Shortening a crucible?

[Blackcat]

If there any reason I can't cut down a clay/fire clay grog/ silicon carbide particle (I'd wear a mask) crucible that is too tall for my furnace? What would be the best tool -- a hacksaw?

Thanks, as always for any insight!

[Bentiron1946]

I just don't think it's a good idea to go messing around with a crucible, it holds molten metal and having seen them break full of metal you just don't want to mess with them. So what I'm going to suggest is making you furnace taller to take the taller crucible. A taller furnace isn't likely to get you into trouble as fast as a broken crucible and is a lot less work and safer in the long run. Just don't mess with the crucible.

[jeremy k]

For safety reasons a new shorter crucible would be far within any budget.

[Nobody Special]

New crucible's cheaper then a trip to the doc . Don't muck about with 'em, Don't make em out of refractory and don't get cheap. Molten metal hurts.

 

Not that I tried something like this..........

 

To some extent, if you're not melting high temp stuff like steel, you can make a steel crucible, works nicely for aluminum, but the walls have to be fairly thick, they eventually rust through, and you'll get a little bit of iron scale in whatever you melt.

 

If you do try this, don't use them for too long, don't take it too hot, and don't try something with thin walls, no matter how many times you've seen some schmuck on youtube with a cutdown propane can or soup can.