How to Make Your Own Crucibles (for microwave metal melting)

In this video, I demonstrate my current method for making crucibles at home for microwave metal melting. They are made using silicon carbide and sodium silicate, then hardened with ceramic fibre.
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[@RandyCampbell-fk3pf]

He's not kidding about using the respirator. At these temperatures, the fibers aren't even the worst of your worries. Many compounds break down into highly reactive chemical compound that can and will destroy your lungs. Plaster for example will break down into calcium oxide and hydrate inside your lungs to highly caustic calcium hydroxide and to make matters worse the reaction is highly exothermic so you get heat burns on top of the chemical burns IN YOUR LUNGS. Many compounds besides plaster behave similarly at high temperatures and since you'll be using a microwave kiln with no real temperature control, you won't know exactly what toxic or caustic compounds may have formed in localized temperature extremes... so use the best breathing protection you have along with as much ventilation as possible... or have really good health and life insurance.

[@evanlane1690]

This is so absolutely right. It's not in the realm of "it'll be okay just this once." You can mess yourself up a LOT with one exposure.

[@drmvh]

This should be a pinned comment please @ShakeTheFuture

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I also wanted to add that all your Devil’s Forges are lined with ceramic fiber. That’s why I always wear a respirator when melting metals. Well, honestly, I think you should wear a respirator whenever you’re melting metals, no matter the method. It’s just like soldering-you should have some kind of fume extractor, especially if you do it regularly.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Most of the time, I use FEPA 220-grit silicon carbide, but lately, I've been experimenting with coarser and mixed grits. I’m not sure how they perform yet, as testing takes time. In theory, a mixed-grit silicon carbide (fine + coarse) could be beneficial, but only time will tell. These molds are a significant improvement over the previous versions. I'll continue updating them and adding more sizes. The next addition will be a tiny crucible. I haven’t published it yet because I needed to resolve an issue, and I didn’t want to delay this video. I’m trying to publish videos more frequently! :)

[@sevazinhogamer9521]

Finer grits and better finishing (less porosity) make it more efficient and support higher temperatures, but will be more difficult reach the right density to make the crucible.

[@RandyCampbell-fk3pf]

@@ShakeTheFuture A good balance is to use coarser grit at ~75-80% and finer grit for the remainder. This is based on the mathematics of sphere packing and experimentation in the concrete industry. Vibration is necessary to get the optimal packing though. Basically imagine a matrix of stacked bowling balls, you would want the next set of filler balls to just fit between without displacing the bowling balls - perhaps golf ball to racquetball size, then the next size to fit in those remaining spaces perhaps BBs to marble sized, and so on. You can do this down to the finest grain size you have available and the remaining volume is the minimum liquid binder you need. If you try to get too close to the minimum binder though it requires much more physical work to get the best results - failure to do so may leave weaker areas than if you'd have just added excess binder.

[@hanelyp1]

A basic concrete mix is one part cement, 2 sand, 3 gravel. Also, crushed stone with irregular shapes tends to be stronger than rounded gravel and sand. Having more cement and fines than optimal packing would seem likely to work better than less. Another possible experiment is SiC mixed with other material. I read an article awhile back describing melting metal in crucibles using both silicon carbide and magnetite, one being more efficient at absorbing microwaves at low temperatue.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

@@sevazinhogamer9521 Thanks!

[@ShakeTheFuture]

@@RandyCampbell-fk3pf Thanks for the info!

[@fxm5715]

I practiced crucible making for years years before I ever needed one. But I'm so glad I had that experience when the time came. So to speak.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Yep, you never know when skills practiced will come in handy

[@WoLpH]

It still amazes me how much you can do with such simple materials and equipment, I absolutely love your channel!

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Thanks!

[@TC-bz9dz]

Denny, thank you for another great video...I've been watching you for several years....I think the first time I found your channel you just made the secret tie that holds a drink....keep up the good work...I love all you do...watching you from Dallas Texas....Cheers my friend!

