jlpservicesinc Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 John, do you think this will be a better way to go vs a brick on the bottom of the forge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 No clue. I just had the idea pop into my head, and I wanted to see if it would work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 thanks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HojPoj Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 It's likely to be a better choice for a consumable floor than a standard dense firebrick so long as the chosen refractory has adequate mechanical and chemical resistance. The biggest advantage is that you can tune it for your forge (no cutting a brick), your work (special features, like a plinth, perhaps?), and the other parameters. On my casting furnace I took my dense castable and added shredded Styrofoam to it in order to increase its insulative properties without seriously compromising its other characteristics (the foam burns out leaving air voids, and no fluxing residue). You could do a cast all in one go with a foamed bottom and a skim coat of the same refractory for a wear surface (and without the different coefficients of thermal expansion that you'd find with using two different refractories). That being said, I personally would still do an open top casting instead of a bag just to avoid the wrinkles. A quick lining with plastic wrap would probably do the job just as well. The bag's certainly a lot less fuss n' muss, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 It certainly made the mixing a lot easier and a lot less messy. As for the wrinkles, shaking all the mixed refractory down to the end of the bag and wrapping it up around itself pretty tightly helped a lot with that. The "foamed bottom with skim coat" idea is really interesting. I had thought about using some more of the extra Kastolite to make "bricks" to use as doors for the forge, and I think this might be worth a try. (Or I might just get some firebricks. Who knows?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HojPoj Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Really just depends on your situation- if you've got plenty of refractory why go through the time and expense of buying more stuff? If you'd have to buy more stuff anyways, might as well just buy what'll do the job well for minimal hassle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I've also got a good bit of leftover kaowool, with which I plan to line the toaster oven I use for tempering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I thought your next project would be a blown ribbon forge.. Your not one to get moss on top of your feet.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Well, at some point I have to stop making tools and actually start making, you know, stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Stuff is stuff.. LOL... Tools is stuff.. forgings are stuff.. You are inspiring a new generation.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 ...to run away screaming? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eventlessbox Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I prefer running to the shop. Screaming with joy to have found some free time to forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Finished up this experemental octopus wall hook. It could be any kinda hook but this one ended up in the kitchen as a key hook. The backing was plasma cut from plate and the tentacles forge formed. The two added tentacles was my first try with the mig welded suckers, and I like the look a lot. I'll definately be making more to this effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Das, awesome.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuja_torra Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Finished a very late Christmas gift with some of the patterned steel that I made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Thanks JLP. Kuja, what finish did you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Daswulf said: my first try with the mig welded suckers How long did they take? I mean, is the “sucker born every minute” an industry standard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 These were born every second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 So, for the little divot in the middle, did you sucker-punch them? Lined my toaster tempering oven with kaowool and rigidized it with a blowtorch. I think I’m going to get a tube of furnace cement to fix the door lining (with oven thermometer) in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 How did you handle the heating element with the Kaowool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 The heating element is made up of four quartz rods: two above and two below. I pieced the insulation around them, so that they’re exposed to the interior. I’ll probably still be losing some heat through the outside walls next to the elements , but a lot less. I also plan to add an expanded metal floor to protect the kaowool from bumps and tears. Doesn’t need to resist forging flames, so I should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olydemon Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Really cool, it's almost a mixed media piece with the laser cut flat and forged tentacles. I need to make some tentacles this weekend for an etsy custom order.. Mine will be pendant size this time, but my last tentacle project was rather large... made from 3/8" and 1/2" bar.... ALSO.... (edit to add note since my reply to previous and a new post were merged) Not done today, but last weekend... Lots of pendants made from old screws.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Cool pendants, oly. What a great use for old screws. Pic 2, bottom pendant would make convincing antelope horns. I made a lizard from an old 1/2 inch bolt. Those skink lizards are pretty skinny so you don't need much body mass. The head is only slightly upset. Legs are not right but this was just a trial run; the next will be better. Also tried making my snake heads a bit less friendly looking. This one is a taipan. Means business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuja_torra Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 18 hours ago, Daswulf said: Kuja, what finish did you use? I used ferric chloride to etch and then used briwax to prevent rust. I also tried copper contaminated ferric chloride but i didn't like the appearance for a ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Test piece for an idea I’ve been playing with in my mind: This was the first piece I’ve made in the gas forge, which went very well. However, there was a lot of heavy scale, which did not want to come off. Not sure if that’s a function of the forge or of my not having wire brushed it enough during the forging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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