JADF Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 So after playing with it this is all that's left of the 2x wood block. It still burns great, how thin do you think I dare go with the casting? Was thinking of adding an outlet to hook air up to it for shutdown to keep the heat out of the plenum and eliminate the small explosion even though it is kinda cool! VID_20200423_203746243_Slomo_Trim.mp4 VID_20200423_203746243_Slomo(2)_Trim.mp4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 1, 2020 Author Share Posted May 1, 2020 I don't understand, what are am I supposed to look at in all these pictures? Do they relate to the question? I don't see the relation. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JADF Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Sorry Frosty! Only the first pic is relevant, the others are because I like to play with fire. Big part of the reason I'm on the volunteer fire dept. There is only about a half inch of block left do I dare cast that thin or should I go the full inch and a half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JADF Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 Well it seems to have worked. Unfortunately the vaseline didn't so they'll get burned out later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 6, 2020 Author Share Posted May 6, 2020 I don't know how thin the burner block can be cast and I'm sure that'll depend on the refractory. When I can get any of the crayons to pull out I feel almost giddy at my successful cleverness. I'm thinking of trying 1/8" stainless tig welding rod for cores next time. I should let me use a slide hammer and just jerk the little spalpeens out by their roots. You could partially drill those out, it'd speed up the burn out. Yeah, fire is good, Frosty LIKE fire. Just so we understand the perspective, I'm a pyrophile I LIKE fire, not a pyromaniac I'm not CRAZY about it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 Keep telling yourself that Frosty; maybe they will take you off the watchlists all the rest of us are on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 I'm afraid it's a burden of being entertaining to watch and I don't even wear lederhosen. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JADF Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 It didn't stick to the linoleum I had wrapped around it, wonder if graphite rods would work? I'd like to use the pyrophile label but to many people already know I'm crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 I don't know about that, how'd you get graphite out if it stuck? Be a real chore burning it out and if you're going to drill wood's cheap. Linoleum makes good mold material, you can even form it at approx. 300f. Every phile looks crazy to the mundanes. I chortle and wave my . . . shirt tails in the direction of their mediocrity! Were I a maniac I'd laugh maniacally while I placed the devices of whichever mania I was expressing. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JADF Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Good point. There's got to be something out there that would work, of course you'd probably have to sell a kid to afford it. I'd be willing to bet your club meetings are more than just a little bit of a good time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 Nah, just take your kid's crayons, make them smaller if you wish. Club meetings are almost always a good time. It can get scary though, so many folks have no idea how to behave in a HOT shop so there are guys carrying yellow bars behind people making wild arm gestures and . . . I have to really work at not yelling at people all the time. In about 15 years or so there hasn't been one serious injury, band aids, bruises, a few 2nd. degree burns from not seizing the cold end. Not bad at all. Good times. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JADF Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 Casting turned out kinda fugly, ended up about 3/4" thick by the time I got all the dowels out but it still seems to burn ok. If life will stay out of the way I might get the forge lined before I die. Next one I'll definitely leave the holes farther from the edges. Band aids and burns are just life in the shop, can't wait for this BS to blow over so our club can meet again. VID_20200508_194825028.mp4 VID_20200508_195102182.mp4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Quick update: I got the skewer pieces cut and inserted in the mold base over the weekend. Had the idea to dip the whole thing in melted beeswax, which increased the skewer diameters to about 3.5mm and will (hopefully) help with release and/or burnout. I’ll try to remember to take some photos before I put in the Kastolite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Cast the ribbon block last night, along with the doors for the new gasser. You can see the mold with the wax-dipped skewers on the right-hand side of this photo: And here's the Kastolite getting packed down between the skewers. I tried the trick of vibrating down the refractory, but it didn't work particularly well (I still want to try it with my late father-in-law's crappy orbital sander providing vibration, but I couldn't find it yesterday). Pushing the refractory straight down into the skewers worked pretty well, first with the palm of my hand, and then with the front edge of a putty knife. Much better than trying to work it in from the sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Anyone try it with those twisted birthday candles to see what a spiral cast in the refractory does? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Would it make a difference if you used the big "1", "2", and "0" candles instead of 120 little ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 I don't remember if we saved them from that birthday; it's been so long ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 The good thing about saving those candles from your 120th birthday is that you can use them again on your 210th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Didn't have a birthday party that year, IIRC we were besieging Troy and I had lied about my age anyway to get a place on the ship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 "Then came mighty Diomedes, and all his Powers arrayed about him." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 Well played Sir! I have nothing to add of any relevance. No pun at all. Twisted B'day candles would be an interesting experiment I hope someone gives it a try and keeps us posted. I couldn't get vibratory compaction to work on anything but the forge walls I cast. The aggregate in Kastolite is crushed and the angular particles key together and won't slip past each other so you have to ram them in position. My needle scaler and the impact drill worked on clear castings but were zero use on the burner blocks. I used a putty knife to good effect too. To get the scaler or impact drill to work I clamped the forms to a steel plate and vibrated the plate. LOUDNESS! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 I was wondering if you could get a smooth enough wall with the twisted candles and wondering if pre-dipping them in slurry before casting could help that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 1 hour ago, Frosty said: Well played Sir! I have nothing to add of any relevance. No pun at all. Dear Lord; I broke Frosty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 A prayer of thanks, John? Frotsy The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 He's no pun at all when he's like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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