Refractory trials- curing and firing sodium silicate in foundry

[@drason69]

This is getting "really interesting" now...the science of chemistry has you by the socks now. Very COOL Matthew!!

[@00_negative]

I'm still working on it but in the end I think I'm going to wind up using soapstone. I think I know of a cheap sourcing for it but I just have to cook it enough times to see how it's going to hold up to multiple blast. Thank you for your support sir

[@danielcrawford7315]

Ponder on adding Barite as your glue your looking for. Barite is a a fine powder clay. Check it out. So the best home mixes I've heard of are part alumina oxide ( sand blasting mix), Barite, perlite, and sodium silicate. That should keep you good to 3000 3200 deg. Not quite the best for a foundry you wanta melt cast iron in I hear but idk. Also hear adding a portion of Satinite to it helps as does a coating of Satinite over cured refractory. Best products for refactoring the heat inside are ITC HT100 coatings or HT100 base coat and Ht213 top coat. I've heard you can run 3400 3600 interior and stay 90/10] external temps that way. But that's probably not the goal your looking at w your build your own refractory mix 🙏 blessed days sirSir Crawford out 🧙‍♂️

[@00_negative]

Thank you very much sir The Foundry currently has aluminum oxide blast material in it it has paralite and I just coated the outside with sodium silicate I should have used it in the dry mix though. I would love to melt iron but that would be in a much larger in rugged Foundry that I would build. It is very nice to hear from you Mr Crawford. People around the community say a lot of great things about you.

[@danielcrawford7315]

@@00_negative , thank you sirSir. I just do my best to be a good citizen and help out where I can. I'm honored someone would think of me...other than that weird old guy lol. Continued success with your current project sirSir. 🙏blessings abundant Crawford out 🧙‍♂️

[@grandadz_forge]

Wow this refractory Quest has become a long journey

[@00_negative]

Yes sir it has gone on too long. Ready to end it.

[@kurtilingus]

FINALLY here's a video walkthrough about actually curing/drying sodium silicate with the aim of putting it to use! It took sifting through page after page after page of well-intended yet thoroughly useless, identical videos on the dead-simple process of making water glass and nobody ever does anything with it. Heh, haven't looked *that* long, butyou might be the only one! Haha

[@00_negative]

Lol yeah i feel ya. I had the same issue. Its worked quite well. Still holding up.

[@kurtilingus]

@@00_negative That's pretty encouraging to know since made a go of trying to put the stuff to use before I had a better understanding on how to go about it. Your video contributed massively towards gaining some practical sense about what that looks like. I realized I was in desperate need that sense after a fumbling, naive attempt at making a heating mantle before filling in the huge voids in my understanding that were the reason I failed at making the connection (and just overall) that Sodium Silicate is best viewed *exclusively* as an adhesive and keeping that in mind when considering it can be used for and it's limitations. I already viewed it like a cement or mortar, but I also mistakenly viewed it like a brick as if I were to see cement as concrete while being 100% oblivious to the existence/importance of aggregate in making a world of difference between the two. Ready to give it another go now + vermiculite and being a bit less clueless this time around. And on that note: Thanks for the upload!

[@justgonnagetbetter1037]

I wonder, flat top refractory lid would add insulation on your foundry and reduce interior cubic inches. Insert wire reinforcing for handles. Sure you'll have to replace it more often but I'll bet your interior temps will jump. Looking forward to the next one bud!

[@00_negative]

Yes sir I am going to build a top for it that one's just something to throw the top of just been too lazy I was going to do that today but with as sick as I am I have no drive to do anything but to sleep. Thank you guys for following the channel and supporting means the world

[@justgonnagetbetter1037]

@@00_negative get to feeling better!