Field's metal: I have an idea

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:

"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

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?

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

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.

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.

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!!

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

LOL Point well made. :-)