Buzzkill Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Northwoodsman, You don't seem to be getting the picture here. You have several people with experience in doing what you want to do or something very similar offering you free advice. What you want to do is ambitious and cool, but you keep telling us you have limited funds. Doing it the way you want to do it WILL cost you more money - period. There is no if or but here. Even if you do it as safely and as efficiently as possible (and you won't until you get some experience), you have plenty of free time to do it, and you can make or get your fuel for free you will still end up with more sunk into this adventure than the alternative. You've also told us you have a pile of scrap. Sell the scrap and buy relatively inexpensive steel of known quality and composition. You will be well ahead of the game that way. Unless you know the carbon content of everything you would dump in a crucible and can accurately guesstimate how much carbon you will lose in all the processes from molten steel to finished product there is no good way for you to ensure that your crucible steel would even have carbon content that is suitable for sword making. Of course you could have analysis run on your steel, but that costs money too. You have an idea and a passion. That's good. What you don't have is experience or enough information about what you want to do yet. People on here are trying their best to impart some of that information based on their personal experience. Please understand that we love it when people are passionate about working with metal and encourage that. We also like to see them succeed and survive. When we see someone who is starting down a road that is likely to get them hurt or has a high probability of failure we warn them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 There are classes on this available at least in the USA. I believe your funds would be well spent attending one; I suggest you search on wootz as that is a crucible process and making plain crucible steel will be *easier*; but the technology will be much the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northwoodsman Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 I have another question also. That is where can I find tongs for crucibles that are made out of tungsten or tungsten carbide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 not in any price range normal folks could afford...Find out what other melters are using instead, look into teeming of crucible steel in Sheffield England for instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northwoodsman Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 Is there places that would be able to cast or form a set of tongs for me. And nothing of large extent either. Some thing a little bigger than the beaker tongs used in science class except made out of tungsten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 tungsten tongs! casting tungsten tongs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northwoodsman Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 This is something I will not attemp so that is why I was wondering if a company could make one for me if I sent in a blue print on the mold that I would want. That or one that could machine the tongs for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 Would it bother you if it cost more than your house? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northwoodsman Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 They cost over $500,000 that's xxxxxxxx expensive. Watch your language Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 if you want them then you should be prepared to pay for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northwoodsman Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 How much would they be I can pay about 200 at most for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 I want 2 pounds of gold but can only pay you $50 for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 OK thats enough. First: we do NOT condone or take part in children making any weapons. You guys know that, and when Northwoods said he has at least 2 more years to finish High school you should have know to stop it then. Even if his prior questions weren't enough of a clue. Second: I am tired of new people refusing to read posted and pinned information, and ignore or abuse those of us that do know after they dont get the answer they want. Third: If he can fund $200 for tongs he can pay $25 for a bar of blade steel. Foruth: His ideas of casting and safety will get him and others killed, He refuses to listen, so I am stopping it now, Let get to a real subject and move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 I believe most places doing steel would use a tilting furnace instead of using tongs and the associated dangers of doing so. We poured chrome cobalt alloys at 3250 degrees for dental alloys. Even in a foundry situation it was a dangerous process because crap happens when you least expect it. It is obvious from your posts that you have no clue what you are getting into. As Steve said. that ignorance, and unwillingness to listen to more experienced craftsmen can get you, or others killed or seriously injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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