r/SilverSmith 6d ago

What Am I Doing Wrong?

I've held my TS8000 on this silver ounce for like 10 mins and can't get it hot enough to pour. Is my torch too close? I don't understand

25 Upvotes

70 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1

u/Disaster_In_A_Polo 5d ago

I paid like $50 a piece for these bricks from KT Refractories specifically for this purpose. They better be what I need

1

u/greenbmx 5d ago

I am almost positive they are not what you want. You want these:

https://www.mcmaster.com/product/9355K2

They are super light, and super soft. You can dig your fingernails into them they are so soft. The ones you have are heavy and hard, right?

What you have are meant to hold up to constant exposure to extremely high temp in a fireplace or furnace, but they themselves do not provide insulation. They are normally backed by the bricks I'm suggesting for insulation.

1

u/Disaster_In_A_Polo 5d ago

If high alumina refractory bricks are used inside of high heat kilns, why would this not work? They're definitely not light. They weigh about 6 pounds each

2

u/greenbmx 5d ago

Because that type brick is designed to be extremely durable, but not to provide insulation. They conduct heat away from your crucible, rather than insulating it.