If you missed my previous video about DIY fire resistant coatings and the history of Starlite you may want to check it out here: ruclips.net/video/0IbWampaEcM/видео.html
@nightHawkinLight not sure if you are anywhere near new england, i frequently run across access to strange materials and components from my job (recycling technology, a lot of weird edge case tech flows through). if you are in my region i might be able to help source materials for projects.
5 minute crafts is full of BS, half of the stuff they do makes no sense at all. If i had to say this channel reminds me more of what King Of random was when Grant (RIP) Was doing the projects.
I'm a knife-maker and when you first showed us your version of starlight, a forge liner was my first thought, but I never got around to testing it. Glad it will work.
@@BSpinoza210 I have not had time myself, unfortunately. In process of moving workshops now, but I imagine the main issue would be outer layers flaking off. Still, it should work well enough and would be cheap and easy to replace
i thought about using it for selective hardening, and maybe a plate for stuff to cool on. i got a background in chemistry and am working on a batch right now, i modified it a little by adding magnesiumphosphates. quite excited how it will turn out.
@@littleh4xx0r let me know how it goes! I use a product called NuClay for differential hardening. Works great and dries quick. It's also water based, so it cleans up well afterwards, too!
The King of Random has a really good, cheap build, but you should invest in a good crucible. I've been using mine for over 3 years. It needs a little repair (this video inspired me to try this putty for patching), but works really well.
riuphane do you mind sharing where you bought it from? I also want to melt some metal but I don’t have a good crucible, and don’t know much about what brands/sellers are good.
@@ChristianAverage I got a MorganMMS Salamander Super Crucible and it has treated me very well. I don't remember where I bought it from, somewhere online for about $50 and it's pretty big, especially for hobby work
Oh heck yeah. This is super handy information to know, super useful, super cheap (like omfg how is it possible it only takes like $15-$20 and like 20 minutes to make this stuff?!) Thank you an absolute ton for sharing things like this with all of us. I've already written down the recipe for this homemade 'Starlite' recipe into my mad scientists notebook as well, and again thank you!
Metal buckets seem to work best. Good and thick metal, sturdy, small enough to still have a handle, easy to drill into, etc. All of my new furnaces are of the metal bucket type and all different sizes. The paint cans also seem to degrade quickly compared to the metal buckets. Most large metal buckets are fairly cheap as well.
Ben, I just want to take a sec to thank you for all for time, hard work , awesome content and overall just being a cool guy. Thanks for the Education and entertaining content love your channel man and might I say I love you as well!!! Keep on trucking man thanks again!!
Used this to build a forge and used it as a furnace too: I was able to melt silver in this thing! This is amazing, paired it with some cuttlefish casting and literally anyone can get going
U mean u didn’t use a crucible and used the forage as lining ??? Wasn’t liquid silver stuck on to it … how much did u put in before melting and how much weight did u get back ??
As a long time blacksmith who started making gas forges in the early 1980's and who made a large variety of things, I look for sturdiness in a forge liner. If I can't maneuver odd shaped pieces in and out of the forge without damaging the forge badly, it is useless for a lot of the work I've done. That said, it would be useful for forges used for a lot of knife making and work that is easily put in and taken out of the forge. I will make a forge for small work and see how it works for me. Great idea! I rally like your experiments.
One trick to extending the foam life would be to coat it with low sodium milk of magnesia. It will dry and fire to a magnesia coating. Magnesia made in this way will have a melting point in excess of 2500C. Adding a little borax will lower the melting point but make the coating more durable in handling. You can apply several layers and build up a very durable coating.
That's an interesting idea. Might try it out if I ever make one of these. I wonder if there could be a counteracting effect where the higher melting point of the magnesia ends up inhibiting the intumescence of the starlite. Definitely would be interesting to see it tested :)
Nighthawk you're brilliant and the smartest youtuber I have ever watched, I love how you are so humble that you answer our questions and comments, and not only educate us on how to make something but also to explain every little detail of the science behind it, I truly love you.
Locate an outfit that paints for a living - they'll most likely have a ton of paint cans left over from all the work they do. For those that are fairly crafty, you can also recycle the sheet metal from various appliances that are dead. Cut out the sheet metal into the desired size then form it into a roll. Spot weld, tack weld or rivet it into place. Do the same thing to form a bottom plate (plus a cover plate if you like) and you can customize any size of forge that you desire depending on your ability to locate the scrap sheet metal and form it. Based on my experience, I should note that it is important to size your forge to your work as was mentioned in the video. There are two main reasons for this: 1. When you match the size of your forge to your part then your part heats up the fastest. 2. If your forge is larger than it needs to be then you waste fuel as well as heat up over a longer period of time. I would also encourage folks to look at other versions of a forge such as those made out of recycled bricks, concrete blocks or even stone pavers. When your heat source is a propane torch or even an oxyacetylene torch then you've got options to choose from. Do what works best for you. The great thing about pre-made brick or stone is that it lasts and lasts and lasts whereas the material in the video has a rather short lifespan. Again, don't be afraid to experiment around and do what works best for you.
Why is this getting so little views?? This is one of the coolest and most useful pieces of content on youtube and it only has 65k views??!! On a channel of 1.6 MILLION! This is one of youtube's fatal flaws; not promoting great content when "the algorithm" doesn't deem it so.
