Boley 4LV

[awemawson]

Very nice Mark.

John Winter ( Johnwinter.co.uk ) for ferrosilicate

[RotarySMP]

Thanks for the link Andrew. The only suppliers I had found were chinese, and will sell it by the ton.
Mark

[PekkaNF]

I did a foundry tour video last week, which answers those questions.
....
Mark

Thank you, that was very interesting and information is really good.

Pekka

[RotarySMP]

Thanks for the feedback
Mark

[mattinker]

Thanks for the link Andrew. The only suppliers I had found were chinese, and will sell it by the ton.
Mark

Mark,

I just got a quote from John Winter, £3.50/kg, minimum 100kg  silicon at 75%. Shipping to France, £135

A bit beyond my budget! Cheers, Matthew

[awemawson]

I will mark your end of term report 'Must try harder searching for things ' 


eBay :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FERRO-SILICON-Pieces-750g-Si-75-86-Fe-23-89-1-6mm-FREE-P-P/254387618810?hash=item3b3aaf03fa:g:yo4AAOSw5nJeJttt

(£14.50 free delivery from Nottingham - 750 grams)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FERRO-SILICON-Pieces-1500g-Si-75-86-Fe-23-89-10-50mm-FREE-P-P/372798633338?hash=item56cc87b57a:g:iAIAAOSwM~tacFaN

(£18.50 free delivery from Nottingham for 1500 grams)

[mattinker]

I will mark your end of term report 'Must try harder searching for things ' 


eBay :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FERRO-SILICON-Pieces-750g-Si-75-86-Fe-23-89-1-6mm-FREE-P-P/254387618810?hash=item3b3aaf03fa:g:yo4AAOSw5nJeJttt

(£14.50 free delivery from Nottingham - 750 grams)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FERRO-SILICON-Pieces-1500g-Si-75-86-Fe-23-89-10-50mm-FREE-P-P/372798633338?hash=item56cc87b57a:g:iAIAAOSwM~tacFaN

(£18.50 free delivery from Nottingham for 1500 grams)

Thanks Andrew, you'll have to do online courses in searching!

[RotarySMP]

I also contacted John Winter buy they did respond. Thanks for that link Andrew. The Dash in the name was the key. I'd dearched Ebay before, but only found US venders.
Mark

[PekkaNF]

How much of that you need? in proportion of the melt?

[RotarySMP]

No idea. Once I get some, I'll go through Luckygen1001 and Olfoundryman's Youtube channel as they have some stuff on FeSi.
Mark

[mattinker]

How much of that you need? in proportion of the melt?

I contacted Luckygen, he uses .25% to 0.5%. This must be added at the end of the melt and poured within ten minutes!
Regards, Matthew

[mattinker]

I will mark your end of term report 'Must try harder searching for things ' 


eBay :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FERRO-SILICON-Pieces-750g-Si-75-86-Fe-23-89-1-6mm-FREE-P-P/254387618810?hash=item3b3aaf03fa:g:yo4AAOSw5nJeJttt

(£14.50 free delivery from Nottingham - 750 grams)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FERRO-SILICON-Pieces-1500g-Si-75-86-Fe-23-89-10-50mm-FREE-P-P/372798633338?hash=item56cc87b57a:g:iAIAAOSwM~tacFaN

(£18.50 free delivery from Nottingham for 1500 grams)

Thanks Andrew, you'll have to do online courses in searching!

Andrew,
I have another search problem, then I'll stop high jacking this thread! I'm looking for a graphite sleeve or bush, 80mmx 100mm long with a 60mm bore, so far I've drawn a blank , any ideas? Regards, Matthew

[awemawson]

Mathew, I may have some in my 'EDM Sinker' box of electodes - I'll have a look tomorrow morning

(The big maker / supplier of graphite as used for EDM electrodes is 'Poco' so meanwhile search on that  )

[awemawson]

Matthew,

My bigger bits of graphite are:

BAR:
50 diam X 85
155 diam x 65
37.5 diam x 225

SLAB
270 x 210 x 20

(All dimensions mm)

[mattinker]

Andrew,
Thank you for looking! I am looking for a cylinder, 80mmx100 with a bore of 55mm, so, a bit bigger than anything you have! I have found the POCO Graphite site and I'll do some telephoning on Monday. I have found a very interesting youtube video on making air bearings using graphite, my idea is to make an air-bearing tool holder for my Clarkson tool and cutter grinder!

Thanks again, regards Matthew

[awemawson]

So what advantage has the graphite over bronze, or mild steel even?

When the air is applied shaft and housing do not contact each other, so it is only if the air supply fails when the spindle is still driven that there is any issue, and a pressure switch and air reservoir should cope with that contingency 

[mattinker]

The advantage over metals is that is porous so the compressed air doesn't depend upon drillings to to create the cushion of air and that it is possible to bore it accurately by hand. With a chrome plated rod there would be no risk of corrosion!

[awemawson]

Sintered bronze bushes are porous so don't rule them out if the graphite isn't forthcoming (need to flush the lube out first though)

[mattinker]

Andrew,

Thanks for the idea, I've found another solution, 4x100mm squares, 25mm  thick that I can stack to get the size I want. Off to order an off-cut of chromed bar!

Cheers, Matthew

[RotarySMP]

Thanks for posting the Ferosilicon ratio.

The threadjack doesn't bother me, but a project as cool as a home made air spindle for the Clarkson it worthy of it's own thread. I'll be watching out for that, as I have a Clarkson as well.
Mark

[awemawson]

Matthew, beware that a fair amount of graphite came on the market a few years back  from behind the old 'Iron Curtain'  that was suspected to have come from 'test reactors' and was significantly radio-active 

[Joules]

Whilst mild radiation probably isn’t a major concern for wrinklies, better to be safe around younger generations.   Worth having in the workshop, especially with questionable scrap metals for the same reason as Andrew mentioned.

https://www.banggood.com/Geekcreit-Assembled-DIY-Geiger-Counter-Kit-Module-Miller-Tube-GM-Tube-Nuclear-Radiation-Detector-Geekcreit-for-Arduino-products-that-work-with-official-Arduino-boards-p-1136883.html?rmmds=mywishlist&cur_warehouse=CN

[mattinker]

Matthew, beware that a fair amount of graphite came on the market a few years back  from behind the old 'Iron Curtain'  that was suspected to have come from 'test reactors' and was significantly radio-active 

Thanks for the warning Andrew, I'll risk it!

[mattinker]

Thanks for posting the Ferosilicon ratio.

The threadjack doesn't bother me, but a project as cool as a home made air spindle for the Clarkson it worthy of it's own thread. I'll be watching out for that, as I have a Clarkson as well.
Mark

Mark,
I've only got as far as rough dimensions in my head, I've ordered the Graphite and a 70x190mm off-cut of chrome bar, it'll get clearer when the materials arrive!

Cheers, Matthew

[mattinker]

Whilst mild radiation probably isn’t a major concern for wrinklies, better to be safe around younger generations.   Worth having in the workshop, especially with questionable scrap metals for the same reason as Andrew mentioned.

https://www.banggood.com/Geekcreit-Assembled-DIY-Geiger-Counter-Kit-Module-Miller-Tube-GM-Tube-Nuclear-Radiation-Detector-Geekcreit-for-Arduino-products-that-work-with-official-Arduino-boards-p-1136883.html?rmmds=mywishlist&cur_warehouse=CN

hmmmm, I think I'll risk it!!