Talking about crucibles - How to properly temper a crucible?

In todays video I will show how to properly temper a crucible. I did not properly temper my older and cheaper crucibles, but with this expensive and top of the line salamander crucible I want to do it right. Stay tuned to see what I will melt next week with this crucible.
To see the directions to prepare a crucible for it's first use click link below and read page 6:
www.morganmms....
Thanks for watching!
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See you next week!
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Disclaimer: Please be aware that working with hot liquid metals is very dangerous! Do not try this at home if you do not exactly know what you do. I have done a lot of preparation and informed myself before I did my first pour.
If you do so, make sure to wear proper personal protection gear like a full face shield, a respirator, a dusk mask, fire retarding clothing or a leather apron, good protective and heat resistant gloves and leather boots. Make sure to work safe and use proper foundry tools.
Finally enjoy the hobby!

[@ChrisW18]

Never knew so much went into preparing a crucible for it first use, thanks for sharing!

[@Metalstacker]

It is just what I foubd about that crucible rom a forum :)

[@3dguy839]

Thought I only needed a condom

[@olfoundryman8418]

Interesting. But in 60 years of using crucibles I have never tempered a crucible. I have always used good crucibles - like your best one here or better (silicon carbide) - I have never had what I would consider to be short crucible life - my crucibles for aluminium last over 100 melts. I have never had a crucible crack or fail in anyway other than through extended use and the associated loss of conductivity that slowly comes from graphite burn out. My one bad experience was from putting a cold crucible in a white hot furnace -the outside surface spalled and I have never made that mistake again. If you wish to waste fuel tempering your crucibles go for it but I think it just takes one use off the crucibles life. Possibly a reasonable idea to dry any crucible (to say 200 deg C) that you think may have got damp. Might have been interesting if you had weighed the crucible before and after this drying as trials I did showed no weight change and thus no moisture driven off - presumably then there was no moisture in the crucible and the drying was unnecessary. Can you put a link to that preheat PDF file in your description as despite going round in circles for about 30 minutes on the Morgan web site I could not find it.... Martin

[@Metalstacker]

And to think I already read a comment at Pauls garage from you about tempering (I did however notice Paul did not have a salamander crucible)!! Thanks for all the advice, a lot of experience from your side! Do I need to put the crucible in a kitchen oven after an extended time of none use? As you just stated I do not think so. My experience with crucibles is just from China (very bad quality) and some ordered from Etsy in the UK (my current 4kg copper crucible and 10kg crucible). I think I will have a lot of fun with this salamander crucible. It looks brand new after it's first use :) Thanks again for the tips!

[@Metalstacker]

Oh and let me not forget this: www.morganmms.com/media/1766/cruciblecareuseandsafetyinformation-mgam.pdf

[@arikkraft5755]

For aluminium melting I'd agree it wouldn't be necessary to temper a high quality crucible if it was already dried thoroughly. If however it was iron or bronze I'd say temper it. I've seen only a few accidents in my life of a failed crucible because it wasn't tempered but it's better to be safe than sorry. Because one mistake is all it takes to disable you for life or end you for good.

[@chieto88]

Sorry to bring this 2 years later but, what would it be a best cost-effective crucible recommendation for new Melters? Amazon recommend many Chinese crucibles.

[@congtuthieutien2201]

@@chieto88 VESUVIUS crucible www.vesuvius.com/content/dam/vesuvius/corporate/Our-solutions/our-solutions-master-english/foundry/non-ferrous-foundry/crucibles/brochures/Crucibles%20catalogue%20(e)_.pdf.downloadasset.pdf

[@jfssparky]

Step by step . You guys remember in high school you called your teachers Mr & Mrs. Mister Metal just showed us lesson heat them slowly. Did mine to fast by the way. Thanks for the lesson and the tip. Well done Mister Metal

[@Metalstacker]

Had to read that twice and now I have a big smile :D Thanks dude! Glad you liked the video :)

[@adriennefraschetta5391]

Thank you for showing us how you temper your crucible. A lot of people either don't do it or don't know how. So thank you again.

[@Metalstacker]

No problem :)

[@philipromeo8028]

Nice just watched it again just to refresh myself on tempering crusades. Thank you

[@Metalstacker]

Glad to hear that video is helpfull 🫡🫡

[@mountaindewdude76]

Thanks for this video! I'm a new melter. I've just received my 10kg Devil Forge, some crucibles, molds, and a few other things. This video educated me greatly!