I've been thinking about trying out blacksmithing and for starters I'm worried to overspend if the experience doesn't turn out positive and i end up moving on, this would certainly help keep cost down and ever since you published the very first starlite video I've thought of this specific application for it. I really am grateful for your work on this matter. Hopefully this will be one of many projects around this material, cheers!
@@drkastenbrot it might not be as durable or as long lasting, but it would work as a cheap, temporary fix until the proper insulator can be found and installed in the case of a repair. But then again, it's not really something that a company would try to patent because anyone can easily make it and nobody would actually buy it if they can easily make it. Also, the question wasn't would they, but rather who would win.
@@torjones1701 That's a lame take that doesn't really withstand critical examination. It's intellectually dishonest to suggest that Boeing's scientists couldn't have figured this out when your only evidence is that they are not using it. The logical conclusion from what we know would be "the material does not have properties that would make it useful for Boeing's business."
In my DevilForge, I can have molten aluminum in 12-15 minutes from cold.I have a few videos on my channel of it melting and the speeds it will melt. I will have to try your design out for some smaller projects. It looks like a super easy and cheap design!
What a good channel, I mean, really. I was thinking about making one of them forges a tad while ago after looking at the starlite video, now nobody's gonna convince me otherwise, thank you for the tutorial, good fella
I actually made a much smaller furnace a while ago when you released your first video on the subject. The forge worked using a wax fire, and got hot enough to melt small amounts on aluminum foil that I left inside it. It was only a test forge though, and was very small. The insulation worked amazingly though, I could even pick it up while it was on!
This video is SO practical, now I’m finally gonna have a forge! SoI’m binge-watching Nighthawkinlight videos since re-discovering them after the algorithm took them out of my feed. This is the third today, and once again is supremely useful. I’ve wanted a forge for occasional use for a long time, but the hassle of firebricks or commercial refractory mix, finding & modifying a big steel container, etc, etc kept me from making one. This is so dead-simple that I could whip one out tomorrow. It’s finally something I’ll actually do. Super-kudos and thanks (again) to Nighthawkinlight!
You might want to use a plaster/sand lining instead of the starlight. I found this doesn't last long. Tkor has a good video about making a good forge lining from plaster
Thank you, thank you so much. I was just getting into knife making and was trying to see how to get a forge for cheap when I got the notification for this video.
This is a good start, and i also have an old video about making a soup can forge that you might be interested in. That one used a plaster and sand lining which works well.
This would be great for protecting areas nearby a repair in way of cutting torch (blue wrench, LOL) or welding. Also, an easy ablative replacement for harpoons or similar rocket launching at the backup structure where flame impingement occurs.
I'll definitely build that. I've wanted to build a forge for a long time but I don't have access to refractory materials or even plaster of paris for the DIY refractory. I do have access to baking ingredients and borax so I'll be building this awesome forge in the very near future.
Far away from any type of material shop. I don't have a car and due to Corona, the bus is reserved to people who actually need it to go to work. Which is not my case.
@@bastienguilbaud5768 oh, that's a shame, hopefully we can get a better quality of life for everyone who needs it soon. I dont know about you, but I'm sure ready. In the meantime, for materials you can't obtain perhaps you could get a friend or family member to mail/ fed-ex you what you need. Best of luck.
Sir, you are truly a GOD send. I have needed the information on almost all of the videos you have shown for my huge project of making a derigible. I will definitely share my ideas and videos with you when I start the project.
BREAKING NEWS: Man makes an indestructible compound using grocery items Edit: No, but really, you're one of kind! Just continue this endless journey, can't wait to see where you get!
i just made my home furnace with portland cement as a lining with fire brick. it is cool when melting but super hot to touch afterwards. I might try this one as a lining to reduce heat transfer to the metal casing. hopefully works as intended. thank you for your video! 🎉
Thanks for making this video! I'll be doing a side-by-side comparison soon where I test a homemade intumescent-coated forge against my Hell's Forge single-burner forge, so when that happens, I'll update this comment. Keep on rocking! :)
Thanks for sharing this! I’m likely going to use this technology to line a rocket stove made from soup cans to keep the internal temperatures up. Some rocket stoves see temps above 2000C at the core! The higher temps allow for complete combustion of the wood fuel
I'm not sure, it might work for a few trips at least. I don't know that a camping stove really needs a fireproof lining though. A normal steel can usually does fine.
You could take the ingredients with you camping and just mix it and apply to the can when you get to your location. That seems like it would be the easiest way to do it and make sure that it doesn't fall out in route.
I guess it would work great as the insulation of a portable rocket stove, not receiving as much direct heat and beign lighter than other materials I've seen used. Plus you only need small twigs and they go a long way
I made it just when you uploaded the starlite 1.0. And it works! Since I wanted to burn coal, I put smaller can inside. As an extra lining. The only downside is that the insulation burns faster near the air inlet. Had to replace by the third use.
