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Eric R Snow

On 6 Oct 2007 04:07:36 GMT, (DoN. Nichols) wrote:

According to cavelamb himself :
Carl wrote:

melt the low temp metal 1st then add the others, you shouldn't need to
raise the temp above 313

[ ... ]

I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night so I ocbiously don't
know what I'm talking about...

???

But is is considered ok to put all this together as chunks?

Or should it be ground down like coffee first?

As in the quoted bit above, you start by melting the lowest
temperature metal first, then progressively add the others (probably in
order of melting point) and they dissolve in the metal which is already
melted -- perhaps changing the meting point in some direction or other.
No need to grind it up first, but stirring might be beneficial, if you
can find something to stir it with which won't also dissolve into the
alloy you are building.

Enjoy,
DoN.
In my experience with babbit and with alloys melting below 200F it is
wise to stir before pouring and to be careful not to overheat or to
keep molten for long periods of time. The metals will stratify over
time so the alloy composition will change with depth. Even in a
shallow container.
ERS