Yesterday was physically demanding but I managed to get the lining of the furnace installed. Thats after I made the handle uprights and bar. David's further advice on how he mixed the fire cement and Perlite worked like a dream and the low amount of water used now made sense. Basically the method involved mixing perlite with fire cement on a ratio of 4 perlite to 1 firce cement. So, wearing a dust mask, I used the container (1kg) that held the fire cement as a measure and put the two constituent parts into a plastic bucket. Then it was mixed by hand, very much like a cake mix, and after the largest lumps of fire cement were broken down, I added 4 lots of water (using a small 100g or container 3" tall x 2" dia as a measure). It is far easier to work when the water is added and once I did try a 2kg tube of fire cement but that was much harder work.
This mixture was then rammed into the space between the outer casing and the can used as a mould, after laying a base of mixture for the case to stand on. I used an old fruit tin to make the hole in the base in case a cruicible breaks and will add a slope when I remove the can. And that was more than enough for the day. Hopefully tomorrow if well enough I will remove the can and just finish the slopeing base before putting the light bulb into the centre to help slowly dry out the lining.
I suspect I will have to make a new lid since it wasn't made the same as the lining but it is drying out now so I will use it first and see how it goes. I have more than enough material to cast a new lid so that won't be a problem. All that is left to do now is sort out a hinge mechanism for the lid, some furnace tools, and make up the burner securing method. With luck next week will see a first melt.
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The furnace mobile base is completed
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First layer of the lining mixture is made
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Time to get my hands dirty – lovely jubbly
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The wheeled base certainly makes moving the furnace easy!
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Closer look at the lining
About Mike Freeman
Hello, my name is Mike Freeman and I am a retired Chief Fire Officer from the United Kingdom with a keen interest in model engineering, silver caddy spoons and sea fishing. I live in the pretty fishing port of Brixham, South Devon, in the United Kingdom.
I am a sufferer of degenerative osteoarthritis, which impacts on the amount of time I can spend in the workshop, and is the reason why you will see seats and a stool in some of the photo's. I have only recently added the above sentence after a discussion with one of my Doctor's from the excellent pain clinic, based in Torbay. This does affect concentration one of the reasons why I double then re-double my measurements and set ups.
Before completing nearly 30 years of public service I and my wife Sandy, owned and ran, a small restaurant in Okehampton Devon. Prior to marriage I worked for my father in his various businesses, in the early days these were garages, which he bought in a run down state, then built them up before moving on, to start again.
I took every opportunity in those early days, to work in his workshop's
learning 'on the job' rather than as an apprentice. This, I suspect, is the reason why my building various model's in the early days, turned into model engineering, when funds allowed the required equipment to be bought.
My workshop comprises one half of a detached double garage. It has a
stud wall separating the two halves and unusually perhaps, its own
shower/toilet/washbasin compartment! (the true reason for buying the
bungalow - don't tell the wife!!!)
It is fully insulated with a ceiling and fluorescent lighting supplementing the one window. Several double electrical sockets are dotted around in
relevant positions.
Equipment consists of 2 lathes (1 Myford ML 10 and 1 Chinese variable
speed motor with etched glass DRO's), 1 milling machine (RF25 far East) floor standing pillar drill, Proxxon bandsaw, Warco bandsaw, 6" wire brush and polishing mop motor, 6" coarse and fine grinder, Proxxon mini drill, various benches and an engineers vice. I have just acquired a third lathe, a Myford ML7 which I am at present evaluating so I can decide which of the Myford's I will keep.
I have only just bought the Chinese lathe and had it fitted with DRO's prior to delivery. And what a bonus they are! So good in fact that I decided to buy another set for the Milling machine. Whilst my engineering experience can only be described as limited, I find the use of DRO's has affected my accuracy levels which have improved tremendously (although that's not saying much!) and would recommend their fitting to any model engineer.
Prior to retirement I built for my son's 17th birthday a Locost car. This
was a tremendous project and a great feeling when it passed its test. The book it was based on suggests it can be built for £250. Ours was nothing special in the sense of all new parts but still cost about £900 to build!
how do i make the whole furnace???