Hey if anyone cares, I’m coming up with a cheap concept to pursue knifemaking with that combines my specialties by building an induction heater with starlite on the inside of the copper coils and a MAPP gas flame inside. Haven’t seen a hybrid like that before and I’ve been trying to use starlite for this purpose for a few months now
@@rwbimbie5854 Yes. The fear was that it was part of a 'plot' to take over the country, as it was when there were efforts to put fluoride in drinking water. Nowadays, the bull***t is that if you get put in the hospital because of Covid 19, you'll die, the real cause of death being that you were intubated, not for any other reason.
This is amazing, I’ve wanted to try metalworking but didn’t want to put a lot of money into it so even if this isnt permanent solution it’s still a great one, especially since I don’t have to go buy firebricks or anything fancy
Ben - I'm fully in support of things that "lower the burden of curiosity". If you ask around "What do you need to start casting/blacksmithing" you'll get "minimum" requirements of hundreds of dollars. And that's true if you've decided "I'm going to make this a serious hobby". But that's not how curiosity actually works. No one blindly decides to jump into a new hobby. They poke and tinker around and discover "I really like this, and now that I've done it a bit, I have some ideas about what I'd like to do next". Especially teenagers, which is when most people pick up new hobbies and are most creative, but also the most budget-constrained. Especially from families that just don't have any extra money to spend on hobbies. My suggestion to people trying new hobbies is almost always to get that first 4 hours into it and see if you like it. You don't decide you like to watch baseball by purchasing a cheap set of seasons tickets. You just go watch a game and see if you like it at all. 4 hours. For this, your forge is perfect. Probably no additional shopping needed, nearly zero cost of materials, and it can get you into the hobby almost immediately. When I was a kid, this is exactly what I would have wanted. Heck, I have a car-battery-powered arc furnace for casting, and I might even make this for some things.
I'm a big proponent of buying as you go. Those that go out and spend big money before they know what they're doing often buy stuff they don't even need, or it becomes outdated faster than they can learn how to use it.
This is a fantastic idea for my use case of metal melting. All linings degrade over time, and low cost is important to me at this point at the expense of somewhat lower durability
Theoretically it should work fine, as long as you have a sufficiently powerful heat source that doesn't need oxygen. Should even be more durable in the absence of oxygen (as long as you don't have some other oxidizer).
@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio I think so too. I was just wondering if this process gives the material some special attributes. It will definitely not smoke or smell after the process.
That's essentially what he already did. The reason this stuff lasts is because it's burning in a relatively low oxygen environment. It would burn extremely fast in an environment with 50-100% oxygen
100% gonna eventually make a forge like this, im interested in learning to forge so this is an amazing thing to me, ill be able to get into a hobby im interested in for cheap! Once i no longer live in an apartment....
After I watched your previous video a few weeks ago, I thought "hey this would be a neat way to make a forge or furnace for super cheap." And look at that, here is your video about it
Great I think I'll try it, it's been several months that I'd like to try to melt aluminum and cast it in sand. Do you know how many runs/hours does the 'starlite coating' last in usual conditions ? Thank you a lot !
It will probably last several hours (I would guess 4ish hrs) of constant run time, but I think repeated heating and cooling cycles will shorten its lifespan.
I was thinking of putting this putty in a rocket stove and in a forge too. But last time when you said it will eventually burn through, I didn't want to put it to work and build a permanent forge instead. But the idea of making a smaller forge like this, which could be used a couple of times for small jobs is as simple as it gets. This is a really fantastic, simple and cost-effective solution for small jobs... . Right now I have a clay jar with charcoal and a small hand-cranked toy fan for small jobs. I think this will be way cheaper, easier and time-saving. Here is another thing I thought. Since its pliable and moldable, why not make silicon molds . It will help replace the inner lining faster and we can stock the starlite molds ready for use
You showed in your previous video how to make tiles . I would suggest you put these tiles on the outside of the can ,a paint can will work as well as a coffee can plus the advantage of the can being one that holds paint you can use the lid coat it with your material to reduce the heat escaping out of the top. Thanks again for the video
Ha! Here's an idea- Bundle the ingredients and a bar of stainless inside a coffee can Package includes a hammer, tongs, a 5" flat slab, and a torch Market as "custom pocket knife, some assembly required"
I have tested this using your recipe. I am very impressed, this actually worked! i could not feel any heat on my skin. This honestly works wonders. Thanks so much. I wonder if this can be mixed with sand to make more of a durable refractory. Will have to try it out with this.
I know, when i first saw it, I thought good i already have one of those, but sadly not the same. I'm sure glad he told me what I needed now, Instead of my failure and inevitable trial and error.
wow if i had known this when i was younger it would have been much easier to try forging/casting! me and my father made a pretty large foundry with an old 11kg propane tank, took us a long time to figure out what to use as refractory, we ended going with crushed firebrick mixed into a fireplace cement reinforced with steel screws all around the tank, we filled it with charcoal and gave it air with a hairdryer. i think we made a crucible out of an old steel fire extinguisher, it worked amazingly but we could never quite get the actual casting part correct haha.
And of course any Borax left over can be used in the forge welding process. The putty you describe has the advantages that many (don't personally know if all) refractory fibrous materials used in forges are dangerous if breathed in, so for a quick and dirty quick forge, as you say it should be good to go.
