Kiln / furnace question

[ShinyLauren]

Argh - sorry Lauren - I've not been seeing the notifications, so hadn't looked. Shall do so imminently.
(And I need to look into what's happened with the notifications...)

Thanks lovely - I assumed you hadn't got them, as I often don't get notifications either!

[Nick martin]

Peter/ Josef,

If you've been using the kiln for a few hrs does it then take several hours to cooldown or does it dissipate heat quite quickly?

Nick

[Nick martin]

Peter/ Josef,

If you've been using the kiln for a few hrs does it then take several hours to cooldown or does it dissipate heat quite quickly?

Nick

[ps_bond]

With my HT oven, it'll vent faster if I open it - but if you open it at red heat you'll oxidise the heating coils... They're quite good insulators, so cool slowly otherwise (or so you'd hope).

[Nick martin]

Thanks Peter.

I've not began using it as such yet although I have sourced an instruction manual for the controller.

It's by far the scariest tool I've got though!

Nick

[josef1]

Get yourself or make some nice sturdy flask tongs and leather gloves , the kiln burning out platinum investment at 900 degC you can really feel the heat ! I usually leave the kiln to cool with the door closed unless more flasks need to go in the same evening then the door gets opened once it has cooled for a couple of hours closed.

[Nick martin]

That's all useful info to a kiln novice like me so thankyou.

Which UK supplier do you use for the consumables such as investment mix, flasks, tongs, gloves etc?

Once I've gotten those bits, then a vibration table it'll be time to experiment!

Forgot to mention that I don't intend to cast from traditional wax models but from 3d printed pla filament models instead.

Nick

[ps_bond]

Cromwell have a reasonable selection of gloves & other PPE; most of the time I use either welding gloves or Kevlar knitted gloves depending on the temperatures I'm messing at.
Walsh sell flasks & investment as well as other bits, but this is more in Joe's area so I'd ask him.

[josef1]

I use a company called Goldstar http://www.goldstarpowders.com/products/ip-xxx but they have a £150 plus VAT minimum order and you dont really want lots of investment powder sat around as it goes bad with time. They also sell flasks etc. so you may be able to make the order up like that. I think Cooksons sells investment powder as well defiantly worth a check even though I couldn't find any on the website search or as Peter says Walsh . Ebay also has flasks and bases . Depending on what system your casting with (centrifugal or vacuum) I would go for around 3" perforated flasks for vacuum or 3" solid flasks for centrifugal (this can be cut stainless pipe off ebay you need around a 2mm wall thickness) I personally dont use a vibration table from experience vacuum is a better way to get air bubbles out and less destructive ! I also use a set of leather gloves and a leather apron at home I got as welding accessories set from Aldi worth keeping an eye out if they come on sale again. Burning PLA filament would be interesting You may have to vac the flasks to remove ash before casting

[Nick martin]

I was considering the vibrating table route primarily because of cost, and that I dont have an unlimited budget for all of this.

I factored in some kind of air blowing / vacuum kit to remove ash and debris from the flasks if casting PLA as you say, but thought I might have gotten away with not purchasing a casting machine ( and vacuum table ).

However a quick look on Amazon and Ebay shows that these all-in-one vacuum casting machines with bell jar can be had for about £600 so I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and purchase one at some point in the near future. They are as rare as hen's teeth second hand ( or at least I've never seen one! ).

Until I'm up to speed I'm going to experiment with enamelling and doing more with Argentium because when I start out casting using the LW method, I want to approach it properly and not half arsed otherwise there will be a lot of wasted time, materials, and of course unfinished castings.

Thanks,

Nick