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Thank You very much! Oh yes, that video. It seems like a lifetime ago :)

[@curtisroberts9137]

Apparently i've been practicing making crucibles since 13 as well. Who knew?😆

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Muscle memory is a beautiful thing

[@jesterjunk]

To avoid the negatives of the ceramic fiber, it could be used in a glove box, like the type sometimes used for sandblasting parts.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Oh yes, that's a good one to have… if you have the space! 😀 If I ever move to a different location one day and get a proper workshop, that’s one of the things I’ll get.

[@wolpumba4099]

*Crafting Durable Crucibles: An Updated Guide to Silicon Carbide and Sodium Silicate* * *0:00** Introduction:* An updated version of the crucible-making segment from a previous microwave metal melting video is shown. * *0:12** Materials Needed:* Silicon carbide (fine, medium, or a mix of coarse and fine grit) and sodium silicate (water glass) are required. The suggested ratio is 8-10% sodium silicate by weight. * *0:37** Mixing and Filling:* The silicon carbide and sodium silicate mixture is added step-by-step into a mold (glass or 3D printed) and pressed down firmly. * *0:50** Shaping the Crucible:* Tools such as wooden sticks or 3D-printed tools can be used for pressing and shaping the crucible. * *1:14** Microwave Curing:* The crucible is placed on a ceramic fiber sheet and microwaved until the glass cracks (ice cube can be used to accelerate cracking but be careful to not overdo it). * *1:48** Finishing:* Sanding tools (files, sandpaper) are used to refine the shape of the crucible after removing it from the cracked glass. * *2:05** Pre-Heating:* The crucible should be heated in a metal melting chamber before its first use. * *2:24** Hardening (Optional):* Hardening makes the crucible stronger and less prone to cracking. Whether it's needed depends on the crucible's shape, thickness, height, and intended use. Hardening naturally happens when used with high melting point metals or fluxes. * *3:20** 3D Printed Molds:* 3D-printed molds (available on printables for old molds, Patreon for new) can be used. New molds offer different sizes and thicknesses. * *4:10** Mold Assembly:* A lid (printed in soft filament is recommended), M5 screw with a hook, and binder clips are used to assemble the 3D-printed mold. * *5:06** Pressing Tools:* Custom press tools with a handle increase pressing efficiency. Tool for adding air also exists. * *6:56** Freezing:* After filling the 3D printed molds, freeze for at least 2 hours to help unmold the crucible * *7:40** Hardening Process:* The crucible can be hardened by wrapping it in ceramic fiber, securing it with rubber bands, and microwaving until it glows red. Once cooled, the ceramic fiber is scraped off (wear a respirator). * *8:55** Downsides of Ceramic Fiber:* Working with ceramic fiber is messy and requires protective gear (respirator, gloves). * *9:55** Alternative Hardening Method:* Using ceramic fiber kiln paper (for glass fusing) glued to the crucible with school glue is a preferred method. * *10:30** Ceramic Fiber Kiln Paper Method* the user is still advised to wear gloves. * *11:01** Heating with Kiln Paper:* The crucible with kiln paper must be heated well until the paper disappears or fuses with the silicon carbide. * *11:43** Benefits of Kiln Paper:* This method is better, cheaper, and avoids the downsides of loose ceramic fiber, but works best with smaller crucibles. I used gemini-2.0-flash-exp on rocketrecap dot com to summarize the transcript. Cost (if I didn't use the free tier): $0.50 Input tokens: 19450 Output tokens: 709

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Thanks for this!

[@THirstyCamel1023]

What’s the difference between silicon carbide crucible and graphite crucible? Also like to add make a pouring groove or spout on your crucible maybe that will help when pouring.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I’ve never needed a pouring spout on crucibles this size-they pour just fine. One way to add one is by using a file to make a small cut. I’ve never made graphite crucibles, but the ones you can buy probably won’t work. I can’t speak for all of them, but at least the ones I’ve tried didn’t work. It’s similar with store-bought silicon carbide crucibles. The thing is, you won’t really know if they’ll work until you try them. Silicon carbide crucibles contain other materials that can affect microwave absorption, so there’s a chance they won’t heat up properly. As for graphite, it’s on my list to experiment with-specifically adding some to my SiC crucibles to see how they perform. Cheers

[@bigmouthstrikesagain4056]

Also you could re use all the shattered glass and pulverize it and mortar it into a powder and add lye to it or woodash to make more sodium silicate.