After watching your previous video on this I was wondering if I could make a paint can forge. I thought it wouldn't work because the insulating layer would burn through too quickly. Thanks for proving that it does work. I just bought a torch for this exact project the other day
Hello from Spain!! This pretends to be a "Thank you very much!!!" message. I´ve finally find the time to test your receipt and...I´m the proud owner of a furnace for melting metals!!! it´s so easy! and it got really hard, it even was able to hold a molten aluminium spill! (and the smell when "cooking" was not stinky). I guess climate change will drive me for testing your DIY cooling paint! Lots of congratulations for sharing your "NASA performances applied to your home" videos. And lot more for the choice of minimal carbon emissions involved in your proyects.There´s interesting projects but they are not cheap for GAIA.
Wow, this video went up the day after I started looking for forges and how to make them for my new workshop that I’m building, thanks! Now I can use this until I get a proper forge
If you missed my previous video about DIY fire resistant coatings and the history of Starlite you may want to check it out here: ruclips.net/video/0IbWampaEcM/видео.html
I was curious about this very application after watching your video on starlite.
Are you able to get it hot enough to melt copper?
Somehow you got me to sit through the entire sponsorship. I think I was just waiting for the parrot :)
@@christkandosii3337 I'm not sure. That's a lot tougher challenge than aluminum.
@nightHawkinLight not sure if you are anywhere near new england, i frequently run across access to strange materials and components from my job (recycling technology, a lot of weird edge case tech flows through). if you are in my region i might be able to help source materials for projects.
3:13 Let's turn on the torch *stares into my soul*
O_o
He did the mind meld on all of us.
that was very scary
Brother....
Yes
Your channel is like 5 minute crafts two good to be true stuff, but it is true and the most awesome thing ever
8 minute, 34 second crafts
Except this channel is actually good unlike five minute crafts
@@ieatbatteries9998 exactly
*too
5 minute crafts is full of BS, half of the stuff they do makes no sense at all. If i had to say this channel reminds me more of what King Of random was when Grant (RIP) Was doing the projects.
I'm a knife-maker and when you first showed us your version of starlight, a forge liner was my first thought, but I never got around to testing it. Glad it will work.
Same
Did you ever get a chance to try this out? I'm curious about the temperature it can reach. Can you actually forge weld with it?
@@BSpinoza210 I have not had time myself, unfortunately. In process of moving workshops now, but I imagine the main issue would be outer layers flaking off. Still, it should work well enough and would be cheap and easy to replace
i thought about using it for selective hardening, and maybe a plate for stuff to cool on. i got a background in chemistry and am working on a batch right now, i modified it a little by adding magnesiumphosphates. quite excited how it will turn out.
@@littleh4xx0r let me know how it goes! I use a product called NuClay for differential hardening. Works great and dries quick. It's also water based, so it cleans up well afterwards, too!
I've always wanted to test out some metal melting but never got enough money to buy a decent forge.
I'll definitely test this out!
You're a genius.
The King of Random has a really good, cheap build, but you should invest in a good crucible. I've been using mine for over 3 years. It needs a little repair (this video inspired me to try this putty for patching), but works really well.
riuphane do you mind sharing where you bought it from? I also want to melt some metal but I don’t have a good crucible, and don’t know much about what brands/sellers are good.
@@ChristianAverage I got a MorganMMS Salamander Super Crucible and it has treated me very well. I don't remember where I bought it from, somewhere online for about $50 and it's pretty big, especially for hobby work
@@ChristianAverage try making your own crucible, it's worked for me
@@forgedinferno5033 what do you make it out of? I've been wondering if tin cans would work for melting aluminium
I love that you took the time to create ur own take on starlite and made the recipe free, public knowledge. Thank you so much
Oh heck yeah. This is super handy information to know, super useful, super cheap (like omfg how is it possible it only takes like $15-$20 and like 20 minutes to make this stuff?!) Thank you an absolute ton for sharing things like this with all of us. I've already written down the recipe for this homemade 'Starlite' recipe into my mad scientists notebook as well, and again thank you!
You should check out my old video on a soup can forge also. I used a plaster/sand lining in that one that I think holds up a bit better that this.
Paint Can works great for this!
I think TKOR made a backyard forge something like this out of a small trash can. Metal buckets are available too.
Metal buckets seem to work best. Good and thick metal, sturdy, small enough to still have a handle, easy to drill into, etc. All of my new furnaces are of the metal bucket type and all different sizes. The paint cans also seem to degrade quickly compared to the metal buckets. Most large metal buckets are fairly cheap as well.
I was thinking the same thing!
it's a good way to upcycle them,better than simply throwing them into a dump....thank you.
@@BackYardScience2000 Be careful though. If they're zinc coated (galvanized), the fumes can make you ill, I.E., "metal fume fever".
Ben, I just want to take a sec to thank you for all for time, hard work , awesome content and overall just being a cool guy. Thanks for the Education and entertaining content love your channel man and might I say I love you as well!!! Keep on trucking man thanks again!!
Used this to build a forge and used it as a furnace too: I was able to melt silver in this thing! This is amazing, paired it with some cuttlefish casting and literally anyone can get going
U mean u didn’t use a crucible and used the forage as lining ??? Wasn’t liquid silver stuck on to it … how much did u put in before melting and how much weight did u get back ??
