CBO Posted August 16, 2022 Report Share Posted August 16, 2022 Hello, I am wondering if anyone has fired stainless steel and how it went. I used some SS nails to make a few stilts. Google says SS begins to melt above 2550° F and im only firing to cone 6. To me this seems like it will be fine. Nichrome melts at 2550°... but I guess operating temperature is way lower for SS. Im not sure what happens to it before it melts. Any experience? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted August 17, 2022 Report Share Posted August 17, 2022 (edited) From my work with high temp heat exchangers probably not ideal. Depending on what you have it may soften quite a bit. Honestly many steel products melt as high or a higher temp. It’s always been too easy just to buy cone 10 rated stuff for me and some of the degraded heat exchangers made me stay away from trying it. Some interesting reading, 2nd paragraph onward might influence your decision. https://tubingchina.com/High-Temperature-Property-Stainless-Steel.htm Edited August 17, 2022 by Bill Kielb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted August 17, 2022 Report Share Posted August 17, 2022 hi, cbo, welcome to the forum. i have a friend who makes animals and uses long horseshoe nails with the heads the hoof end of the legs. they do not melt at cone 6 and always look good. you might try them with the pointed end up and may not need the long ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted August 18, 2022 Report Share Posted August 18, 2022 Haven’t used stainless, but did use mild steel as moulds for slumping glass for a project at an art glass place I used to work at. Mild steel melts at 2570F. Glass slumping is done at much lower temperatures than we work with clay at, about 12-1300 F. Even then the moulds would spall, and we had to protect the glass so it didn’t pick up black flakes of metal when it was soft. Bill’s article mentions spalling too, as well as changes in the material’s working properties after being heated and cooled. The spalling might not matter if the metal stains don’t show up on, or better yet, are incorporated into your end piece like with Oldlady’s friend. The metal flakes can stain kiln shelves at glass temperatures. I don’t know when they’d melt enough to cause damage in a pottery kiln. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBO Posted August 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2022 I bought some nichrome wire as well, i have the 2 stilts I made with the SS nails and will make some with the wire and see what happens I guess! Thank you for all responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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