Richard Furrer, Sturgeons Bay, Wisconsin has demonstrated closed crucible steel making at the ABS Hammerin in Old Washington, Arkansas and again at Batson's Hammerin in Alabama. The process involves placing raw ingredients; iron powder, cast iron, green plant matter, green glass, in a crucible and sealing it with refractory.
The carbon content is measured by percentage. Allow for more carbon to be absorbed, up to .5%, if a silicon carbide crucible is used. It is possible to microalloy the steel during this mix. The crucible is placed in a propane furnace and rapidly heated. A typical 8lb melt will take 3-4 hours to come to heat. Ric checks for liquidus with a rod when the time is near. Once it has reached liquidus, the crucible is removed from the forge and allowed to air cool
Breaking down the billets is done hot and slow to begin with because of the large dendritic structure. At about 50% reduction it begins to work like regular high carbon steel. This is an interesting process because it is possible for bladesmiths to custom design steels with tools they have on hand.
For another article on Richard and this process refer to Matthew Harsh's Crucible Iron: Yesterday and Today
Richard is currently demonstrating at the 36th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival held on the Mall in Washington, DC, June 26-30 and July 3-7, 2002. For more information about the Festival Email Richard Furrer