I tempered the sand today and it sure is great to have good molding sand again. I just really enjoy that stuff when it's right. Cable in place. Letting it freeze overnight. Tomorrow we'll see how well it defrosts.
I also cut the top off of a 30 lb propane tank -- a little taller than the usual 20 lb tank. Cleaned it out to make a new melting furnace for the tiny shop, to fit under the bench. I need it now to cast my new lathe pulley.
I was going to go against my usual grain, and actually buy the expensive stuff for refractory -- cerrablanket, and zircon rigidizer per Ironman's style small propane furnace. But U.S. BS manufacturing distribution systems struck again!
I wrote to the only company I could find here that offered zircon rigidizer, naturally you had to write to their factory sales rep to inquire where to obtain it and how expensive a pint of that stuff would be (it does come in individual pints, so I can imagine it must be pricey!).
I received a note back from sales rep. "David" today asking what my purpose was. So I replied to that, saying a small metal melting furnace, propane powered, fiber blanket refractory, about 4 square feet exposed needing rigidizer. He wrote back that I shouldn't use their product in my application. No price given, no availabiltiy info.
So I said the hell with it -- this is why I like making things from locally available materials. Otherwise you can't just do what you want to do AS AN EXPERIMENT. If you go the high tech refractory route, you gotta face a bunch of industrial salespeople of limited imagination questioning your intent and your quaiifications to obtain their product.
I can go to my local hardware store and buy a chainsaw, some Drano, and a can of acetone, and NOBODY asks me what my intent and usage are, or what my business name is. They figure I know what I want to do with it, and that's enough. They also put prices on things, instead of asking you to contact them to inquire.
For heaven's sakes how do manufacturers like this zircon outfit think that most of the industries (including their own, no doubt) begin? A vast number have begun based on an individual's ideas, and invention. Luckily their founders 100 years ago weren't blocked from obtaining small quantities of whatever they needed to make new things
because they were individuals.
Anyway, I said the hell with it, went to the hardware store, bought a bag of plaster of Paris and sand, Took an 8" diameter piece of leftover Sonotube, set it as a chamber form in the cutoff propane tank, and poured a lining. Took an hour total. Materials were $19 total with some left over. I'm sure it will melt my aluminum for the pulley. Sheesh.....