[@RandyCampbell-fk3pf]

"Crystal" cat litter (basically silica gel) and drain cleaner (sodium hydroxide) are the easiest ways to make it from scratch, but most big box hardware stores carry it near their concrete section. The pulverization of glass should work theoretically but I tried it with both sand and crushed glass and no matter how small I got the particulate, the reaction was just too slow. There was a process to speed it up, but I didn't want to use the extra chemicals and perform the extra steps to remove the byproducts.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

That's awesome!

[@avenuex3731]

9:54 You can seal the ceramic fiber with alumina slurry and harden it to keep the fibers in place

[@ArnulfoCaviedesCardoso]

@avenuex3731 How do you make alumina slurry? Thanks for sharing, friend.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I don't have need for that. I am happy with the metal melting chamber. Kapton tape and kiln wash (that contains alumina as well) works very good in my opinion. I also want to try out AES fibre, so watch out for that video 😀

[@brucewilliams6292]

Thank you so much for putting these videos out! I am doing some scientific work at high temperatures and needed a custom heating chamber and this fulfills my needs very well. Would using a hydraulic press be useful in compacting the molds?

[@ArnulfoCaviedesCardoso]

Gracias por compartir hermano, Saludos desde Colombia.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Gracias!

[@tobiass8750]

Cool method! Have you tried making openable permanent or semi permanent molds this way? Like for actual gravity casting of metal. Maybe needs skimming off with a cnc mill.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I have not tried it yet, but it's in my project list. Cheers!

[@fasted8468]

Wow. You could theoretically make calcium carbide and thus acetylene. Silicone carbide has a sublimation point 4,500f 800 degrees farenheit over calcium carbides formation at 3900f. What a useful chemical that is.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@BrassMinkey]

Thanks for this guide! Which 'grit' of silicon carbide do you use?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I normally use FEPA 220. But in the video, one of the grits started as FEPA 60, and then I ground it with a cereal grinder-so I’m not exactly sure what grit I ended up with. Fine-ish

[@thesentientneuron6550]

I have one suggestion that could perhaps allow for the hardening step without using ceramic fiber at all. If you paint it with sodium aluminate and fire it, you should (theoretically) also get a hard aluminosilicate layer, albeit much thinner. Denny, have you tried making your crucibles with sodium aluminate instead of sdium silicate (or a blend of the two)? You can get it by dissolving kitchen foil in caustic soda (NaOH) or theoretically, a hot solution of washing soda (Na2CO3). That way the whole crucible would become hard from the first firing. EDIT: I just remembered that there's aluminium sulfate (E520), sodium aluminium sulfate (E521) and potassium aluminium sulfate (E522) that are used as a food addtives and all decompose to form alumina.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I have not tried sodium aluminate, but I'll add it to my project list and might give it a shot. Thanks! I have tried potassium silicate, but I only tested it once, and the crucible didn’t turn out great. Obviously, one failure isn’t enough to judge, but I’ve put it aside for now....too many projects on the list :) Cheers!

[@thesentientneuron6550]

@@ShakeTheFuture Hi Denny, just updated my comment with some things I remembered. Also, interesting experiment, thank you for sharing the results!

[@Mediamarked]

Huh. This is oddly well timed, I have a few KG's of Silicon Carbide, bought for rocktumbling, but I'll never go through all that stuff.. I can locally get Sodium Sillicate, but I wonder if Potassium Silicate would work as well?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I have tried potassium silicate once, and it didn’t work very well… BUT I only tried it once, so there’s a chance I didn’t use the right amount of solution. I still have it and might give it another shot. Cheers!

[@kurtandlazanneilander724]

If you used one of these just as a microwave susceptor (maybe even upside-down) and also got the timer settings right, do you think you could also a microwave as a pottery kiln?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Even though I have not tried it, I think it could work. I have done some bottle-slumping in a microwave kiln. You can see the kiln at the last 7 seconds of this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnSskHmGebZ0Y7csi=hI2M88-G41yNFqfQ&t=4010 I only did one bottle to see if it works. It was not perfectly flat, but at least I knew that it will work. That's a project I need to re-start. Cheers!