[@Metalstacker]

Great to hear! Most crucibles just need the heating in the kitchen oven to remaove any moisture. With just 2 years of metal melting experience I'm also fairly new into this hobby. Have fun and if you have any questiosn I'm happy to answer them (if I can)

[@mountaindewdude76]

@@Metalstacker cool man! Thanks! Have a great weekend!!!

[@retrovidjos5218]

How has the hobby been going for you? 1 year later

[@Thewulf56]

I got 2 new Super salamander crucibles, but been waiting on them for 4 weeks now. you can now have a blast melting copper now.

[@Metalstacker]

So far looking very very good with the salamander! Gotta get all my crucibles from the same type :)

[@Paperghost]

Educational and entertaining. Thank you for continuing to share.

[@Metalstacker]

Thanks a lot :)

[@ComputerGUY27332]

Thanks for covering this. Nicely done

[@Metalstacker]

No problem, hop it is to good use :)

[@mr.j7009]

That does seem like a higher quality crucible. Thanks for sharing.

[@Metalstacker]

Yeah it really is, it is a salamander crucible :)

[@IngotJoe]

Very informative video, thanks. 👏👏

[@Metalstacker]

Thanks Joe!

[@supernova6177]

Thank you so much, just got into the whole melting stuff. Plan on doing my first melt in the next few days when i get the time to and the scrap. Can't wait, but thank you :)

[@Metalstacker]

Awesome to hear mate! Whatr kind of furnace do you use? If you start melting, make sure to have a steady supply of metals to melt as you will defenitelty be amazed by the look of molten metal and want more :)

[@metalmeltingmark4655]

Thanks for sharing

[@Metalstacker]

No problem, thanks for watching!

[@OnslowTheHermit]

Useful video, I just bought crucible and FB2Mb. I also remember Hertog Jan (0:4:33) from 2017 when I lived in NL for few months :)

[@Metalstacker]

Thanks! Good you found it usefull, for the slamander crucibles there is a new tempering process, I have it on my latest video. Did you study in the Netehrlands?

[@OnslowTheHermit]

@@MetalstackerHave to check that video also. No, I was working there

[@rescobar8572]

Excellent video amigo!!! Thank you for sharing!

[@Metalstacker]

Thank you, very welcome, hope it helps :)

[@TheCabult]

School taught to set psi the use 2nd vlv to regulate the temp

[@Metalstacker]

Air choke and pressure equals tenperature setting 😉

[@craigperry5662]

Are the same Salamander crucibles good for cast iron? They are available here in up to A20 sizes, but note that they not recommend them for ferrous metals?

[@Metalstacker]

Ofcourse they should do the job, but they are pretty expensive and melting cast iron uses crucible up really fast. I would recommend a cheaper clay graphite crucible brand for melting cast iron 😄👍🏻👍🏻

[@zakhiks]

I just put mine in my fire pit full of water so it gradually heats at a steady temperature throughout the night till it boils off. I've used it 15 melts so far

[@Metalstacker]

Uuuuhm okay I've never heard that one before LOL! I'm not sure if that is the right thing to do. The reason to temper it is to get rid of any moisture inside the clay, as the steam will crack the crucible. In this case I followed the instructions of the manufacter and pre heated it to 200°C before putting it into my furnace. Well if it works for you to do it that way then it should be fine I guess. I hope my salamander crucibles will make at least 40-ish melts before they start to crack.

[@zakhiks]

@@Metalstacker lol I did it drunk. I had zero experience. So I was guessing lol

[@reduxmod9178]

I've never done any of this, always straight out the box and used. Maybe I should do some of these things you're suggesting. 😬

[@Metalstacker]

I never used a crucible straight out the box for a melt. I just followed the instructions they provided :P

[@reduxmod9178]

@@Metalstacker Never had instructions come with mine. If they did they'd probably be in Chinease anyway.

[@matthewcornelison4786]

I’m fairly new to casting. I’ve been casting from a welded iron pot. Just bought my first clay graphite crucible’s. You did the initial temper in the oven and let it cool, then tempered to a higher temp in the furnace. Why waste your fuel tempering an empty pot. Why can’t you melt metal during the initial heating? Please in interested in opinions

[@Metalstacker]

Good to hear you like melting metals buddy! You don't want to charge the crucible the first time as that effects the tempering of your crucible. Ofcourse you can charge it with metals whilst using it for the first time. The factory advice is to temper it empty. I heard several other melters to charge it with metals the first time. Not sure if the lifetime is negatively affected by that. I play it safe and follow factory orders 😉👍🏻👍🏻

[@anamnesis972]

Do you know the best type of crucible for melting steel please ? Thanks you~~

[@Metalstacker]

A graphite crucible is paramount when melting steel 🔥🔥🔥

[@tobhomott]

If those other crucibles are only lasting you 10 melts, take good care of that Salamander. It will pay for itself before long.

