How to make a melting FURNACE and CRUCIBLE for WOOTZ steel

In this video, we're going to show you how to make a melting furnace and crucible for wootz steel. This is a really cool project that you can use to make your own steel tools!
This video is a great way to learn about metallurgy, metalworking and manufacturing techniques. We'll show you how to make a melting furnace and crucible, and then use it to make a steel tool. This project is really easy to follow, and it's a great way to learn about metalworking techniques!
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#wootzsteel #knifemaking #wootz #fzmakingknife

[@fz-makingknives3663]

You have been asking for a long time how to make a steel melting furnace and a crucible. We decided to film the crucible making process for you.

[@huntrezz01]

is that a regular red brick or refractory brick 🤔🤔🤔

[@davidmacfadyen165]

Thank you very much, always love seeing the making of the steel

[@mikegreene6742]

Thank you very much for this!!!!! This is the video I have been waiting for!

[@jdmec81]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the blade making community. You’ve accomplished better results with recreating a wootz like metal than anyone I’ve seen.

[@KevinJamesLaw]

So you allow the crucible to air dry? Does it actually take a whole month, or is it faster? And could you bake it in the oven to speed up the process?

[@samoafa841]

Know that if this, “Wootz” steel forging doesn’t pan out. You’ve got a future in dramatic hand modeling

[@awwpoosnax9513]

Fantastic video! Thank you! I would be extremely interested in getting a list of exact measurements, and possible links to vendors of the materials. I am interested in attempting this, and would like to get the process perfected.

[@goatspartan665]

I was one of the people who asked a long time ago. Thank you for sharing the information on making the crucibles. You are a legend and I love watching you make your knives. Thank you from Australia 👍

[@fz-makingknives3663]

THANK YOU

[@Sauerbrew777]

This shows how much hard work is involved behind the scenes in making your beautiful knives! Thank you for a peek behind the curtain! Slava Ukraini!

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Geroyam Slava

[@orsitaors4167]

Ура!!! Видео, после которого не остаётся "глупых" вопросов. Мастер как всегда порадовал. Спасибо!

[@Фах-р7и]

А вопрос про использование ингредиентов для тигля? Слепить то можно, но из чего?

[@Traderjoe]

It’s extremely nice of you to show everyone this. It’ll doubtlessly entice others to tear this journey.

[@daisukemorikage6776]

This is the reason why that I follow you. That's the very wootz steel I've imagined and been looking for.

[@gra4279]

True wootz will come from the mine of Salah Ah Din. There's a 3% vanadium content in that ore that isn't present in other areas, which made for exquisite patterns once drawn out.

[@janstefan694]

You are make some "true wootz" right now?

[@jeanladoire4141]

3% vanadium ??? No. No way. Maybe 0.003% or 0.03%, but not 3%. A tiny amount of vanadium is enough to change the pattern of a wootz steel, and vanadium is rather rare in ores.

[@gra4279]

@jeanladoire4141 it's not about the pattern, it's about the properties that the vanadium imbue into the steel. Those swords were known to flex in combat and then come back to being true after each strike. The mine that Salah Ah Din used was found again, and the composition of the ore was determined from samples taken.

[@jeanladoire4141]

@@gra4279 ancient wootz steel didn't have significant vanadium content, it didn't affect the properties of the steel like with modern steels. Larrin Thomas recently made a video on his tests of wootz (following the ancient compositions) and the performances were pretty bad. Hard steel, but very brittle. A lot of ancient wootz swords weren't even hardened, by fear of breaking them. Tiny amounts of vanadium only had effects on the pattern, and not much more

[@mitsos76]

Who has been asking for tha pointless video? Taking well manufactured bearing balls and melting them again for no reason, instead of melting metal junk?

[@Jagdtyger2A]

You know that this video would be more useful if there was audio describing the ingredients and proportions being used. Having to guess what you are using diminishes the value

[@polisheverything1970]

I always wondered if you made your own crucibles as I know to buy they're not cheap. Thank you for showing this process, much respect from here in the UK.

[@gunengineering1338]

Believe it or not, mountain dew is a better enchant for wootz than nitric acid.

[@jean-michelsanderre9858]

Thanks so much for sharing this, and also for all your other videos ! I never miss one !

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Thanks 👍

[@edharker5775]

Thank you for sharing the information on making the crucibles. You are a legend

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Thanks 👍

[@tanaseav]

That is not wootz steel, that just some metal powder melted.😢

[@traceyluck8722]

First I must say I am amazed at your work, I am a welder here in US. And love working with steel and wood, May I ask where you get your graphite for you crucible mixture? And I admire you artistic work, Amazing.

