New guy requires melting Crucible making material assistance

keithh - Saturday, July 18, 2009 - 12:01pm

HI Everyone; I am new to posting and have been lurking and reading a wide range of sites in order to gather as much info as I can on home made crucibles using clays.
It all started with this site, http://www.geocities.com/qasruf7/crucible.html
I think the owners name is Sergai but since I cannot contact him I cant be sure. The link above shows his 3 part material for his melting crucible but it is in russian. All attempts at translating this to english has failed or I have recd no responses to my enquiries.
I am starting at setting up a melt for this bulat steel he makes. I am almost ready but his throw away crucibles are a hold back.
The reason I am going about this process to melt steel in this way is because I am trying to do this in a inexpensive manner as possible. It is possible I will make a bunch of this metal once the process is down pat.
I have a small metal working shop and it is my hope to be able to make this steel and see what I can do with its properties.
Please have a look at his meager and inexpenive process and let me know what you all think.

Many thanks..all ideas are welcome :)

Keith in Duoro, Ontario, Canada

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Keith, I don't speak Russian

Rich Waugh - Saturday, July 18, 2009 - 9:53pm

Keith,

I don't speak Russian or ready Cyrillic, so I can't say for sure, but from what I see in the pictures, it appears that the gentleman is making Wootz (commonly called Damascus steel) steel. There's way more to that process than just making a crucible or a cupola furnace, that much I do know. You can't just toss in odds and ends of scrap and get Wootz out the other end, in other words.

There have been a number of guys in the US making Wootz over the years, so I suggest you do a Google search for Wootz steel making and see what turns up. You might also check on some of the better knife-making forums, like Don Fogg's, for the guys there who make Wootz.

All that said, I'd be wary of using any homemade crucible, particularly for steel. Just too dangerous if it fails catastrophically. Good crucibles aren't expensive, they're priceless if you value your extremities at all.

Rich

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HI Rich. Thanks for the reply

keithh - Monday, July 20, 2009 - 8:43am

HI Rich. Thanks for the reply. I will be very careful with safety. I feel it comes with the domain of metal work in general, with welders and torches one can never be too careful. When I was a bit younger I learned a lot the hard way and that we are not immortal. :) Thank God that is all behind me..
I have looked at the wootz process also have read J.D. Verhoeven and D.T. Peterson papers.
As for the bulat crucible and such, if you have the time, check out this bulat process from the beginning (link below) and see what you think. The metal is not poured hot but left to cool in the furnace it seems. http://www.geocities.com/qasruf7/bulat.html
Anyways Rich, thanks again for the reply, it is nice to know someone is reading my emails etc. I will update forum thread once this is process is worked out.

Cheers Keith

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