Forge construction

[Baron Alcyoneus]

This is a small, and pretty simple design, and within the capabilities of probably anyone that makes armor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIRTcmR ... e=youtu.be


Here's a note on sodium silicate from Wiki (he makes his own for the project):
Sodium silicate can be used to fill gaps within the head gasket. Commonly used on aluminum alloy cylinder heads, which are sensitive to thermally induced surface deflection, and can be caused by many things including head-bolt stretching, deficient coolant delivery, high cylinder head pressure, over-heating, etc.

"Liquid glass" (sodium silicate) is added to the system through the radiator, and allowed to circulate. Sodium silicate is suspended in the coolant until it reaches the cylinder head. At 100–105 °C sodium silicate loses water molecules to form a glass seal with a re-melt temperature above 810 °C.

He has another video showing how he makes it (I haven't watched it yet), but here's the basics (desiccant packs and drain cleaner):

http://chemistry.about.com/od/makechemi ... licate.htm

[Thomas Powers]

or you could just take a piece of kaowool, bend it into a tube, tie it with baling wire and stick a burner or burners in it and have a forge that will be more efficient,

That one is designed for small work and so will not be very armour useful

[Patrick]

Please cover kaowool with a layer of refractory cement. The airborne fibers can be really bad for the lungs. And a hot burner blowing at the surface of the wool will send fibers into your breathing space.

I like that someone is thinking a bit outside the kaowool box. My own mini forge is made from soft firebricks. I can make some fine things with it, though I am really limited in size.

-Patrick

[losthelm]

Buy a few more bricks to up the size.

There are a few different types of ceramic wool.
Some are better then others, you can even buy stiffener agents through specialty suppliers.

[Thomas Powers]

Funny SWABA did an official test of kaowool lined forges with both new and old kaowool lined forges in use and the results were that there was not a problem with day long use using industrial safety sampling techniques. There were some issues during construction of the forge though so please take precautions cutting and manipulating the stuff.

Patrick you got good data saying otherwise?