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I need to cast a small brass piece, has anyone ever melted brass using an electric kiln? I youtubed it but didn't really find a whole lot with kilns similar to the even heat.
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melting brass in an even heat?
- Thread starter MarkJeffrey
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Since an even heat oven will normally go to at least 2100ºF, or 2200ºF and the melting point of brass is anywhere from 1700ºF to 1800ºF or so, there should be no problem melting brass in the oven, "IF" you've got a decent crucible to hold the molten brass.
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can I post a fairly related question, without totally jacking the thread, I have seen mokume used with sandwich plate only in a forge. Is there any reason why it cant be done using an oven?
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The temperature should not be a problem at all. I have very limited experience of casting copper alloys, but remember Oxidation being a big problem, so you'll probably need to use a fairly aggressive flux. Have a good think about how you can ensure the flux does not come into contact with the IFB of the Kiln.
There would seem to be no reason at all why mokume cannot be made in a kiln. Oxidation may be more of a problem without a reducing forge atmosphere. Fergusons book mentions use of stainless Heat-Treat foil and charcoal granules to overcome this and notes that a fuller description of the method can be found in Midgetts book.
There would seem to be no reason at all why mokume cannot be made in a kiln. Oxidation may be more of a problem without a reducing forge atmosphere. Fergusons book mentions use of stainless Heat-Treat foil and charcoal granules to overcome this and notes that a fuller description of the method can be found in Midgetts book.
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Thanks. I've done some brass casting in the past but we had an actual metal melting kiln,. but still didnt know a whole lot about what we were actually doing, hence the reason we did it in my friends basement. Even the dogs were coughing.
My girlfriend has a pottery kiln... maybe I'll try her's first.
My girlfriend has a pottery kiln... maybe I'll try her's first.
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I have both melted brass and made Mokume in a evenheat kiln.
There is also the chance that the released copper alloy vapours would condensate into the kiln....then when you heat treat unshielded blades inside it the vapours will condensate on the blade and infiltrate in between the grain boundaries increasing the likely of brittle failure of the knife.
It will depend on athmosphere conditions, moisture and other factors that will lead to a more or less detectable phenomenon
It will depend on athmosphere conditions, moisture and other factors that will lead to a more or less detectable phenomenon
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The large pottery kiln we have has an exhaust/fresh air system, maybe that would be better suited to try this. It's just that it's open top, and really big so it takes a long time to heat up