I was going to use a small ceramic crucible in which to melt my tin, bismuth
and indium--then I learned that the resulting alloy (Field's metal) "wets"
ceramic--meaning the ingot would be cemented to the ceramic once it cooled.

I think I'm just going to use a Teflon-coated frying pan instead. Teflon is
pretty stable and non-reactive up to 500 degrees, and once the indium melts
at 313 degrees, it should start to dissolve the tin and bismuth, so I
wouldn't have to approach the melting points of those metals.

Any thoughts on this?

Ernie - the aluminum self heating pots available at department stores
work with 63/37 (tin/lead) solder. The temperature is slightly low and the
regulation is a bit too broad. The unit I measured showed around 40 degf
hi/lo diference at max temperature. This was after 1/2 hour stabalizing.

Hul

Ernie Sty wrote:
I was going to use a small ceramic crucible in which to melt my tin, bismuth
and indium--then I learned that the resulting alloy (Field's metal) "wets"
ceramic--meaning the ingot would be cemented to the ceramic once it cooled.

I think I'm just going to use a Teflon-coated frying pan instead. Teflon is
pretty stable and non-reactive up to 500 degrees, and once the indium melts
at 313 degrees, it should start to dissolve the tin and bismuth, so I
wouldn't have to approach the melting points of those metals.

Any thoughts on this?

"Ernie Sty" wrote: (clip) Any thoughts on this?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why not just remelt it in the same crucible when you're ready to use it?

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Ernie Sty" wrote: (clip) Any thoughts on this?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why not just remelt it in the same crucible when you're ready to use it?


Because most, if not all metals, will expand a great deal before they go
liquid.
Pop! goes the crucible!

Cheers
Trevor Jones

"James Lerch" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:41:18 GMT, Trevor Jones
wrote:

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Ernie Sty" wrote: (clip) Any thoughts on this?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why not just remelt it in the same crucible when you're ready to use it?


Because most, if not all metals, will expand a great deal before they go
liquid.
Pop! goes the crucible!

But the reverse must be true also.. When the melt cools the first
time, wouldn't it pull away from the walls of the crucible, or at
least create cracks in the solidifing melt? (Disclaimer, the only
metal I've melted in a pot is Lead...)

You're both probably right. However since Field's metal melts at 144 F, I'm
not sure it would expand all that much?

Regardless, I'm going to use a Teflon-coated saucepan on the stovetop for
this project. What's the worst that could happen?

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:01:56 -0500, "Ernie Sty" wrote:



Regardless, I'm going to use a Teflon-coated saucepan on the stovetop for
this project. What's the worst that could happen?


That there'll be a scratch in the Teflon and your alloy will:-
a) be contaminated.
b) run out all over the stove top through the hole it dissolved.

You did ask :-)


Mark Rand
RTFM

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:50:16 +0100, Mark Rand wrote:
On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:01:56 -0500, "Ernie Sty" wrote:



Regardless, I'm going to use a Teflon-coated saucepan on the stovetop for
this project. What's the worst that could happen?

That there'll be a scratch in the Teflon and your alloy will:-
a) be contaminated.
b) run out all over the stove top through the hole it dissolved.

Worse yet:
c) wife comes home during your experiment and finds you doing
metalworking, again, with the appliances.

Dave

P.S. A dishwasher, while a fine parts washer, is not perceived as such
by roughly half of the population. Strange but true.

Mark Rand wrote:
On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:01:56 -0500, "Ernie Sty" wrote:


Regardless, I'm going to use a Teflon-coated saucepan on the stovetop for
this project. What's the worst that could happen?


That there'll be a scratch in the Teflon and your alloy will:-
a) be contaminated.
b) run out all over the stove top through the hole it dissolved.

He could contaminate his wurst the next time
he cooks it in that pan....

Serves him right if he is dumb enough to put his pecker in a skillet.

j


"Jim Stewart" wrote in message
.. .
Mark Rand wrote:
On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:01:56 -0500, "Ernie Sty"
wrote:


Regardless, I'm going to use a Teflon-coated saucepan on the stovetop
for this project. What's the worst that could happen?

That there'll be a scratch in the Teflon and your alloy will:-
a) be contaminated.
b) run out all over the stove top through the hole it dissolved.

He could contaminate his wurst the next time
he cooks it in that pan....

"Mark Rand" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:01:56 -0500, "Ernie Sty"
wrote:



Regardless, I'm going to use a Teflon-coated saucepan on the stovetop for
this project. What's the worst that could happen?


That there'll be a scratch in the Teflon and your alloy will:-
a) be contaminated.
b) run out all over the stove top through the hole it dissolved.

You did ask :-)


Mark Rand
RTFM

And you did answer! Fortunately, the new saucepan I bought for this purpose
($2.99) was unscratched and if the metals expanded at all it wasn't anything
noticeable.

In other words, it worked!!

"Dave Hinz" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:50:16 +0100, Mark Rand
wrote:
On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:01:56 -0500, "Ernie Sty"
wrote:



Regardless, I'm going to use a Teflon-coated saucepan on the stovetop for
this project. What's the worst that could happen?

That there'll be a scratch in the Teflon and your alloy will:-
a) be contaminated.
b) run out all over the stove top through the hole it dissolved.

Worse yet:
c) wife comes home during your experiment and finds you doing
metalworking, again, with the appliances.

No, actually she doesn't seem to mind. I picked a good one that way...


Dave

P.S. A dishwasher, while a fine parts washer, is not perceived as such
by roughly half of the population. Strange but true.


LOL Point well made. :-)