When I cast an ingot for wire I frequently get a crack near the top
of the ingot. Does anybody know why, and how I can prevent it? If I
can’t prevent it, how can I learn to love it? Just kidding… Thanks
far any and all help!
Cindy Proctor
Cindy,
I’ve been pouring my own ingots for many years. I believe that crack
near the top of the round wire ingot is caused by the contraction of
the cooling metal, basically ripping itself away from the large
button formed on the top of the ingot. Is your ingot mold slightly
overfilled when you pour, causing that button on the top? I find
that often that heavy button is cracked away from the top of the
ingot when I open the ingot mold, and I’m usually pleased when it
happens.
It saves me the trouble of cutting off that button from the wire
ingot.
That cooling and contracting phenomenon is my own explanation, but I
would be curious to see how other metalsmiths explain this.
Jay Whaley
When I cast an ingot for wire I frequently get a crack near the top of the ingot. Does anybody know why, and how I can prevent it? If I can't prevent it, how can I learn to love it? Just kidding... Thanks far any and all help!
Not sure, I use sand for making ingots, and I don’t have this
problem.
What metal are you using, how are you melting the metal, and what
mould are you using?
Regards Charles A.