[@sunnymon1436]

How does Ceramic fiber/wool compare to refactory bricks/shapes (which you can custom make/pour) ? Also you should consider including your heating/cooling times when you use the microwave (so the audience has a general idea).

[@torsatron360]

ceramic fiber insulation has about 10x smaller thermal conductivity

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I haven’t used these materials because I wanted these methods to be easily repeatable worldwide, no matter where you live. For example, if I used a pourable ceramic fiber slurry available in the USA, people in the EU would have a hard time getting the same product. That’s one of the reasons I chose ceramic fiber-not because there are no other options. I’ve already talked about heating times in various videos if you’re referring to metal melting. If you mean crucible hardening, I was microwaving the second crucible between 20-25 minutes. Cheers!

[@ThePhiphler]

Can you use your fiberglass ovens for firing ceramics or sintering powdered materials?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

In theory yes. There are some guys on youtube doing some sintering with a microwave as well as firing pottery. I have not tried it myself. Cheers!

[@TissuePaperOnTheDesk]

Thanks for the great videos! I also made a crucible and insulated container based on your video. It worked well up to the point of firing the crucible. I was able to make a hard crucible that made a high pitched sound when tapped. However, when I tried to actually use this crucible, a problem occurred. When we grabbed the red-hot crucible with tongs, it deformed like cookie dough. Did we put too much sodium silicate in the crucible? Or was the sintering temperature too low? (I heated it up to about 1100℃) If you have any advice please. Thanks again for the great video!

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I used to have that problem as well, but not anymore. I would suggest trying to decrease the amount of sodium silicate used, or the opposite, increasing it. Obviously, it can also depend on the brand or strength of the sodium silicate. The one I used is a 37% solution. I know that on amazon there are gasket sealers that's pretty much the same sodium silicate, but they are only 10% or something like that. So yeah, I’ve been there before. If you're packing the silicon carbide well enough and your crucibles are still falling apart, try using finer grit or experiment with the amount of sodium silicate you add. Cheers!

[@TissuePaperOnTheDesk]

@@ShakeTheFuture Thanks for the reply! I will try different concentrations of sodium silicate!

[@JohnHoranzy]

Thank you for this and all your other microwave videos. Questions: What temperature do you need to harden the crucible and can it be done and in an electric kiln or a propane furnace?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Thanks! Well, that’s a good question to which I don’t have an exact answer, since I’ve only used a microwave to melt metals and have no way to measure the temperature that hight. However, judging by the brightness of the crucible, I’d estimate it’s somewhere between 1,050-1,250°C. That said, I don’t know what would happen if you heated the crucible to a lower temperature and simply maintained it. Maybe holding the temperature for an hour would produce the same result-I’m don't know. With my setup, I can’t really maintain the temperature for too long, as the chamber gets too hot. Heating that crucible took me around 20-25 minutes of microwaving. Cheers!

[@JohnHoranzy]

​@@ShakeTheFuture The melting point of Silicone Carbide is up around 3,000°C I wonder if the Sodium Silicate acts as a flux to lower the melting point so it can fuse together. White hot is about 1,200°C on up. Amazing how precise and efficient the microwave is in heating only the crucible. The propane furnace is ridiculously inefficient. I would not be surprised if you got the SC up to 3,000°C. It is 2AM and recalling temperatures from memory so I probably got them wrong.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

@@JohnHoranzyI’m not actually sintering silicon carbide. The ceramic fiber is what sticks and fuses with the crucible to some extent, increasing its strength. I wish I could reach 3000°C, but that's a bit too much. I would estimate I can reach up to 1600°C, since I can melt stainless steel and there is heat to spare. We'll see, I'll be doing some more experiments that maybe will give us more answers. Cheers!

[@seanwood5443]

i have a huge spool of that ceramic fiber like 3 feet tall and and prob like 5-8 feet long i used it to make a chamber to melt metal like brass and aluminum etc and yes i always used a respirator when handling it i heard its very bad for u its basically a asbestos replacement

[@ВладиславДегтерев-в7к]

Do you trying to use kaowool board or another ceramic fiber board (solid, not flexible)?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I have not tried it. There are definitely more materials that can be used, but one purpose of these videos was to create metal melting chambers/kilns from materials that can be bought all around the world, that's why I chose ceramic fibre. For example, I have never seen white firebricks that some people use in USA here in Spain. Cheers!

