Metal Melter

[Onoff]

This should work in it too

Doubt it, have you seen the temperature range? Three times the proper wax I have here.

 

[prepman]

Might have spoken too soon, the middle bits of the A & the R are in fact seemingly there, albeit a tad low. Maybe making them deeper, so they project slightly from the face of the final wax will work, then just need minimal taking down with a Dremel.

View attachment 345334

Just a thought...would an ultrasonic cleaner do it without damage? Remove PVA that is.

 

[prepman]

For anyone interested this my burner design.

 

[Kram]

The wax melter arrived at 11, before I was out of bed! seems very good, warms up fast. Set the temp, then couple seconds later it shows actual temp, light goes green when it ges there.
Took ages trying to get all the wax out, sticks well in the pot. poured on to foil, it doesnt stick to that. Could use a few spare pots for it. The PE pot handle is a bit rubbish.
Will have another go with candle wax, and the tool dip.

 

[prepman]

More progress. Lifting the furnace off my ricketty welding table was a concern. Just too heavy to lift with now 27kg of refractory plus steel work. Realising that if it dropped it'd be totalled, I erred on the side of caution and used the digger to get off and on to the trolley. But with MAG as opposed to TIG you can weld rust and thick to thin. Need to make a foot lift pedal. Then its nothing until refractory arrives.
Cart handle maybe? Need to get this finished so I can sort deathtrap workshop out.
Bit concerned about mixing tread patterns on the wheels......BBQ on back and Bosch shredder on front...........I'll just have to take it steady

 

[JMS1972]

More progress. Lifting the furnace off my ricketty welding table was a concern. Just too heavy to lift with now 27kg of refractory plus steel work. Realising that if it dropped it'd be totalled, I erred on the side of caution and used the digger to get off and on to the trolley. But with MAG as opposed to TIG you can weld rust and thick to thin. Need to make a foot lift pedal. Then its nothing until refractory arrives.
Cart handle maybe? Need to get this finished so I can sort deathtrap workshop out.
Bit concerned about mixing tread patterns on the wheels......BBQ on back and Bosch shredder on front...........I'll just have to take it steady

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You're okay as long as you don't mix them on the same axles

That's Looking really good.

 

[Onoff]

Took ages trying to get all the wax out, sticks well in the pot. poured on to foil, it doesnt stick to that.

Takes a couple of minutes if you follow this. Cheers, Melanie!

 

[Onoff]

After a quick trim with the craft knife. There's good and bad about it. Gut feeling is I didn't have the wax hot enough when I poured.

It looks a bit battered as I've been a bit aggressive with the PVA removal. The cow head, ears, eyes etc are all fine.

Some letters are more defined, some are worse than the first wax though

Onto wax No.3 then!

 

[Kram]

That's Looking really rusty.

No rust was harmed in the making of this furnace

Takes a couple of minutes if you follow this. Cheers, Melanie!

Ah, lots of oil, a bit wasteful.
I tried a small parafin wax candle, it will mix, pour out, the remains will wipe up with a single tissue. Reuse wax next time.

After a quick trim with the craft knife. There's good and bad about it. Gut feeling is I didn't have the wax hot enough when I poured.

It looks a bit battered as I've been a bit aggressive with the PVA removal. The cow head, ears, eyes etc are all fine.

Some letters are more defined, some are worse than the first wax though

View attachment 345445

View attachment 345447

Onto wax No.3 then!

Print the ring and cow head moulds seperately. They will be easy to join and quicker to print.
Can you reduce the width/boldness of the text slightly?

Ive had the protective cutter wax in melt pot for 20 mins, its melted but really needs another 10-20c. IR gun shows it at 120-127c. Could modify the pot, but Im thinking better to mix some of the other wax to lower the melt point just a bit.

 

[Onoff]

Can you reduce the width/boldness of the text slightly?

Can do, intrigued as to why?