[@Metalstacker]

I heard so! Will enjoy that salamander for a long time I think :)

[@catherineharris4746]

Nice!👍👍👍

[@Metalstacker]

Got a huge crucible just in, will temper it soon ;)

[@DragonAtelier]

as I can see same method as I did cover in my tempering video which I published on the beginning of February this year ;)

[@Metalstacker]

Yes exactly you did the same! I did search for tempering a new crucible and found a forum where a link was added with the schedule for these crucibles :)

[@Man-in-da-shed]

Well too late for me 😢, guess I’ll l follow your lead for my next one.

[@Metalstacker]

Dang, did the crucible fail the first melt?

[@Man-in-da-shed]

@@Metalstacker 2nd

[@Metalstacker]

@@Man-in-da-shed that sucks, hope a proper tempering will do the job 🔥🔥🔥

[@SeriesFightClass]

Don’t understand why you have 1.2k subs you don’t have bad content... but 1.2k is a lot but idk I feel you deserve more...

[@Metalstacker]

1K is a lot! I am really happy with it :) But I wouldn't mind to have 2,5k subs ofcourse (my next goal) :)

[@felixleon2430]

Buenas tardes aquí en Mexico edo donde puedo encontrar ua tienda donde vendan crisoles para checar precios muchas gracias

[@Metalstacker]

No sabría dónde venden crisoles, lo siento :(

[@abdelkrimhafidi9911]

tres bon travail

[@Metalstacker]

Merci!

[@IDD.Bronze.Sculptures]

im wondering if you can temper it with the metal in. Then after temper you can just increase temp to melting temp to save on propane

[@Metalstacker]

Well I do not know for sure, it could be possible but they did not recommend that in the manual.

[@therepoman2984]

Recently got a devil forge, and was attempting to 'cure' the crucible, it now looks rust color (orange/brown). Did I over heat it or not bring it hot enough? @metalscrapper

[@Metalstacker]

Devil Forges are great! It really depends on what kind of crucible you have. If you have a thermometer for your furnace, you should get the cruicble red glowing at around 900°C. After reaching that temperature you can easily get it to 1100 or 1200°C (depending for what melting point metal you want to use it) for 30 minutes. Keep it red glowing for at least 30 minutes, after that let it cool down inside the furnace with the lid closed. The salamander crucibles I use will not change color.

[@dutchman0625]

Dat is leerzame informatie, hopelijk gaat deze heel lang mee.

[@Metalstacker]

Thanks! Dat denk ik wel, na deze smelt ziet de kroes er nog steeds nieuw uit, iets wat ik nog niet eerder heb gezien :) Goedkoop = duurkoop voor deze producten denk ik, nou ja eerst meer eens goed gaan gebruiken haha

[@whiteknight7wayne493]

Any crucible should be at least heated slow up to dryout temperatures and everytime there is any question of dryness. The larger the crucible is the more thorough one should be. Beyond drying and any tempering ,obviously quality of manufacturing will be the biggest factor in longevity.

[@Metalstacker]

You are spot on on this mate! Getting rid of moisture is the most important step in tempering :)

[@ediesedgwick4462]

If you temper it for copper, what will happen to it when your furnace goes over 1,100°C? Shouldn't you temper it for the highest temperature your furnace can reach, just to be safe?

[@Metalstacker]

Not really surre, good question! I had mine up to 1200 degrees. I do not think it is very bad to heat it up a lot higher :)

[@ediesedgwick4462]

@@Metalstacker As long as you're safe and your crucible has as long a life as possible. 👍

[@khmeroppo7990]

ខ្ញុំចង់ឲ្យលោកបងហើញរបៀបផ្សំជាតិ អ្វីខ្លះ

[@Metalstacker]

តើ អ្នក ចង់ ផ្សំ អ្វី ខ្លះ?

[@alimada1467]

How much brother

[@Metalstacker]

That salamander crucible costed me around 50 EUR

[@expatconn7242]

I went to the web site . I can not find the directions on how to cure a crucible. How did you find it . Under what ?