[@semtex2987]

have you tried to wrap the crucible in a fine stainless stainless steel mesh to avoid cleanup of the fiber residue?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I haven’t, but one thing to keep in mind is that the microwaves need to heat up the crucible. If you wrap it with a wire mesh that blocks the microwaves, the crucible won’t heat up. Cheers!

[@semtex2987]

@@ShakeTheFuture OMG yeah your're right. Me stupid, I did thought of that side effect at all. 🤣

[@lmkawakami]

Nice video! Can you measure the conductivity/resistance of the silicon carbide crucible to see if it can be used as a heating element to be used in high temperatures?

[@sevazinhogamer9521]

Using this method you can melt anything that exists, it holds really good until near 2500°C, above this you only able to melt a low amount and for like 2-3 times before melting the crucible too

[@lmkawakami]

​@@sevazinhogamer9521 Sorry, I meant electrical resistance. I was thinking about making silicon carbide resistors for a high-temperature kiln this way and was wondering if the silicon carbide particles in your crucible were electrically connected when mixed with the sodium silicate and then hardened.

[@Relatablename]

​@lmkawakami I've worked with sodium silicate a lot, it's not electrically conductive. Can't comment on silicon carbide but I doubt it would be either in practice.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I tried to measure it, but for some reason, my multimeter is showing 29.2Ω even when I’m not touching anything. When I touch the leads together, it goes to 0Ω. However, when I touch the crucible at two points, the reading doesn’t change and just stays at 29Ω

[@shodanxx]

Could you go over the ceramic fiber insulators/refractory, the generic types, the alternative materials, procurement, material specifications etc... ?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I’d love to experiment with different materials. There’s an 'organic' version of ceramic fiber-I don’t remember what it’s called-that I’d like to try. It’s supposed to be less nasty, but unfortunately, all these things cost 💰, so right now, it’s not that easy to dive into any project I want. Hopefully, we’ll get there soon. Cheers!

[@shodanxx]

@@ShakeTheFuture What about using different material layers. Especially an air tight outer casing. Would insulating the microwave help reduce heat loss enough to be worth it ? What about castable refractory insulator like vermiculite cement plus some suitable insulating aggregate ? What about rock wool or fiberglass insulation for the outer layers ?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

@@shodanxxI’ve never needed to over-insulate the chamber or insulate the microwave. For example, there’s a gap between the chamber and the base where I place the crucible (especially after extensive metal melting), but it hasn’t been an issue for me. I’ve still been able to melt everything I wanted so far. If I ever find the need, I might look into an airtight-ish insulation. I once tried using perlite to make a microwave kiln-it melted. Obviously, it was directly exposed to the heat. As a secondary layer of insulation, it might have worked. When putting these videos together, my main focus was to keep things simple so they’re easy to replicate. There are definitely more materials that could be used; you just need to make sure they are microwave-friendly and don’t absorb microwaves. I haven’t tried rock wool or fiberglass , but I plan to experiment with AES wool in the near future. Cheers!

[@Schwuuuuup]

Great video as usual... But was the end intended to be so abrupt? 😉

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Thanks! I wasn’t at my usual location-I was staying at my mother-in-law’s house. I brought my computer to edit and finish the video while also doing a three-day water fast, so I wasn’t feeling 100%. I really wanted to get the video out this week since I’m trying to publish weekly, so that’s probably why it ended up the way it did. It was one of those moments… 'Good enough for me, let’s move on!' 🙂

[@anon_y_mousse]

Have you played around with making your own glass? It'd be really cool if you could try to make a lens. Maybe something simple like for a magnifying glass as a test.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I have not. That's a big project for sure. Not sure if it's for me, but I'll add it to my "suggestion list"..you never know :) Cheers!

[@MariluZica-s2u]

Future video: "How to Make Your Own Giant Microwave Oven".