Wait until you try this red Scarva wax, it really is a cut above the rest I think but then it is the proper stuff.

We used to use that high temp stuff for protecting anchor studs so concrete didn't get in the threads. It'd peel off very like leg wax or the stuff on new taps. The red wax dries hard almost to the point of being brittle, but in a good way.

 

[Onoff]

Can you reduce the width/boldness of the text slightly?

Again, what's your thinking here mate?

 

[Kram]

Can do, intrigued as to why?

Better definition on the text, my thinking is the top is always a bit rounded so narrower text would help?

 

[Onoff]

Better definition on the text, my thinking is the top is always a bit rounded so narrower text would help?

OK. Will put the font back to what it was on the first wax print but space the letters out more.

 

[prepman]

New refractory arrived and cast off top section of furnace. Made bracing for front bogey and retaining roll pin. Mainly for cornering........Also wire brushed the rust off the axle, for our more sensitive viewers with 'rust-issues' Plus to make sure there was actual metal under the rust.
Hopefully I'll be able to get paint can out..............of the refractory

Taken it into sunshine to warm up as the mix wasn't really dry enough. But now that it's an ATV, no problem.
Might re-model the lid as it never was the same diameter (the original furnace was square), but it's too deep and will use too much of the refractory.

 

[Onoff]

New refractory arrived and cast off top section of furnace. Made bracing for front bogey and retaining roll pin. Mainly for cornering........Also wire brushed the rust off the axle, for our more sensitive viewers with 'rust-issues' Plus to make sure there was actual metal under the rust.
Hopefully I'll be able to get paint can out..............of the refractory

Taken it into sunshine to warm up as the mix wasn't really dry enough. But now that it's an ATV, no problem.
Might re-model the lid as it never was the same diameter (the original furnace was square), but it's too deep and will use too much of the refractory.


View attachment 345721View attachment 345722

Is that Corten steel?

 

[prepman]

Is that Corten steel?

Most defininitely...bespoke or is it made out of spokes....whatever?
Ironically it doesn't need wheels, just something to raise it up. Doesn't usually move for 10years.

 

[prepman]

Before I start using the welders ...I make sure the gas is on both sets..MAG and TIG ...having come unstuck before.
Came to use the plasma and had so many issues....burnt out 4 nozzles before I realised I hadn't turned the air compressor on. The first mistake in my life.....and there it is!

 

[Onoff]

Now printed (6 hours) and awaiting cleaning up, this is probably the best PVA print to date. Done at 0.1mm layers it does seem to "catch" more and knock little bits off but it somehow comes right. Photos of the finished article later. It's as light as a feather and has the consistency of a prawn cracker meets rice paper.....but in a good way.

Hopefully lots of surface area and not much PVA there for the warm water to soak off.

Not my work, I just get up and the printing fairy leaves it out for me. I'm just the ideas man!

 

[Onoff]

@Kram , I'm intrigued by your idea of injecting rather than pouring the wax. First thought is how to keep it hot. I did find metal syringes online. Again, pouring from pot to syringe will cool things down unless I pre heat the syringe.

Pouring the wax straight in, as I have been, then the pot that comes with the melter is crap, has no spout etc. Maybe I can form one?

Pouring does work though the tendency is to over pour and then you end up with excess wax on the back. How to take that off without damaging the PVA?

Just random thoughts tbh.

 

[JMS1972]

@Kram , I'm intrigued by your idea of injecting rather than pouring the wax. First thought is how to keep it hot. I did find metal syringes online. Again, pouring from pot to syringe will cool things down unless I pre heat the syringe.

Pouring the wax straight in, as I have been, then the pot that comes with the melter is crap, has no spout etc. Maybe I can form one?

Pouring does work though the tendency is to over pour and then you end up with excess wax on the back. How to take that off without damaging the PVA?

Just random thoughts tbh.

I think a preheated metal cooks syringe is a cheap way but probably works better on a closed mold e.g. silicone type.