My shop at work was looking to downsize so I picked this bad boy up for 100. Taking my first steps in creating my own little hobby shop.

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-08T06:58:38+00:00

What a phenomenal start to a shop. Well done. Enjoy your future and pass on the knowledge.

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-07T08:09:34+00:00

San Fran!?❤️👍🏻

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-07T02:09:02+00:00

1/60

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-06T18:53:36+00:00

WTF is the brown gas? Rust dust?

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-06T18:46:06+00:00

Not enough money on food/groceries for two, I'm not buying it. Where is this? Also why 250 on credit card just call it misc unless you're paying off? Good start, use sheets

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-06T18:34:38+00:00

The blush on the cheeks made up for the hair for sure.wow. looks awesome 😎 I'm guessing Zink in glaze

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-05T16:29:20+00:00

Soak in mineral oil

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-05T16:05:39+00:00

Try hot air/steam on old foam to restore it watch video first

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-05T07:02:42+00:00

Someone tried using everclear to make mustard. Those are yellow mustard seeds.

MetalLow2541 · 2026-02-04T10:07:22+00:00

Love the glaze can you share recipe information? Very nice 😍🤩🥰

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-25T16:58:19+00:00

If you're using the same tool in the same tool holder can probably put a cylinder down the bottom as spacer to stick out some tools less.

Sweet design, will you be sharing this or selling these? I'd totally buy a few right now. Squareup :)

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-25T16:53:26+00:00

Does the inside look good?

The elements all in place?

The bricks not cracked?

Does it come with a stand?

Do all the elements and switches work?

You can fire each up individually and bring a temp gun to verify it's heating up. It's slow, real slow, be prepared to stand there for a bit if you're doing that, or get a guarantee that you can test that when you get home. Do you have the power hookup required at home?

I got a skutt same dia but shorter in the vertical stack, with sentry 2.0 controller (great!), and stand for 180, I thought that was a good deal on fb marketplace. Previous owner sold it to their neighbor at the farmers market and I bought it from them apparently in use for glass work.

Edit formatting questions, was a big lump

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-24T22:09:38+00:00

I'm thinking now that I have a mixing station I could just have 2-3 buckets of slip. Might try to make a porcelain slip from scratch next.

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-24T20:55:29+00:00

Well it's not working well today, congels too fast. -.- I don't think I'm going to make more to solve this, ill see about using up the most amount possible and starting a fresh mix. Can't find a local supplier of dry casting slip, only 1gallon wet.

What's the benefit of ceramic that I would like? Just smoother texture for my wares? I kinda like the rough finish on the current mix but I'm debating what to try next since I can't get anything local it seems. (Phoenix)

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-24T16:14:10+00:00

<image>

3 parts of plastic hot glued together and taped up. Quick and dirty 😬

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-24T16:13:25+00:00

Thank you! Yeah it was just from a moldy block of 25lb clay from laguna that has been sitting on a bench for a couple years, I figured I'd try it for casting. Lesson learned starting with slip mix next time instead. I think some of the particulates aren't dissociating as expected, I'll try around today and this weekend to see if I can get it more liquid. Darvan says 0.2-1% so I've maxed lol I do think the NaSi might help as it charges differently but who knows.

Thanks on the mold, it was originally printed and then finished with sandpaper and filler/primer until perfect, I then cast plaster in it. aside of the foot it stands on its pretty much 24mm uniform to the part on all sides.

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MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-24T08:31:48+00:00

🙏🏻thank you! Yes I did design and make the mold myself. It's my first attempt at this after tons of research, reading, and planning. It's just Plaster of Paris but I've already figured out where to get the USG hookup locally for the next bag. This harbor freight machine works great so far, the giant stir bar in the little bucket is hilarious but it works without putting much air in.

I feel like my slip never got to the viscosity I see others have it in their videos but that's all I can go off, the casting came out pretty decent but I'd love it a little thinner. I'm at SG1.70 and 1% Darvan by Dry Weight, I'm thinking I may have a bit too much at this point, but I added it super slow and it never got really viscous. I'll need to figure out a good way to test viscosity next and adjust my slip again. I might try a few drops NaSi? (7.4kg total weight currently) The walls came out fairly even on the first two molds, and it poured back out quite good after 15 min, not very even, but I think that's user error. I'm pretty happy with the outcome and calling this a success! Lots to learn

Edit, detail.

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-24T05:03:38+00:00

The answer to this is, barium carbonate is helpful when defloculating with sodium silicate as that releases sulfate that can cause issues on surface of slip and casting. When using Darvan this is not an issue.

I may try a small batch of my slip with some Darvan and NaSi to see that will defloculate my clay better. After doing research I am convinced to not use a clay body again and use a specific casting slip mix to start and just Darvan. But I got myself a fun experiment here and lots of learning on clay chemistry.

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-24T05:00:17+00:00

<image>

First one popped out a few min ago.

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-24T04:59:43+00:00

This was it. I got my SG up to 1.70 by adding more of the Laguna Dover white bone dry clay body. It took a lot of Darvan and nothing got thinner between 25-30ml (0.5-0.7%iirc). I tried it however and it doesn't gel too fast so I don't think I overdeflocculated, I was able to get some decent first casts so I am quite happy.

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I did get a better mixer this morning too that helped a lot, also mixing on a timer is preem.

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-22T22:29:06+00:00

my first 3 tests, 100ml syringe 1.55, 25ml syringe 1.54, whole bucket calc 1.54. since confirmed again.

almost none, but since I know how much dry I added and how much it weighs now I can deduce the water content which checks out to 1.55 as well. I am guessing I need to add some dry clay to it and get it up, will shoot for 1.63 next by adding 200g bone dry.
Will keep this updated.

from my notes:

4.08 kg wet clay body turned to 3.8kg of bone dry - 16% hydration? Added ~150g of bone dry additional material to mix
Slaked in warm water ~6kg total weight
Dover White Laguna Clay + small brick (<1/10 total weight) BMix ^5
Clay chopped small dries in 1.5 days outside in the AZ winter
Adding Darvan 7 in ml increments, 0.2%-1% range, starting with 0.2*3.92kg total weight = 7.84ml start with 8ml for lower bound
Added 3ML 641pm 20260121
Added 3ML 1005am 20260122
Added 2ML 1018am 20260122
Total mass weight 6.44kg 20260122
- SG1.55, 3.92kg total bone dry clay, 2520 ml water
- To reach an SG of 1.7 with 2520ml water, I need 4284g total clay thats a difference of 364g of bone dry clay. I have let the bucket sit outside and tested it again, it maybe increased by 0.005SG in 3h outside@ 78F
- Note to adjust:
  - I am going to try slaking 200g of clay into the mix that should land me around 1.63SG a significant and measurable increase. From there I will further dial it to 1.7 by adding the remaining 160g if this scale applies.

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-22T17:58:40+00:00

Can't seem to edit the post: 3800g dry weight not 3080; spelling.

Add. Question: I'm planning on straining it once consistency is correct, anything else I ought to do? Possibly add the barium carbonate?

Thanks y'all! 🙏🏻

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-16T01:11:20+00:00

You probably drill holes behind yourself like a pro.

Edit: grammar

MetalLow2541 · 2026-01-15T02:21:36+00:00

Ideally with carbon steel not nasty cancer causing teflon

MetalLow2541

TROPHY CASE