Many of us in childhood were engaged in stripping lead from old batteries with the aim of further melting it into rings or pendants. At that time, nobody was interested in the re-melting rules, and therefore cans served as a vessel for this action, held by a “hoop” of freshly picked branches.
Now, many people who want to melt some material take this more seriously. And they often have the question: how to do it so as not to spoil anything around and leave yourself a couple of memorable burns?
From this material you will learn how to make a crucible for melting lead yourself. And the drawings of the approximate result can be seen above.
But for starters, a definition.
What is a crucible?
It is easy to guess that this is the most common vessel in which various metals are melted. More precisely, not quite ordinary. Since its task is to withstand not only the melting temperature of the material, but also its own heating temperature at the time of processing.
Types of vessel
The separation of the types of this tool occurs by the category of raw materials that need to be processed. Currently, there are the following types of crucible for smelting lead:
- ceramic neutral type;
- ceramic graphite type;
- graphite;
- cast iron;
- steel.
Attention! The last three types are absolutely unsuitable for use in an induction furnace. This is due to their complete absorption of EMF energy.
Now you can proceed to the direct instructions for creating a crucible for melting lead yourself.
What will be needed to create it?
This article will give an example of the assembly of a ceramic crucible of a neutral type. This type is one of the simplest. In addition, a steel vessel is quite impractical. What will be needed to make a crucible for melting lead yourself:
- fireclay clay - 7 parts;
- finely ground fireclay - 1 part;
- 10 tablespoons of silicate clerical glue.
Where to find the ingredients?
To get ground fireclay, you can crush fireclay bricks in an earthenware mortar. It is easy to find in a hardware store, specialized retail stores selling medical equipment, or in a pharmacy.
It is also worth taking care of the presence of a mill for grinding chamotte. It is easy to build it yourself.
How to make a mixture for a ceramic crucible of a neutral type?
First you need to prepare a form of a home-made crucible for melting lead. This is done according to the following algorithm:
- Dry clay is mixed with ground fireclay until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. It is recommended to make 20 revolutions in the mill for chamotte.
- As soon as the necessary condition is achieved, you can unload the mass and start mixing manually, adding a little water. The mixture in the correct state will be molded into a lump, do not stick to the skin and do not seep through your fingers.
- Now you need to add silicate clerical glue.
- Mix the whole mass thoroughly. It is worth noting that this is the most difficult and time-consuming stage. Continue processing until a uniform consistency is obtained.
- The next step in creating a crucible for melting lead with your own hands will be the removal of air from the finished mixture. It must be ensured that no bubble is left in it. Otherwise, the crucible will burst with strong heating. To avoid this, air needs to be knocked out.
- Spread film on a hard floor (never use newspapers!).
- Now the fun begins. To remove all air from the workpiece, it is necessary to throw it on the film with maximum force. Do this until the bubbles no longer come out of the mass. After that, throw another 10 times (as many as possible).
- After the procedure for removing air from the mixture has been completed, it can be stored. To keep it lying as long as possible, it is worth using glassware that has a hermetically sealed lid.
Attention! Do not store the workpiece in a plastic container, as well as wrapped in several layers of film. It will dry in a couple of weeks and will be unusable!
DIY crucible molding
To give the prepared mass the necessary shape, you can choose one of the options below. They look like this:
- use a collapsible or destructible form of gypsum;
- Blind yourself.
Which option to choose is up to you. The last stage of the creation of the crucible must be performed strictly according to the specified algorithm:
- After the vessel has been formed, it must be dried.
- Once dry - place the workpiece in a muffle furnace. Set the temperature to 800 degrees and burn for one or two hours. This temperature is necessary so that the glue can melt and firmly bind together all other components. If the temperature is lower, the crucible will fall apart at the first work in the furnace from the temperature of the contents. If the temperature is higher, it will fall apart before the end of firing.
The resulting form is able to withstand heat of 1600 degrees. If the materials were quality processed and crushed - it will last up to 30 remelting.