[@Metalstacker]

www.morganmms.com/media/7316/201907_morgan-molten-broschuere-noltina-19-web.pdf The curing directions can be found on page 6 Hope this helps. Good luck!

[@expatconn7242]

@@Metalstacker looking now .. what am I missing . Is the wording different . Again I don’t see anywhere about curing .. can you take a pic .. and send it ? Or do a vid on where to look . Lost

[@mdsopon9425]

How to make them, what things are needed, tell me the correct name, I am making one, I want to make it please

[@Metalstacker]

Woah dude, easy :) I am not a crucible manufacturer, as far I know they are made from clay, might be clay with some additional ingredients and a coating of some sorts. I just buy my crucibles :)

[@b23beatz]

Is this necessary for an electric crucible? Nothing in the instructions say

[@Metalstacker]

For an electric furnace crucible it also should be brought up to a specific temperature before use, that is to drive off any moisture. But as all those electric crucibles are from pure graphite so they are pretty instantly ready for use :)

[@tonycstech]

Brand new crucible came with very small chips broken off, it's it ok ?

[@Metalstacker]

If the chips are on the edge and there is no crack in the crucible it should be okay to use. Make sure to wear proper protective gear! Enjoy the melt mate :)

[@ralphkleyer9324]

having a hard time finding a thermometer. can you tell me where you got it and the model of it

[@Metalstacker]

I bought mine from AliExpress in China. Can't find the exact same but I found this one: nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005002295056861.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.26df1202oGXssN&ad_pvid=202104021618332925099282302130003775746_3&s=p

[@Metalstacker]

That's exact the same one, but I ordered it from China for about 30$ :)

[@ralphkleyer9324]

Thanks for all the advise got o0ne on order

[@rufustoad1]

After 3 yrs can you tell me how this is holding up? Just purchased a cheapy on Amazon and wonder how the expensive ones hold up?

[@Metalstacker]

I am still tracking the melts, haven't melted a lot the last year. So far they hold up pretty well without any cracks visible after at least 10 melts of copper. What I did notice however, after the second or 3rd burn some material of the crucible glassified and remained at the walls of the inside of the crucible. It will not get into the metal, but for the sake of a nice pure molten copper shot for my video's that was somewhat annoying. The glassification makes the crucible much harder. I think they will outrun the cheaper crucibles. I will make a video once I know if they are the better or worse economical option in lifespan vs costs. Thanks for askingn😄🔥🔥🔥

[@ChatterontheWire]

so how bad does it smell in the oven now? Are those high end crucibles better on the odor they put out after doing that? I was threatened to never do that again by my wife after I did that on my first bigger crucible.

[@jfssparky]

That's why do it when there gone

[@ChatterontheWire]

@@jfssparky lol yeah well at least with mine you could still smell it for days if not weeks

[@Metalstacker]

As usual also my wife complained about toxic vapors, yeah the outside of the crucible is painted, so it gives some smell, but I am still healthy after eating food from that oven :P I might built a big kiln/electrical oven to temper these crucibles and burn out plaster molds in my new shed in the future to be sure :)

[@Metalstacker]

Smart :)

[@Metalstacker]

Wow, well the smell was gone fairly fast with mine :P

[@dennisbanks706]

Can you link your infrared thermometer my friend?

[@Metalstacker]

I bought mine from aliexpress.com for $35, but cannot find it there anymore. Here it is: holdpeak-store.com/hp1500 and on amazon: www.amazon.com/HOLDPEAK-Thermometer-Non-Contact-Temperature-58%E2%84%89-2480%E2%84%89/dp/B07PQ6CG7Y

[@dennisbanks706]

@@Metalstacker thank you sir! Your a real one!

[@adrianmorning.1555]

All you needed to do was open the air and you wouldn't of wasted all the gas

[@pedersteenberg2010]

FOR THE PLANET EARTH

[@Metalstacker]

Earth or clay graphite ^^

[@adipengadangan3975]

Apakah ada di jual di Brunei dan di Indonesia

[@Metalstacker]

Saya pikir Salamander menjual secara internasional, menemukan satu di www.morganmms.com/en-gb/products/crucibles

[@dennisbanks706]

Does it make your kitchen smell putting it in the oven? I don't want my wife freaking out lol.

[@Metalstacker]

Right after you have a little bit chemical smell, but it is minor, after cooling my oven with the door open, it did not smell anymore.

[@Thewulf56]

1st 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺

[@Metalstacker]

Oh yeah Wulf man!

[@sajansajan6081]

Fuck