i haven't looked at the microstructure but with a polish and etch, you can see the macrostructure... it is usually similar to the surface of the ingot
depending on what you prefer, cooling rates can vary alot... if you pull the crucible out of the furnace and let it cool in air, it is still slow enough to produce the dendritic surface pattern.
the slower you cool the ingot, the coarser the ingots dendrites. If they are too coarse, then it is very difficult to get a nice flowing pattern through forging the ingot... as the pattern likes to remain the same as the initial pattern on the ingot
the wool that is lining the pail is called cerwool htz. it is used to keep the crucibles hot after i pull them out of the furnace... that is not what the furnace is lined with as it won't hold up as a hotface refractory
-the furnace is made with a castable cement called super 3000 that i bought from vesuvius
the walls of the furnace are thick enough to prevent it from slumping inward when hot
-when its on it 3rd run, it can melt 6lbs of iron in 20 minutes
how long does it take to cool. what does the internal micro-structure look like?
MegaDillon21 1 year ago
@MegaDillon21
i haven't looked at the microstructure but with a polish and etch, you can see the macrostructure... it is usually similar to the surface of the ingot
depending on what you prefer, cooling rates can vary alot... if you pull the crucible out of the furnace and let it cool in air, it is still slow enough to produce the dendritic surface pattern.
MrDimenickel 1 year ago
@MrDimenickel
the slower you cool the ingot, the coarser the ingots dendrites. If they are too coarse, then it is very difficult to get a nice flowing pattern through forging the ingot... as the pattern likes to remain the same as the initial pattern on the ingot
MrDimenickel 1 year ago
the wool that is lining the pail is called cerwool htz. it is used to keep the crucibles hot after i pull them out of the furnace... that is not what the furnace is lined with as it won't hold up as a hotface refractory
-the furnace is made with a castable cement called super 3000 that i bought from vesuvius
the walls of the furnace are thick enough to prevent it from slumping inward when hot
-when its on it 3rd run, it can melt 6lbs of iron in 20 minutes
MrDimenickel 1 year ago
What is the name of the insulation wool you used in the smelt?
MuscaVolitans 1 year ago