[@ShakeTheFuture]

That's something I wouldn’t be comfortable doing, as my electronic knowledge isn't that great. I can change the magnetron and wire a few cables, but I don’t think I’d be comfortable building my own microwave. Of course, everything is learnable, and in theory, it’s simple-ish, but yeah... I don't know. I’ll add it to the suggestion list. I might change my mind in the future. :)

[@Alex4n3r]

Can't you add perlite to the crucible mixture to avoid the need to harden it?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I used to experiment with perlite. I even made a microwave kiln entirely out of perlite. How did it perform? It melted :)

[@peachmunich]

I have two questions. First, are your crucibles really sintered? The sintering temp of silicon carbide seems to be around 2200 °C. Is this temperature really reached? And second, why don't you use just one of your insulating chambers to harden your crucible? Thanks for your inspiring videos 👍 I want to try this one day.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I have never said anywhere that my crucibles are sintered. I’ve seen articles written about some of my videos claiming that I sinter my crucibles, but I never said that. :) So, no! I would say that the ceramic fiber is the material that bonds with silicon carbide and makes it stronger. Well, I did use the insulation chamber to harden the crucible later in the video. In case you missed it, I actually hardened two crucibles in the video. The second one was hardened with an insulating chamber, but the crucible was covered with ceramic fiber kiln paper. Cheers!

[@peachmunich]

@ShakeTheFuture Aah! Now I got it 😁 Thanks for sharing. It's really amazing what you are doing! Cheers

[@beachboardfan9544]

Where do you even buy silicon carbide powder?

[@jercos]

It's sold as sandblasting media, an industrial supply, in 10Lb and 50Lb bags. Hit up a painting supplier, or a large hardware store. (not the chains, the ones contractors actually use) They will also sell the relevant PPE (respirators, gloves, etc.), and it's well-worth investing in a good respirator.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

@@jercos Yep. I buy them from sandblasting stores.

[@pauls5745]

This got me thinking if I might save on crucibles by making them, and thinking about using Rock Wool and firebrick as insulation. Ceramic fiber, kind of worries me.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Yes, there are more materials that can work. I have never tried rockwool. Cheers!

[@MexieMex]

Do the patterned crucibles do anything extra, or is it just aesthetics?

[@RandyCampbell-fk3pf]

The pretty ones are for aesthetics but you can use the patterns to allow for more secure grip with your tongs. For example, if you were going to use your dad's gooseneck pliers to pour, you could leave the center support in and grip into the side a couple of times before firing. Maybe at the top lip too for pulling it out.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

It’s more for the look. I realized that all crucibles look the same, but they don’t have to. I know, I know, it’s not that important, but I bet if people had the choice between a regular crucible and one with a nice pattern, they’d probably go with the patterned one-because why not? That said, there’s another reason, but don’t believe everything I say. I have a theory that some patterns might increase the strength of the crucible. Obviously, it’s just a theory that needs to be tested. I’m going to start switching to patterned crucibles and see what happens. Then again, I’m also experimenting with mixed grits and these new 3D-printed molds let's you pack silicon carbide better, so there are a lot of changes happening at once! :) Maybe I should have introduced only one change at a time to figure out exactly what makes a difference. Apart from the patterns, I’ll also add crucibles with text on them-like brass, aluminum, silver, etc. That way, it’ll be easier to identify which crucible is meant for each metal if you only want to use one crucible per type. Cheers!

[@kenniesdead]

have you ever tried using the microwave for heat treating/tempering?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I have not, but i don't see why it would not work. Cheers!

[@kenniesdead]

@@ShakeTheFuture how do you regulate temperatures? do you just go by past experience and fine tune as u go forward?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

@@kenniesdead Well, I mostly use my microwave kilns for burning out molds. I control the temperature with a cycle timer, but obviously, I can’t be super precise. That said, once you do it a few times, the temperatures become very predictable. For example, I already know that after 3 hours of the mold being in the kiln, running a 1/6 ON/OFF cycle, the temperature will be around 350°C (just an example). In this video, I explain how I use the cycle timer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnSskHmGebZ0Y7c Cheers!

[@GOOGLE-IS-EVIL-EMPIRE]

If i will have lathe, i will try make sort of cup size form to press SiC with BENTONITE in it with hydraulic portable car lift. It probably can make many time use melting pot, because liquid glass work

[@ShakeTheFuture]

If you use your crucibles with other metal melting methods besides a microwave, then sure, you can easily add things to the crucible. However, if you’re planning to use them for microwave metal melting, you need to be careful. Extra materials added to the crucible can make it heat up less efficiently or not heat up at all. Cheers!