@@arunbirla9053 I assume the cuttlefish would serve as the crucible for "cuttlefish casting", no?
This is great to know, thanks!
As a long time blacksmith who started making gas forges in the early 1980's and who made a large variety of things, I look for sturdiness in a forge liner. If I can't maneuver odd shaped pieces in and out of the forge without damaging the forge badly, it is useless for a lot of the work I've done. That said, it would be useful for forges used for a lot of knife making and work that is easily put in and taken out of the forge. I will make a forge for small work and see how it works for me. Great idea! I rally like your experiments.
One trick to extending the foam life would be to coat it with low sodium milk of magnesia. It will dry and fire to a magnesia coating. Magnesia made in this way will have a melting point in excess of 2500C. Adding a little borax will lower the melting point but make the coating more durable in handling. You can apply several layers and build up a very durable coating.
Interesting.
Nice
what if instead of water I use milk of magnesia?
@@fabiohofer2160 good question
That's an interesting idea. Might try it out if I ever make one of these.
I wonder if there could be a counteracting effect where the higher melting point of the magnesia ends up inhibiting the intumescence of the starlite. Definitely would be interesting to see it tested :)
Nighthawk you're brilliant and the smartest youtuber I have ever watched, I love how you are so humble that you answer our questions and comments, and not only educate us on how to make something but also to explain every little detail of the science behind it, I truly love you.
FYI. If you can’t find a metal coffee can you can definitely find a metal paint can. They sell empty ones at home improvement stores if need be.
Locate an outfit that paints for a living - they'll most likely have a ton of paint cans left over from all the work they do. For those that are fairly crafty, you can also recycle the sheet metal from various appliances that are dead. Cut out the sheet metal into the desired size then form it into a roll. Spot weld, tack weld or rivet it into place. Do the same thing to form a bottom plate (plus a cover plate if you like) and you can customize any size of forge that you desire depending on your ability to locate the scrap sheet metal and form it.
Based on my experience, I should note that it is important to size your forge to your work as was mentioned in the video. There are two main reasons for this:
1. When you match the size of your forge to your part then your part heats up the fastest.
2. If your forge is larger than it needs to be then you waste fuel as well as heat up over a longer period of time.
I would also encourage folks to look at other versions of a forge such as those made out of recycled bricks, concrete blocks or even stone pavers. When your heat source is a propane torch or even an oxyacetylene torch then you've got options to choose from. Do what works best for you. The great thing about pre-made brick or stone is that it lasts and lasts and lasts whereas the material in the video has a rather short lifespan. Again, don't be afraid to experiment around and do what works best for you.
Why is this getting so little views?? This is one of the coolest and most useful pieces of content on youtube and it only has 65k views??!! On a channel of 1.6 MILLION! This is one of youtube's fatal flaws; not promoting great content when "the algorithm" doesn't deem it so.
I've been thinking about trying out blacksmithing and for starters I'm worried to overspend if the experience doesn't turn out positive and i end up moving on, this would certainly help keep cost down and ever since you published the very first starlite video I've thought of this specific application for it. I really am grateful for your work on this matter.
Hopefully this will be one of many projects around this material, cheers!
Your commitment to accessibility makes me so happy.
Who would win at reinventig starlite? A couple of billion dollar chemical corporations or a youtuber with 20$ of grocery items.
You are correct
I doubt large companies would invest much into starlite because it is not as great as proper industrial insulators.
@@drkastenbrot it might not be as durable or as long lasting, but it would work as a cheap, temporary fix until the proper insulator can be found and installed in the case of a repair. But then again, it's not really something that a company would try to patent because anyone can easily make it and nobody would actually buy it if they can easily make it. Also, the question wasn't would they, but rather who would win.
Obviously, the youtuber with a $20. massive corporations are too tied up in red tape and procedures.
@@torjones1701 That's a lame take that doesn't really withstand critical examination. It's intellectually dishonest to suggest that Boeing's scientists couldn't have figured this out when your only evidence is that they are not using it. The logical conclusion from what we know would be "the material does not have properties that would make it useful for Boeing's business."
Biscuit recipe looked lit until he added borax. :D
Victorians actually added borax to milk to make it appear more fresh. They did many other things that seem crazy today.
You can actually eat modest amounts of Borax. It has the same LD50 as salt.
Still thinking about somehting to replace borax in places where it's not a common house product
Lmao yeah, replace the soda with its heat processed sister and it's essentially Chinese alkaline noodle dough
@@robertoaguiar6230 yeah I think Borax is illegal in some places too (UK and EU) right?
In my DevilForge, I can have molten aluminum in 12-15 minutes from cold.I have a few videos on my channel of it melting and the speeds it will melt. I will have to try your design out for some smaller projects. It looks like a super easy and cheap design!
What a good channel, I mean, really.
I was thinking about making one of them forges a tad while ago after looking at the starlite video, now nobody's gonna convince me otherwise, thank you for the tutorial, good fella
I've had all the materials to start black smithing except a forge. Thank you so much for showing me this method to get my passion off the ground!!!!
Drawback: Your neighbors will think youre bad at backing because it smells like burned cookies.
love how the german comes through, backing haha
Can you add cinnamon to the dough for that special Christmas feeling?
