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Post by Christopher on Apr 8, 2006 7:55:25 GMT 12.75
I've begun experimenting with making steel to my own specifications. Having researched the ancient ways, grown an appreciation for old Indian Wootz (the original "damascus") from which watered steel was made... I have begun an attempt to make my own. To do this, a mix of cast iron (preferably "white" CI, not the grey stuff you see in cookware) and pure iron, with a little impurity like Vanadium is put into a graphite crucible and cooked to melting temps with a green glass flux atop it. At the end of the day, you're supposed to end up with a cake of dendritic crucible steel. I ended up with this: Not quite hot enough, and some of my source iron was too large a piece to efficiently melt at the bottom of the crucible. I need to rebuild my melting furnace and try again, hopefully this weekend. The old furnace at max temperature:
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Post by Paws on Apr 8, 2006 12:28:30 GMT 12.75
Great pics Chris! ;D
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