[@fredrichardson9761]

This is another amazing video! Do you have to re-build the furnace every time you create an ingot? Also, what types of steel work best for wootz? I think I've read the ball bearings are often high in chromium. Great video! 👍

[@garethbaus5471]

If you want to get pretty close to the composition of historical wootz steel you might try melting 1 part W2 steel(for the vanadium) to 9 parts wrought iron with enough charcoal powder to get the total carbon content up to 1.5%. The chromium from ball bearing steel is a carbide former, but it will be somewhat different than vanadium, and I don't know how much you would need to use.

[@fredrichardson9761]

@@garethbaus5471 This is fascinating to me - I read the old Pendray articles way back when, but metallurgy is pretty far over my head.

[@shaman35278]

Тепер треба пояснити як його правильно сформувати в лезо, щоб малюнок вийшов . Дякуємо.

[@vabbe71]

Why not better buy one from professional dealers and save all that time. There is plenty of serious crucible dealers online around the morld today who have anything you'd ask for to a resonable price

[@QwispJr]

I love watching your videos. They are always fun. Could we get general amounts of the materials you used for the crucibles in the mix?

[@N1ck00]

Assuming 525g final weight at 7:30 ~33% whole bearings (173g/525g=33.33%) ~58% bearing balls (303g/525g=57.71%) ~9% iron powder (46g/525g=8.76%) It looks like he adds around 2g of graphite at the end, though that's just an estimate. Maybe 0.5%? If you're considering steel strength, you would want around 0.5-1% carbon by weight. The ball bearings he uses are likely 1% carbon already, so you might adjust the recipe he's showing here to have more iron powder and less graphite powder. Glass powder is just flux, enough to cover the top will work. Not precise. The most important things seem to be the use of different sized bearing steel (chromium steel) parts and iron dust to create the wootz pattern, plus a little carbon (graphite). For anyone looking to try this, you might use this recipe: ~90% Chromium steel parts of various sizes ~9.9% Iron powder ~0.1% Graphite powder + Enough glass powder to cover the top

[@QwispJr]

@@N1ck00 Thank you for that break down of the steel. That does help for when I want to do this later. However, I was asking about the crucible itself, not the metal going into it.

[@ricardoabreu69]

You have killed one of my curiosity's. 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@МихайлоЦиганов-э4п]

Дякую за вашу роботу. Натхнення вам. Дякую за рецепт галини для тігеля))) Два вогнестійкої глини, два шамотної глини і три графіту?)

[@opieshomeshop]

*_Not sure why you're moving in slow motion. Would also be nice to have some details about what you're doing. Just saying..._*

[@greg-L3902]

I like your crucible construction ! Well done …. Id avoid the use of bearing steel as this tends to have Cr in the mix and this was not an element that was in ancient wootz steel. very nice video

[@Because223]

I’m not familiar with wootz Steele is it better that Damascus or multiple folded high carbon

[@jorgeluizsteinlamas5147]

Why don't you do it more squared. To make the forging process easier

[@SamzRodri]

I always wondered how you made that!!!

[@Jonniehighkick]

what does "cook until fully cooked? mean?

[@ManMountainMetals]

😂

[@mechanic350]

But you’re not stating exactly the ingredients you’re using dude

[@jackjones9460]

Is there a link reporting the details of what happened? What did you use to make your crucible? Temperatures & times?

[@vitalyzhytnikov4115]

Подяка за відео! Такє питання чі можна відкупити таку заготовочку і за скільки? Дякую!!!

[@jameslechler2062]

Always like the way your knives turn out, what temperature do you have to reach to make the materials melt? Thanks

[@Drew32706]

Yes!!! So cool!!! Thank you for sharing this video!!! This has to be the most important knife making video on KZbin!!!

[@eliqfor1]

Magnificent - thank you so much for making this video

[@fz-makingknives3663]

👍

[@caballitodehierro27]

wow, I never thought that take so much work, congratulations on your craftmanship, from Argentina

[@andyroo8592]

Thank you so much for sharing. You are very generous with your knowledge and watching you work has always been thoroughly enjoyable, I always love watching your creations come together. Another big thanks from Australia.

[@UmbrellaCorp.233]

Just curious... what's the purpose of graphite and glass???

[@samshanker5753]

The graphite is to provide carbon.the glass is act like a flux.

[@luke144]

The crows approved!

[@jam2190]

Do you have to restack all the bricks each time?

[@thomasslikkers253]

That’s true craftsmanship - start to finished product.

[@FlavienKazu]

a very very very big thanks for share your knowledge and your process!! you don't know how i can be happy to learn from one of the best wootz master in the world!!! thanks you again and again and again!!!!!! please never stop to create videos and make knives!!!

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Thanks 👍

[@xxsyya3052]

Many thanks to you mr.fz

[@KitsuShadow190]

Ball bearings != wootz

[@Aleph-Noll]

what if you throw some non-steel metals in there what would happen, could you make any usable alloys?