Must suck how you misspelt "baking", and you can't fix it 'cause NightHawk hearted your comment, and if you edited it, the heart would go away.
@@Asdayasman - Easy on the ASSumption... could just as well be an auto-correct oversight.
@@__WJK__ Oh dude I _love_ ass.
I actually made a much smaller furnace a while ago when you released your first video on the subject. The forge worked using a wax fire, and got hot enough to melt small amounts on aluminum foil that I left inside it. It was only a test forge though, and was very small. The insulation worked amazingly though, I could even pick it up while it was on!
You made a fantastic video here. “Inexpensive” here really was inexpensive! Thanks!! I really enjoy all your videos.
This video is SO practical, now I’m finally gonna have a forge!
SoI’m binge-watching Nighthawkinlight videos since re-discovering them after the algorithm took them out of my feed. This is the third today, and once again is supremely useful. I’ve wanted a forge for occasional use for a long time, but the hassle of firebricks or commercial refractory mix, finding & modifying a big steel container, etc, etc kept me from making one. This is so dead-simple that I could whip one out tomorrow. It’s finally something I’ll actually do.
Super-kudos and thanks (again) to Nighthawkinlight!
You might want to use a plaster/sand lining instead of the starlight. I found this doesn't last long. Tkor has a good video about making a good forge lining from plaster
Thank you, thank you so much. I was just getting into knife making and was trying to see how to get a forge for cheap when I got the notification for this video.
This is a good start, and i also have an old video about making a soup can forge that you might be interested in. That one used a plaster and sand lining which works well.
@@Nighthawkinlight thanks I'll definitely check it out
used the recipe without borax as temporary insulate when fixing wood stove. worked like a charm.
This would be great for protecting areas nearby a repair in way of cutting torch (blue wrench, LOL) or welding. Also, an easy ablative replacement for harpoons or similar rocket launching at the backup structure where flame impingement occurs.
This is the solution I've been looking for to eventually cheaply try aluminum casting with my used soda cans to make rings. Thanks!
I'll definitely build that. I've wanted to build a forge for a long time but I don't have access to refractory materials or even plaster of paris for the DIY refractory. I do have access to baking ingredients and borax so I'll be building this awesome forge in the very near future.
Wow, where do you live?
Far away from any type of material shop. I don't have a car and due to Corona, the bus is reserved to people who actually need it to go to work. Which is not my case.
@@bastienguilbaud5768 oh, that's a shame, hopefully we can get a better quality of life for everyone who needs it soon. I dont know about you, but I'm sure ready. In the meantime, for materials you can't obtain perhaps you could get a friend or family member to mail/ fed-ex you what you need. Best of luck.
This is a great project. I already have a forge but love your idea to use this as secondary forge for odd shaped items! Can't wait to try it, thanks.
I like the new profile picture👍🏼
Great channel my uncle was born out of his time, and memories of him in his workshop garage came flooding back he would have loved your info.
I will have to build this melt some aluminum next weekend. Thank you for a great video.
1:15 that cans also one that you can buy for canning foods I want to say it’s a number 10. Thank you for the video.
You give ted Cruz and birds a good name. But all kidding aside thank you for spreading knowledge your a great teacher.
One of the best video series on RUclips
Thank you for carrying on The King of Random's torch, sort to speak.
Sir, you are truly a GOD send. I have needed the information on almost all of the videos you have shown for my huge project of making a derigible. I will definitely share my ideas and videos with you when I start the project.
BREAKING NEWS: Man makes an indestructible compound using grocery items
Edit: No, but really, you're one of kind! Just continue this endless journey, can't wait to see where you get!
i just made my home furnace with portland cement as a lining with fire brick. it is cool when melting but super hot to touch afterwards. I might try this one as a lining to reduce heat transfer to the metal casing. hopefully works as intended. thank you for your video! 🎉
Thanks for making this video! I'll be doing a side-by-side comparison soon where I test a homemade intumescent-coated forge against my Hell's Forge single-burner forge, so when that happens, I'll update this comment.
Keep on rocking! :)
Your videos are amazing.
I am all for cost effective DIY and these kind of projects are right up my alley.
I tip my hat to you sir.
Just what I needed!
I hated my messy sand and plaster coffee can forge. Now I may be able to go back to some small item forging and metal melting. Great work, Sir.
Great to see an application of all of your experiments!
Funny you say that i just suggested he combine it with his gasifier!
Thanks for sharing this! I’m likely going to use this technology to line a rocket stove made from soup cans to keep the internal temperatures up. Some rocket stoves see temps above 2000C at the core! The higher temps allow for complete combustion of the wood fuel
Would love to find a stove that can permanently reach 2000c as you described? That would be awesome!!!??? Got a link?
@@l0I0I0I0 actually I miss quoted the figure. I guess it was closer to 1200C/2000F.
Hurrah! I've been waiting for this, Still want to make a portable camping stove with this but I think it would be too fragile.
I'm not sure, it might work for a few trips at least. I don't know that a camping stove really needs a fireproof lining though. A normal steel can usually does fine.
You could take the ingredients with you camping and just mix it and apply to the can when you get to your location. That seems like it would be the easiest way to do it and make sure that it doesn't fall out in route.
