2023...

[nucopia]

Stopped drinking caffeinated tea coffee almost 20 years ago , now if I do have a coffee even decaf, it gives me reflux, with tea not so much .. I do miss it when i smell the aroma of a strong brewed coffee but then remember the consequences ..

 

[Davent]

Stopped drinking caffeinated tea coffee almost 20 years ago , now if I do have a coffee even decaf, it gives me reflux, with tea not so much .. I do miss it when i smell the aroma of a strong brewed coffee but then remember the consequences ..

Im the same now with brewed coffee, which is a shame, because I love it.
Instant coffee is still ok for me though.

 

[Northeast]

Mrs M decided to quietly convert me to Caffeine Free tea.

Yep, that is a bad thing to do cold turkey. Caffeine withdrawal is very real and very ugly.

Wean off is much more pleasant.

 

[Dave's Office]

I gave up coffee, tea and alcohol back in 2000 on doctors advice because I was having a serious crack at giving up smoking. I went 6 months without them and along with nicotine chewing gum and a big dose of willpower I was able to kick the ****. I sure enjoyed that first cup of coffee though. ️

 

[Davent]

i need to get off the durries....

 

[RM Outback]

i need to get off the durries....

Don't we all

 

[Mackka]

When Moved to Qld for a new job, I decided I would stop smoking. 3rd March 1999 best day of my life.Mackka

 

[Moneybox]

I'm down and out for a couple of days and then I spot China out in the paddock...

View attachment Garden dirt.mp4

She says she's got to fill the area between the rocks....

 

[Moneybox]

Meanwhile I'm getting started on the furnace....



I thought it was good to find a lightweight cylinder but it makes assembly difficult because there's not much to weld to and it easily goes out of round.



We'll see how it goes when the refractory cement goes in. It should be a bit more rigid but I have a layer of ceramic mat to go in first.

 

[Mackka]

That wall looks too thin for a furnace , but then again I know nothing.

 

[Simmo]

That wall looks too thin for a furnace , but then again I know nothing.

With the refactory cement, it will be a LOT thicker.

 

[user 7268]

I'm down and out for a couple of days and then I spot China out in the paddock...

View attachment 7601

She says she's got to fill the area between the rocks....

Envy what you and Sandra have between you MB ........................... very heart warming to see and must make every day together a joy

 

[Moneybox]

With the refactory cement, it will be a LOT thicker.

View attachment 7615View attachment 7616View attachment 7617

Nice one Simmo. Just last week I threw out a piece of cardboard tube like that. The fine SS mesh came in it and I've hung onto it for a year but Mrs M is in late spring-cleaning mode so it had to go

 

[Moneybox]

I started with a bit a refractory cement in the bottom with a bolt (to be removed) for a drain hole.



I added a bit in the top of the lid as well to fill the curve.



Then I added a layer of ceramic wool. I'm not sure if this is a good idea because it weakens the whole structure.



The lid got a layer as well leaving a gap around my grease pot so that the next cement will attach to the first layer.

View attachment Vibration.mp4

I used my spade bit as a stirrer and a vibration tool to remove the bubbles. I've used a plastic plant pot to mould the middle. I placed the pot upside-down so the furnace chamber will be wider at the base. Hopefully that will help keep the heat circulating low for a bit longer.



The plant pot wasn't quite tall enough so I have a bit of trimming to do.



When my grease pot was removed from the lid I smoothed the inner edge with my fingers. I've inserted about ten screws around the perimeter because the lid is just a dome that might not hold the cement in place.

I'll leave it sit for a few days now. I have a bad habit of rushing my concrete jobs because they usually take longer than I like to cure.

 

[Moneybox]

We've been getting some wild storms and a fair bit of rain.



It was threatening to rain again this morning so I got an early start. I could see the sheets of rain in the distance but nothing fell on me. I was home again by 7:30am with the intension of going back but a friend dropped in so I've lost a couple of hours.

 

[rustyhooks]

And so it always goes on mate

 

[Moneybox]

I ended up going back out to the minesite today because I hadn't emptied the trays.



I'd hate to go back and find that somebody had done this part of the job for me

 

[Moneybox]

I ripped and tore the plastic bucket out. Putting it in upside down gave me the shape I was after but it took a bit of twisting and cutting to get it out again.



The inside ended up as smooth as a babe's bum

I tried the jigsaw to trim the bit of cement that was overhanging the bucket. It ruined a blade after just a few millimeters so I used the small angle grinder with a diamond wheel. Now it'll get some good drying time in the warm Cue sunshine.

 

[Goldtalk Leonora]

Furnace looks good...couple of constructive points...you want about 50mm of cement at the bottom.....I would have made the whole thing about
half the size if you looking to use standard A3 crucibles as you will be heating a lot of area for nothing.....the firing port is really important....maybe take a pic when it's done???....you don't want the firing port to hit the bottom of your crucible as it will kill it quickly. If it's a problem, cut an old crucible up and use the bottom section turned upside down so the crucible can sit on it, this will mean the flame wont be on your crucible and the top of your crucible will be near the top of your furnace which makes it easier to stir your charge during firing. The exhaust hole in the lid is big....a piece of steel plate can be slid across some of it to 'choke' it down and keep the heat in. Have fun...it's coming along!

 

[Moneybox]

Thanks Tony. YouTube only tells you so much and rest comes on the second or third try



The bottom is definitely not 50mm so that might be a problem although my burner port is high enough to add some cement if want. I poured the last of the mix into a 5L bucket to make a plinth for the crucible to stand on. The chamber is 220mm deep and 180mm across the top. I knew I was most likely making the hole too big but I figured better big than small.