Whilst I am beavering away on knives...Barney is with me doing a little work experience while we wait on possible bursaries etc for his training. Barney has been helping me very much in getting the workshop sorted and ready for our joint efforts...prepping materials for damascus. So far I have a really nice new clean bench for laying out blades and handle materials and doing etch and glue up and clean processes, away from the grind. Bonus. Next project for Barney get me a larger welding furnace built as soon I will up my billet size as it will be more efficient. It will be handle to have two sizes of welding furnace anyway and a long thin furnace for heat cycling after welding and billet preheat.
New welding furnace build...
Old furnaces, one on the right is my welding furnace, its so good and efficient for smaller work, it will stay in service. The cheap fire brick one will get skimmed in refractory cement and used for preheat and heat cycling.
Barney fabricated these bits for me, base, furnace shell and lid. Will be lined with refractories.
Barney tweaking some pieces for the doors.
Its going to be an upside down design, burner or burners come in the side bellow the work, giving very even heat distribution.
Base is now cast with heavy refractory cement, The kiln body will sit on this. It will always be able to split down into 3 parts for renovation/adaption.
I will now line the forge body with about 80mm of fire blanket and skim this in with a very thin layer of wet refractory cement. The roof will be the same. Will post further progress and see how well it works. I'm hoping it will run up to the temps I need on one mega burner but have an extra hole for another if needed.