I guess it would work great as the insulation of a portable rocket stove, not receiving as much direct heat and beign lighter than other materials I've seen used. Plus you only need small twigs and they go a long way
How timely. Just this week my sister was telling me she wants to do a one-off small bronze cast. I'll definitely pass this video on to her.
I've been calling this formula "hawklite" privately for a while now
I made it just when you uploaded the starlite 1.0. And it works! Since I wanted to burn coal, I put smaller can inside. As an extra lining. The only downside is that the insulation burns faster near the air inlet. Had to replace by the third use.
Maybe you should gasify the coal and make a towngas torch.
The thing is I use coke. Thanks for the suggestion, but it doesn't fit me.
Wow. After years of watching you you finally changed your profile picture. I never thought thats ever happen
The moment I saw the starlite video I immediately wondered if it could be used in a forge. I'm really glad you tried it! Thanks
_and when you're done forging, it doubles as a tasty snack!_
Found CodysLab's alt account.
you know theres one guy out there who is gonna take this literally and eat some
Like bread from a toaster.
Just spread some peanut butter on it.
Literally!
I'm that guy.
Not.
Cool idea and even cheaper than making one with rock wool which also works well.
Hey if anyone cares, I’m coming up with a cheap concept to pursue knifemaking with that combines my specialties by building an induction heater with starlite on the inside of the copper coils and a MAPP gas flame inside. Haven’t seen a hybrid like that before and I’ve been trying to use starlite for this purpose for a few months now
I don't fully understand your plan but copper will melt under forge temps
@@chrishayes5755 induction coils will melt ferrous materials that are inside them without heating the coils themselves using high frequency AC
I've been wanting to make knives for a long while and you've just given me the perfect opportunity thank you so much
"About a thousand grams" if only there were a word for that 🤔😂
He didn't want to frighten the people who think metric measurements are part of a subversive plot.
Lorenzo Paredes how would a kilogram scare someone?
@@hallobre In years past, there was a plan to switch the country to the metric system. There was great opposition.
"Tupound"
@@rwbimbie5854 Yes. The fear was that it was part of a 'plot' to take over the country, as it was when there were efforts to put fluoride in drinking water. Nowadays, the bull***t is that if you get put in the hospital because of Covid 19, you'll die, the real cause of death being that you were intubated, not for any other reason.
This is amazing, I’ve wanted to try metalworking but didn’t want to put a lot of money into it so even if this isnt permanent solution it’s still a great one, especially since I don’t have to go buy firebricks or anything fancy
When you did your first "starlight" video this was my first thought. "Can I line my forge with this?"
Ben - I'm fully in support of things that "lower the burden of curiosity". If you ask around "What do you need to start casting/blacksmithing" you'll get "minimum" requirements of hundreds of dollars. And that's true if you've decided "I'm going to make this a serious hobby". But that's not how curiosity actually works. No one blindly decides to jump into a new hobby. They poke and tinker around and discover "I really like this, and now that I've done it a bit, I have some ideas about what I'd like to do next". Especially teenagers, which is when most people pick up new hobbies and are most creative, but also the most budget-constrained. Especially from families that just don't have any extra money to spend on hobbies. My suggestion to people trying new hobbies is almost always to get that first 4 hours into it and see if you like it. You don't decide you like to watch baseball by purchasing a cheap set of seasons tickets. You just go watch a game and see if you like it at all. 4 hours. For this, your forge is perfect. Probably no additional shopping needed, nearly zero cost of materials, and it can get you into the hobby almost immediately. When I was a kid, this is exactly what I would have wanted. Heck, I have a car-battery-powered arc furnace for casting, and I might even make this for some things.
I'm a big proponent of buying as you go. Those that go out and spend big money before they know what they're doing often buy stuff they don't even need, or it becomes outdated faster than they can learn how to use it.
Very easy and the materials to make it are cheap 👍
a true testament to this material would be to build a forge out of a cardboard box
Alternatively, for the can, you can buy empty paint cans at home improvement stores.
Great video as always!
Can find them at craft stores, also- Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, etc.🙂
This is a fantastic idea for my use case of metal melting. All linings degrade over time, and low cost is important to me at this point at the expense of somewhat lower durability
I wonder what happens if you burn this stuff without oxygen. Like making charcoal =).
Theoretically it should work fine, as long as you have a sufficiently powerful heat source that doesn't need oxygen. Should even be more durable in the absence of oxygen (as long as you don't have some other oxidizer).
@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio I think so too. I was just wondering if this process gives the material some special attributes. It will definitely not smoke or smell after the process.
That's essentially what he already did. The reason this stuff lasts is because it's burning in a relatively low oxygen environment. It would burn extremely fast in an environment with 50-100% oxygen
@@jogandsp maybe. But Experiments are fun and many discoveries were made by practical applications.
In theory it should last longer without oxygen. If your heat source is fuel rich the carbon won't readily burn to CO2.
100% gonna eventually make a forge like this, im interested in learning to forge so this is an amazing thing to me, ill be able to get into a hobby im interested in for cheap! Once i no longer live in an apartment....
It usually takes my propane powered blast furnace about 7-8 minutes to warm up enough to melt about 50g of aluminum.