[@АндрійПучков-с3щ]

Дякую вам за це відео

[@IWatchedWhat]

Thank you, that was very cool seeing how it is done like that. Hope you and your family are safe and healthy.

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Thanks 👍

[@RoundOneShop]

I have a smelter, never used it. Think I will and do a video, thanks for inspiring me

[@USAUSAM82]

Can you crush them after use and then reuse them?

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Never tried

[@derangedmetalworks9489]

I was wondering the very same thing.

[@tombryant4518]

What does the glass do?

[@silverianjannvs5315]

Thanks for sharing!

[@f1fun488]

Українські ковалі найкращі!

[@brendanhayward1803]

And .... I can melt bearings with a oxi torch..dosnt magically turn it into wootz ..it's just modern steel melted together

[@derangedmetalworks9489]

Thank you for sharing this information. I hope that one day I will be able to utilize this information.

[@varun009]

Wootz was known to be shit. This is much better. Arab soldiers often complained that their swords would snap while the crusaders swords would bend at worst.

[@darkemerald4607]

How do I get all of rhe minerals and iron powder?

[@johndavid4825]

I would first try a pottery supply store -- but that is because I grew up in a family of potters. Some of materials though, you might have to purchase in 50# weights because it is so common and cheap.

[@noobbuilderproductions7865]

What are those little brick things that you used to burn? I am very interested!!

[@victordayrider8554]

This very interesting and I have to ask how or where do I get the material for the crucible that is all I need to know. This is very educational I really appreciate the time you took to answer questions. Thanks I'm a beginner who is very determined to learn knife making so again thanks.

[@fz-makingknives3663]

materials in stores)

[@timberanvil3788]

​@@fz-makingknives3663 not finding chamotte clay powder. Thank you very much for the tutorial!

[@tango-bravo]

With all due respect, it was already steel before you melted it down. Original wootz steel making involved making steel out of ore.

[@Louzahsol]

The powdered steel came from ore.

[@Menuki]

With all due respect, the title of the video is about how to make the furnace and the crucible FOR the the steel…not the steel itself

[@rickwilliams967]

I don't want to give you guys any respect

[@jamesont6472]

​@@rickwilliams967 cheers bro, who needs enemies with friends like these 😂

[@stuartmcewan9620]

😅. Yep great crucible and easy furnace to make. Your crucible makes good fat slugs of steel. Shame about the intelligence off those who can't read 😭.

[@SuperTrunkspace]

is there any draft on your crucible mold or does it just slide out no problem on its own?

[@iglesiascyril5672]

Hello, thank you very much for the video. Would it be possible to know the quantities of each powder (fireclay, chamotte, alumine, graphit ) that you mix to make the crucible please. Thank you and good day

[@janusakaicare]

Merci pour cette démonstration, pour fabriquer un four de fusion et un creuset pour l'acier wootz. 👌

[@dwightlooi]

Thatcrucible looks pretty porous, how does it seal and keep the air out? Also, why ball bearings? Why not just pure iron powder and a measure of the exact vanadium and carbon fraction you want?

[@kingsfire2142]

I always thought wootz steel was made from ore not from already refined steel. I wonder where they got the ball bearings and refined steel in ancient India.

[@SV_Try_Magic]

Just magnetite from the bottom of any creek across the world...

[@kingsfire2142]

@@SV_Try_Magic my point exactly magnetite is ore not ball bearings and definitely not refined steel.

[@johndavid4825]

@@kingsfire2142 for decades I have read through "holy war" threads of what is and is not "true" Damascus, or wootz. Fundamentally, I hope we can agree that if you melt it, and it forms dendrite crystals as it cools down, it is the minimum of what would be required to be wootz, and without the dendritic crystallization, it is not even in the ballpark. Someone else will likely draw the line some place else. I will also say, that I accept his choice of words in naming things most fundamentally because he is describing his creative process in the best terms he can, and continues to make things that are stunningly beautiful. I will also point out that many people who get to this point never share their knowledge, or patent the process like Pendry and his crew, and I for one deeply appreciate his sharing. I hope that my finances get to the point where I can splurge on one or more of his knives/swords. Before that point, I also hope to cobble together a furnace and try my hand at making FZ'ian wootz ;-) from what I learned from them and everything else I have read about over the last 30 years.

[@kingsfire2142]

@johndavid4825 so what's next if nomanclature is worthless will we have Damascus plywood and wootz 2x4s? An apple is an apple it should not be called an orange because a group of people de ide to be inaccurate. I state again just because you melt something in a crucible does not make it woots steel.

[@michaelmaus6047]

Sorry, it is not a peace of Woots. It is steel from Sseel scrap. Woots: Peaces from Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 with Graphite. Below the meltingpoint from steel.