[@i8dpie]

What is the stainless steel contraption in the back I saw at 1:24.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

That's a cereal grinder that I use to grind silicon carbide.

[@BillDavies-ej6ye]

@@ShakeTheFuture Which one wins? Since silicon carbide is an abrasive.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

​@@BillDavies-ej6ye Well, the blades do wear down pretty fast, but you can grind silicon carbide. Sure, the silicon carbide will get contaminated with stainless steel, but that doesn't really matter for my needs. The grinder cost me 40 euros (I had another one that broke because I was shaking it during grinding, and the reason I’m mentioning this is that, even though it was the same model, the first grinder cost me more-closer to 60 euros… just to stay consistent in case I’ve mentioned it before). Anyway, that 40-euro grinder came with 2 sets of blades, so it’s been lasting me for a while. I can’t say exactly how long, but I’ve started keeping track of how many grinds I can do before the blade needs to be replaced. We’ll see

[@gyhy6yh]

you ever tried making alumina or silica crucibles?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

No, because I need them to heat up in the microwave. If I were to use them with gas furnace, then I would explore alternative ways to make crucibles. Cheers!

[@gyhy6yh]

@@ShakeTheFuture ah of course, I see. would the same methods work for those?

[@erhardpostinger1326]

8:08 Rätselhaft, warum der Tiegel glüht. Bei Wikipedia ist ein interessanter Beitrag zum Aushärten zu finden: "In der Gießereitechnik kann Wasserglas als Bindemittel für Sandformen verwendet werden. Dabei wird das Aushärten meist durch künstliche Begasung mit Kohlendioxid beschleunigt."

[@ShakeTheFuture]

The crucible heats up because silicon carbide absorbs microwaves-that’s how I do microwave metal melting. Yes, you can use CO₂ to harden waterglass, and I used to do that, but I stopped since it was an extra expense I didn’t need. Cheers!

[@markus4334]

Legend!!

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Cheers!

[@PS-vk6bn]

Maybe you could use vermiculite instead of ceramic fiber. But it comes as flakes/granules instead of sheets.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I’m not sure about vermiculite, but I have tried making microwave kilns from 100% perlite-it melted! Now that I think about it, I might have tried vermiculite too… Googling while writing this comment, no edits 😆 … Yep, I tried it, but I don’t remember the result. Perlite, on the other hand, could work if it’s not exposed to direct heat. Maybe as a chamber rather than a microwave kiln covered with silicon carbide, it could be effective. If not, it might work as secondary insulation. Cheers!

[@alanrobinson6257]

what is the max weight of say bronze that you can melt in a microwave ?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

It depends on many factors. So far, the biggest crucible I’ve ever used was the one in the chair melting video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqrddmdnaNekfrc It’s almost the same size as the 3D-printed 'Large_tall' molds. In that video, I melted aluminum. I haven’t tried filling a crucible that big with bronze since I don’t have a lot of it. Brass could definitely be melted, but it would take longer. If I remember correctly, I melted around 450g of aluminum in that crucible. As for bronze, one piece I made weighs 320g. That’s not the maximum capacity-I just didn’t have more metal at the time. I’ve also melted around 300g of iron. It also depends on your setup. For example, the setup I used in the stainless steel melting video, where the crucible is embedded/covered with ceramic fiber, can reach higher temperatures and melt metals faster. However, there are downsides to that method. I hope to make a video about it as well. Cheers!

[@StrongBlair]

I'm just going to throw out some advice for dealing with the fibers that get on your skin. Only use cold water to wash. Yes, take a cold shower and all. You really don't want you pores to open up with warm or hot water.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Thanks for the advice!

[@tracymason7393]

Where is the video on how to use the microwave, what modifications do you have to do to the microwave

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Well, there are plenty: *A tutorial on microwave metal melting* kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmK5nnyPncqoi5Y *Video of kiln making and using to burn out molds using a microwave* kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnSskHmGebZ0Y7c Then there are all the other metal melting video I have done in the last year. I only use microwave for melting metals. The microwave is NOT modified in any way. It's just an old microwave flipped on the side. Cheers!

