Quenching the pot.

Ian

Ian

Notorious member
Somebody, somewhere on the casting boards mentioned this and I'd done it a time or two before, but thought more about it a few years ago when it came up and now I do it just about every casting session: Stir, skim, cut the power, and add ingots until what's left freezes. This sucks the heat out of the pot and also makes for a quicker re-start later, since the alloy will be mostly a solid mass with a few ingot remains poking up. On nights like tonight, finishing up right before bedtime, quenching the pot with cool ingots cuts the "wait until safe temp before leaving unattended" time in half. Anyway, thought I'd mention it (ran a couple pots of alloy tonight) and say thanks to whoever it was who made the idea stick with me.
 
I always refill the pot before quitting. A full pot seems to melt faster for me. It is also a time to add sprue and obvious rejects.
 
SOP here also, except when I think I may want a different alloy, then I pour the melt into ingot moulds and leave it empty.
 
While I never fill the pot in order to avoid a pot eruption when heating up, I do add the sprues and when nearly solid, I toss in any reject bullets. Mostly to clear up the mess and to remind me what alloy is in the pot. I also use the small plastic tabs from bread sacks to write the alloy on the tab, then clip the tab on the power supply cord. Sort of a double check sort of thing I guess.
 
Dusty Bannister said:
I also use the small plastic tabs from bread sacks to write the alloy on the tab, then clip the tab on the power supply cord. Sort of a double check sort of thing I guess.
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Now that is a great idea. I don't think I ever would have thought of this.
.
 
I am sure it is not an original idea, but more likely something I saw, read or heard of somewhere. If it helps someone else, that is great. Just passing it along.
 
Never considered it quenching, but have been doing it for years, to me
it just seemed logical.

Paul
 
I pencil the alloy on the metal backsplash behind the pot. Funny thing, seems like I'd remember what was in there for next time but too many times I didn't.
 
I'm the oddball. Empty the pot into ingots, wire brush the inside of the pot, wash crucible if needed. Of course being retired, I start at noon and done and cleaned up by martini time. Rarely cast more than 15 pounds at a time.
 
I've 'quenched' when I know I'll be casting with the same alloy the next day...or the next session, but that's rare for me, Mostly I empty the pot at the end of a session (I feel no need to clean it thought), so I can melt whatever alloy I need next, cause I usually don't know, til that day.
 
I'm a leave it "drained"....give the empty pot a little scotchbrite,blow it out with compressor,change mix?,before next cast...type.
 
my pot is never empty.
I don't even let it get low.
I keep them full even while casting.

I usually drop the pot level a bit at the end, unplug it, cast a few more, then ingot it, and start cleaning things up.
by the time I have everything put way the lead is solid.
 
Am not a clean the pot type. Have in fact, never cleaned a pot. Never had
any problem, so will continue not cleaning until/unless I do have a problem
and then may consider same.

Paul
 
Now Paul, you know perfectly well that if it ain't broke ya gotta fix it. :confused: I haven't cleaned a pot or needed to since that joyous day many years ago I threw Marvacrap in the trash. Use that stuff and cleaning the pot is not only a constant needed chore but a royal PITA as well.
 
Many years ago Rick, I trashed Marvacrap in the trash. Yep, if t'aint broke--don't fix it!

Paul
 
hey now.
I have used it as a whitener for doing laundry.
I have also used it as a flux when I couldn't find any flux cored solder.
 
That's a dandy idea, except I pitched mine years ago. Not quite the same stuff, but I use 20 Mule Team borax for coathanger-wire rod gas welding and most of my brazing operations. Get the rod warmed up, dip it in the powder and it sticks nicely and floats out impurities from the puddle while making a nice oxygen barrier on top.
 
When I shut my pot off I dump all the spru in, and any rejects that I may have culled. That's usually enough to make the pot go "hard".
 
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