After I watched your previous video a few weeks ago, I thought "hey this would be a neat way to make a forge or furnace for super cheap." And look at that, here is your video about it
Great I think I'll try it, it's been several months that I'd like to try to melt aluminum and cast it in sand. Do you know how many runs/hours does the 'starlite coating' last in usual conditions ?
Thank you a lot !
It will probably last several hours (I would guess 4ish hrs) of constant run time, but I think repeated heating and cooling cycles will shorten its lifespan.
I was thinking of putting this putty in a rocket stove and in a forge too. But last time when you said it will eventually burn through, I didn't want to put it to work and build a permanent forge instead. But the idea of making a smaller forge like this, which could be used a couple of times for small jobs is as simple as it gets. This is a really fantastic, simple and cost-effective solution for small jobs... . Right now I have a clay jar with charcoal and a small hand-cranked toy fan for small jobs. I think this will be way cheaper, easier and time-saving.
Here is another thing I thought. Since its pliable and moldable, why not make silicon molds . It will help replace the inner lining faster and we can stock the starlite molds ready for use
I will try this trick
i am willing to make Doremon pendant since long (with zinc)
This is perfect for me, I work at a restaurant, all the materials, including the cans, are readily available!
Instructions were wrong I blew up my building and the government has me
You showed in your previous video how to make tiles . I would suggest you put these tiles on the outside of the can ,a paint can will work as well as a coffee can plus the advantage of the can being one that holds paint you can use the lid coat it with your material to reduce the heat escaping out of the top. Thanks again for the video
*GOD BLESS THE NERDS !!!*
Great video! For anyone struggling finding a large can, Baby powder cans work great!
When nerds start to become Doomsday Preppers.
Name calling is mature
@@jacoblaszakovits3035 doomsday prepping isn't a bad thing
@@ellenorbjornsdottir1166 and I never said it was bad in fact my family has a house with three generators for that reason
Wow, awesome alternatives to coffee can....paint can, metal mailbox, charcoal grill, beer keg...full or pony size.
I’m going to play with this. Casting aluminum sculpture, etc. should be fun with this.
Ha! Here's an idea-
Bundle the ingredients and a bar of stainless inside a coffee can
Package includes a hammer, tongs, a 5" flat slab, and a torch
Market as "custom pocket knife, some assembly required"
I have tested this using your recipe. I am very impressed, this actually worked! i could not feel any heat on my skin. This honestly works wonders. Thanks so much. I wonder if this can be mixed with sand to make more of a durable refractory. Will have to try it out with this.
I was thinking about how practical this was when i saw your other video, glad to see you talking about it
thanks for giving the detailed info on your torch, that way no need to try through a bunch of them!
I know, when i first saw it, I thought good i already have one of those, but sadly not the same. I'm sure glad he told me what I needed now, Instead of my failure and inevitable trial and error.
NighthawkInLight is not only a good looking dude... Prince of DIY and home research 😉
wow if i had known this when i was younger it would have been much easier to try forging/casting! me and my father made a pretty large foundry with an old 11kg propane tank, took us a long time to figure out what to use as refractory, we ended going with crushed firebrick mixed into a fireplace cement reinforced with steel screws all around the tank, we filled it with charcoal and gave it air with a hairdryer. i think we made a crucible out of an old steel fire extinguisher, it worked amazingly but we could never quite get the actual casting part correct haha.
2:50 to 3:00 was some really slick editing. Awesome!
I have binge watching your channel lately and to see a new video just now come out is just amazing
And of course any Borax left over can be used in the forge welding process.
The putty you describe has the advantages that many (don't personally know if all) refractory fibrous materials used in forges are dangerous if breathed in, so for a quick and dirty quick forge, as you say it should be good to go.
Ive been getting materials to cast copper so this is a great starting idea!
Omggg i didnt realize all 3 parts were out hell yeah, fucking love the structure and no nonsense, while still being positive and fun
After watching your previous video on this I was wondering if I could make a paint can forge.
I thought it wouldn't work because the insulating layer would burn through too quickly.
Thanks for proving that it does work. I just bought a torch for this exact project the other day
I like how you always make a material in one video, then use it to build something in another video
That is awesome, It reminds me about the carbon residue built up on the bottom of pot and pan,they serve as thermal insulation too but last long.
Hello from Spain!! This pretends to be a "Thank you very much!!!" message. I´ve finally find the time to test your receipt and...I´m the proud owner of a furnace for melting metals!!! it´s so easy! and it got really hard, it even was able to hold a molten aluminium spill! (and the smell when "cooking" was not stinky). I guess climate change will drive me for testing your DIY cooling paint!
Lots of congratulations for sharing your "NASA performances applied to your home" videos. And lot more for the choice of minimal carbon emissions involved in your proyects.There´s interesting projects but they are not cheap for GAIA.
Thanks for sharing the receipe with us.
Other "YouTumors" would have created
a PDF, and sold it from their Etsy store.
Good on you!
Wow, this video went up the day after I started looking for forges and how to make them for my new workshop that I’m building, thanks! Now I can use this until I get a proper forge
I have always wanted to make one of these. I’ll try it sometime because I actually have time. Thank you!
Excellent working