Melting Furnace

[Mattwood198]

Afternoon all,

 

I had a go at melting some silver shot yesterday. It didn't go horribly but I was using a blow torch and a ceramic crucible and it was from efficient!

 

It's a lot harder than I thought it would be but it's definitely a lot of fun and i want to keep going and get better. I don't think I'm really planning on selling anything, just for myself and maybe gifts etc. That being said, I would like to look at getting a furnace. All the ones I've seen don't look very good, come from China or are super expensive. 

 

I can't seem to find a second hand one anywhere. I just wanted to pick up a reasonable second hand one without spending hundreds.

 

Does anyone know if there is a market for this, or if I just need to suck it up and buy a new one?

 

Thanks for your help! 

 

 

[BackyardBullion]

4 minutes ago, Mattwood198 said:

Afternoon all,

 

I had a go at melting some silver shot yesterday. It didn't go horribly but I was using a blow torch and a ceramic crucible and it was from efficient!

 

It's a lot harder than I thought it would be but it's definitely a lot of fun and i want to keep going and get better. I don't think I'm really planning on selling anything, just for myself and maybe gifts etc. That being said, I would like to look at getting a furnace. All the ones I've seen don't look very good, come from China or are super expensive. 

 

I can't seem to find a second hand one anywhere. I just wanted to pick up a reasonable second hand one without spending hundreds.

 

Does anyone know if there is a market for this, or if I just need to suck it up and buy a new one?

 

Thanks for your help! 

 

 

Your best bet is to get one from this company: 

http://www.technicalsupermarket.com/component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.browse/category_id,386/Itemid,4/

They are the furnaces I use and are very good - a new one including delivery is probably around £150

[StackSellRepeat]

If you keep an eye out you could also find a second hand one on eBay under £100, Good Luck  

[Mattwood198]

Thank you both £150 is pretty darn reasonable compared to what I've found. I must have just been looking in the wrong places.

I'm surprised I haven't seen any second hand ones around though. 

[Murph]

Is it really a good idea to make the outer body of a kiln from galvanised steel which gives of toxic fumes at a fairly low temperature - something like 200C iirc?

Those virtual supermarket linked ones look like galvanised although it's hard to tell in some of the pictures/models.

Even if the exterior doesn't usually get that hot there are still occasions when things go wrong, spills, cracks or just bumping a hot crucible against the casing.

I suppose it makes them a lot cheaper to make than stainless ones or coating steel.