# home made mini-firebrick furnance



## plamenppp (Dec 26, 2009)

If you live far away from Steve and have no money you can make your own fireproof mini-firebrick furnance. All you need is two fireproof bricks, a hamer, a chisel and your hands. It took me two hours to dig the hole. I broke my melting dish a week ago as well :twisted: Here is the result:





P.S. : Please do not break your melting dish! It did not work very well but I'm still perfecting the process.


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## donnybrook (Jan 14, 2010)

Plamen,
The idea you have there using firebricks is incredible. Did you get a succeseful smelt down.
donnybrook


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## Palladium (Jan 15, 2010)

I think Steve posted a vid on his site about this.


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## ander (Jan 15, 2010)

I made my furnance myself using chamotte mortar. Its based on piese of chamotte firebrick and can be covered with one( not shown on the pics). I use porcelain dish to melt.


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## Irons (Jan 15, 2010)

A revival of post-neolithic technology. Our Bronze Age ancestors would be proud.

I love it.


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## ander (Jan 15, 2010)

Irons said:


> A revival of post-neolithic technology. Our Bronze Age ancestors would be proud.
> 
> I love it.


 :lol: sarcasm??
I use butane and maxigas to melt, not charcoal


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## goldsilverpro (Jan 15, 2010)

anders,

If you're trying to melt gold, I have some concerns about using those porcelain crucibles. I can't read the labels but the Coors brand will only withstand 1150C. The melting point of gold is about 1064C. Therefore, the difference between the service temperature of the crucible and the melting point of gold is only 86 degrees C. I would think that, with your setup, that type of control would be a little difficult to maintain. I may be wrong about this. Also, with certain materials, I seem to remember getting bonding to the porcelain. I would think that some form of clay crucible would be a better choice.


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## ander (Jan 15, 2010)

These I use are czech. They are very good, but are very vulnerable to thermal shock so I broke couple of them before I learned how to maintain in good shape. they are 10ccm volume so for most PMs are enough. I put the porcelain into 1500 centigrade and it did not melt. The problem is bonding to dish but using borax helps a little. I made my own mixture using titanium, cerium and other highmelting oxides and some caolin clay- but visible radiation of material on heating is way much higher that porcelain. In two weeks I will try to harden another set the self made dishes in electric furnance for further tests.


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## Irons (Jan 15, 2010)

ander said:


> Irons said:
> 
> 
> > A revival of post-neolithic technology. Our Bronze Age ancestors would be proud.
> ...



Good point. There have been a few improvements since then. :mrgreen:


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## ander (Jan 15, 2010)

Irons, I personally love your sense of humour. The simplest methods don't fail so often as hi-tech ones.


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