[@eugemorin7786]

Woot steal

[@SV_Try_Magic]

I'm starting with a block machine so I can house my equipment and foundry and forge somewhere that is not also my home.

[@fuzielectron5172]

Thanks for sharing love you knife work and steel making.

[@Flying0Dismount]

So why do you bother hand hammering each of your billets before putting it in the press? The puck of wootz is so hard that the hand hammering basically does nothing to it and it's the press the moves the steel around... And do you try to take into account the starting carbon content of your raw stock (ie ball bearings, etc) and adjust the amount of iron powder and carbon you add, or do you always add the same amount and kind of let everything figure itself out in the smelt?

[@thezoidforge9211]

Hand hammering gives the puck some flat surfaces, which allows the press to act more evenly on the billet. Just facilitates better shaping.

[@santiagocampassi6319]

Hello friend, allow me to ask you a question. Do you build the crucible for melting steel using cement? Cement, sand, and lime? Thank you very much.

[@habibkamaruddin7650]

Can i buy?

[@xpndblhero5170]

5:00 - First, you should add your fire bricks in this pattern, fill w/ paper then your favorite chocolate brownie chunks, cover it in chocolate syrup then light and you've got a a great little furnace for melting steel... LoL

[@joshschneider9766]

make a rectilinear billet of this and see if it will forge weld to different modern alloys as a series of experiments each with its own video. that would be epic.

[@WeebRemover4500]

so just fucking clay literally the most annoying shit at my job in any scenario very impressive piece of metal from that- would be nice to see the same with basic homemade clay- clay and wood

[@hbhfdvhj1753]

اتمنا لك دوام. الصحة عمل يستحق لاحترام وتقدير

[@janstefan694]

Hi, what do you use as fuel?? I see some bricets "high pressure someting"? I normally use a coke.

[@rigoniironworks]

Great setup! Would love to try at some point.

[@Odinsforgottenson]

Can i get a list of the crucible ingredients cause as far as i can see chammote and fireclay crumbs are both just ground clay that has been fired and im confused as to the binding aspect if there is no mortar or raw clay

[@deepprey2776]

The only problem is that Wootz steel only comes from 1 place and is very hard to get……

[@xrahmane]

حديد جميل ورائع 😍

[@josephdelange8497]

Very cool video. I like how you do it all from scratch but I know that every brick layer who watched, shook his head and smiled😆.

[@Hanniballebarbare]

I must come to you and you must learn me

[@GlockmanGG]

Very cool , thanks for showing us how you do this from start to finish. I enjoy your videos. Keep on cooking

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Thanks

[@PounderPrime]

Excellent and very interesting instructional video. Thank you very much!

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Thanks 👍

[@bilbo_gamers6417]

Won't the iron absorb the carbon in the graphite in the crucible and weaken it?

[@iolithblue]

The arcane knowledge is revealed!

[@fz-makingknives3663]

😁👍

[@nevillesavage2012]

Ever see that vide and on Wootz Steel made from Jordanian Ore. Amazing

[@СергейБригадиренко-г6ь]

Доброго дня.Отличное видио . у меня все тигли плывут.можно тебя попросить написать состав тигля по весу. спасибо.

[@Sickofsociety1]

Thank you SO MUCH for showing us how to make these! Thank you thank you thank you!

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Thanks 👍

[@mikemakertheretrogamer6414]

Is the high carbon steel you Made good high carbon steel ?

[@ricardoabreu69]

Thanks FZ. 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[@ClenioBuilder]

Thanks for sharing.👏👏👏🤜🤛

[@lovejcdc]

Very interesting video, do you have to build the forge every time you make a blade?

[@fz-makingknives3663]

Takes dozens of times

[@Smallathe]

Nice work!!!... Loved the diy forge! Can you make a clay crucible?

[@fz-makingknives3663]

You can make a crucible of fireclay chips and fireclay clay

[@Smallathe]

@@fz-makingknives3663 thanks!

[@kerginaldosouzareprecomerc8116]

Aproximação sucessiva na observação tentar entender

[@hughgrection3052]

Very nice. Have you ever gotten any ore from the woods mine around Damascus or wherever? They say it makes the prettiest pattern and maybe the most carbides? I forget the Mines name. It's the famous one owned by a king long ago. Anyways it's said to make the best stuff for some reason I forget what is was in the ore than made it special. I'm sure you know tho

[@antoniopintus8568]

Hi FZ, when will you make a Nepalese kukri? Greetings

[@fz-makingknives3663]

I think that in one video we will make kukri

[@aslanbosnakoglu8240]

where would they get aluminum oxide in ancient times? not

[@ddashley]

Are the furnace bricks fire bricks or regular clay bricks?

[@fz-makingknives3663]

refractory brick

[@annycell7500]

Hai sir, bahan nya apa saja, dan takaran nya berapa