[@mpirron1]

why do you put in freezer?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

So, we could remove the silicon carbide crucibles from 3D-printed molds. Otherwise, the crucible might break when you try to remove the mold. By freezing the mold, the silicon carbide temporarily becomes as hard as frozen ground.

[@totem35]

6:26 does this mean what I think it does? 😭😭😭

[@ShakeTheFuture]

🥒🎆 Yep :)

[@HMELJ1982]

:) since the age of 13 LOL. Practice makes perfect!

[@Pan_Fryer]

[@jackspinetta4580]

Liquid glass Im hardening by co2 gas at room temperature in 24 hours. I use co2 from old expired fire estinguisher

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I also used to use a fire extinguisher, but I stopped because I was using way too much CO2. Not necessarily because I needed to inject a lot of CO2, but more because it was a psychological thing. 'Let’s inject a bit more... just in case.' I found myself refilling the CO2 way too often, so I stopped using it.

[@mxguy2438]

design those crucibles with a little draft and they will come out easier.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Cheers!

[@derekturner3272]

You may already know, but you can cure waterglass with CO2. It's near instantanious.

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Yes, I’m aware of that, and I used to use CO2, but it became an unnecessary expense, so I stopped refilling my CO2 fire extinguisher and switched to alternative methods. Cheers!

[@JulianMakes]

Brill video thank you. I wonder if you could put a layer of tissue paper between the new crucible and the fibres. Maybe the carbon residue would help prevent the fibres sticking to it so much. In diesel forges we use some cardboard between the plinth and the crucible to stop it sticking.

[@JulianMakes]

Oh you are literally doing that!!!

[@TiDeviSpaventareeeeh]

where you come from? you're accent says "i'm not english/american" ;)

[@ShakeTheFuture]

I am Latvian living in Spain. Cheers!

[@TiDeviSpaventareeeeh]

@@ShakeTheFuture hi! I'm italian, from Rimini. thanks for your useful videos!

[@Leonardovelasquez-j1r]

En español

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Puedes cambiar el idioma del video. Hay una pista de audio en español. Es autogenerada con IA, pero no está mal... creo. :)

[@andretokayuk8100]

Don't freak us out like that... quite the intro..

[@Hobypyrocom]

3 ads in 12 minites video, pay to get the design, on a channel with almost 200k subs, 196 patreons and god knows how much youtube memberships... when is it enogh? you are killing the growth of your channel...

[@SrObser]

I don't think creators control the number of ads that plays in their videos. That's youtube.

[@Zyczu55]

you are living in a cave and never heard of adblockers?

[@ShakeTheFuture]

Thanks for the comment. That’s interesting, but it looks very different from my side. I don’t usually like to talk about these things, but let’s go there-why not. I earn pennies from KZbin. You know those videos where people share how much they’ve earned from KZbin ads? I watch them and sometimes think we’re in different universes. My average earnings from KZbin ads are 300-400 euros a month, which is approximately the same in USD. I’m also self-employed here in Spain as a digital content creator. I have to pay the government 230 euros a month just to stay self-employed. In other words, there have been too many times when my KZbin earnings barely covered that cost. I have 196 patrons, including free ones. Only 47 of them are paid, which adds up to 146 euros a month. In other words, there’s no money. There’s a reason I don’t make more videos on certain topics-it all comes down to money. As for selling the model, what I wrote above explains it all. At the end of the day, I’ve spent 5 years of my life experimenting with these microwave metal-melting methods, and I’ve shared a lot of info for free. In the original edit of the video, I said something like: 'You can get these molds from Patreon or Printables, because at the end of the day, I also need to pay the bills.' I deleted that part of the video because I didn’t feel the need to justify why I’m charging for the molds. I also need to provide value for my patrons, and it’s not fair if I offer everything for free. They should get something out of it. If people want, I can make one of those KZbin 'How Much I Earn Per Month' videos to show that not everybody is a KZbin millionaire. Cheers!

[@Hobypyrocom]

@@SrObser they do

[@Hobypyrocom]

@@Zyczu55 there are no adblockers for youtube mobile apps...