be a greater amount of zircon than kaolin by weight or volume, like sand in mortar, but that will also depend on particle size.

I am wondering about your "chalk", I expect you to have plaster of Paris powder. I read that burning limestone (calcium carbonate) produces some calcium metal, which is similar to sodium metal for reactivity, but somewhat less vigorous.

Phil

Compound wax mold for lost wax investment casting would do it. Still time consuming.
Neat find
Phil

Another BBQ?
Nice score!
Phil

Thanks Glenn!

Phil

Very nice work Mike.
Does repeated heating and cooling affect how watertight the riveted joints are? I would guess that it is a metal to metal joint with no sealing agent in it to keep it food safe.

Phil

Kendrick, That is too funny!

I did stop by Radio Shack and a pack of 5 ceramic doughnuts, 1 1/8 OD, were $3 plus tax.

I couldn't find the drive to take apart, and I know I had a >1GB hdd hanging out somewhere from an old computer, when 1 GB was a LOT of space.

I'm thinking I can take some cat5 apart (I have half a box) and use the copper wire to make a triangle in the corner of my forge stand to allow some swing, but keep it away from the steel.

Phil

I am looking for some bookmarks I have PDF's for too, but here are what I have

Controlled Hand Forging
Modern Blacksmithing, 1904
Craft publications

I had a few others, and I can't find the links, and in some cases the pdf. I might have them on the other computer, but can't get at them tonight.
Phil

...
i thought chalk was calcium carbonate. ( goes back to the grade 5 thing)
...

My apologies. I am not a chemist so I get stuck on the different name thing. I often have to reread chemistry posts 2-3 times _then_ look up what I am not sure I follow. I admit to posting wiki's as a source because it tends to be concise. I usually look at several other sites too (starting with google).

Charlotte, the only ITC MSDS' I have been able to find are rather sparse. They are scanned copies of paper sheets listing everything as "nontoxic ceramic components"
ITC-100 OSHA Material Data Safety Sheet (front) : anvilfire.com
I think the date of preparation (1997) predates some legal something or another allowing them to better protect a trade secret. I have found other reproductions of the same msds on several supplier web sites. I have not found a source or reference other than word of mouth (or type) stating that ITC uses zirconium, or zircon in their products. Sorry if I offend, but no reference = 2nd hand, but 2nd hand does not equal bad information. Good second hand information makes the world work.

One of their competition however lists ZrSiO4 as a component in some products, but I don't know which ones
PLIBRICO: The Leader in Monolithic Refractories
so I am inclined to believe statements that zirconium is a key ingredient. Preparation dates of this MSDS is 2007.

I have not found MSDS for most reflective refractories I have found named on IFI or other web sites. (Google is only so good, and I know it is not perfect)

From a pottery supply house in Columbus, about 1+ hours from me, lists kaolin, ZiO2, and ZiSiO4. No recipe but what nice prices by comparison. They ship too.
Columbus Clay Company - Largest Ceramic Supplier in Ohio
Look under products -> raw materials

I think I will go for a drive next week but don't look forward to having an 18 month old in the car for 2-3 hours. My Kaowool arrived a few days ago so I am interested in getting somewhere on a proper forge, my brick pile..um...yea, site has a PG rating.

I rant, sorry
Phil

I use the vacuum to eliminate flying wasps too, my wife had a fit when I killed a wasp that way in the house, but now she does the same. Sadly it can take a few hours for a wasp to expire without chemicals. I never though of killing a nest with a vacuum.

Borax kills ants, wasps, ground bees, etc. It also kills grass if you use too much. You probably have a bit laying around. Use a spoonful on the opening of the hole when the critters are less active. Repeat 24 hours later if the problem still exists.

Phil

Make a set of organic looking limbs to support a glass table top. That would bring it back to proportion AND show off the metal work.

Very nice looking.

Phil

The clay is to protect the metal from the fire. That's it!
Phil

Glenn, I think I will try hanging the magnet from copper wire when I fire up next.

MattBower, one of those magnets *was* a rare earth magnet (the first I destroyed). Granted it stuck (obviously not non-magnetic), melted the glue it was held to the stick with, and I couldn't get it off before it disintegrated. I was left with some chrome foil and dust. It was about 3/8 inch across and 1/8 inch thick on a telescoping stick. The melty ones I rather expected to since they were flexible to start with. Those will remain on the fridge from now on.

Kendric, I might have an old hard drive laying around, or know where to find a few.

Frosty, my dad has some magnet sticks that the magnet is crimped/swaged in (he still uses them even though retired), but I seem to find only glued on magnets. Maybe I need to find a "Snap-On guy"

UnicronForge, I'll try radio shack for smaller magnets if I have poor luck with disk drive magnets. A nice doughnut might be better since voice coil magnets are rather oddly shaped.

John B and Rich Hale, If I have poor success with smaller magnets, or need to silence an anvil I will definitely give a massive magnet a try. I think my real problem lies in wanting contact. Glenn has a good point about not needing contact.

I am trying to not buy another magnet for this, but I might. I'm still a beginner with hot metal.

Thank you for the responses and ideas.

Phil

My mom had one like that, but not nearly as nice. It had a stamped sheet metal bottom, round vertical pins, and a piece of drilled flatstock for a bar, but otherwise the same setup.

Yours is much nicer looking. Thanks for sharing.

Phil

I used to give my apprentices a six inch long section of half inch stock and have them make a cube, then a ball.

I might have to try this after I make tongs. I've tried upsetting 3/8 square stock, and have found it...upsetting...untill I remembered that I am doing this for "fun"

Phil

I made some templates out of paper. I need to remake them when I get kaolin. They are funkier than you might think.

ConeCalc
or this one
cardboard cone calculator

Phil