HIGH TEMPERATURE STIRRING ROD
A stirring rod for mixing molten metal and flux contained within a crucible requires specific qualities to avoid the damaging effects of thermal shock, batch contamination, flux erosion and extreme high temperatures.
This 11" (nominal length) stirring rod is constructed using High-Temperature Conductive Graphite rod and an aluminum handle material manufactured to ASTM B221 specifications.
The ¼" diameter graphite portion of this tool that does all the work is manufactured from Isomolded, very fine grain (0.0004") graphite, which provides high strength and high density. This same material is better known and used to manufacture crucibles or ingot molds because it does not adhere to metal. Other qualities of this graphite are a flexural strength of 8,400 psi with a compressive strength of 18,500 psi.
The handle of this tool is machined from a 6" length of 1/2" hexagonal, 6061 aluminum alloy bar stock, polished to a high sheen for best esthetics.
While very strong and durable you won't be able to use it as a hammer or pry bar but it will easily hold up to the work needed at the 2300C + temperatures encountered during gold smelting. If you ever wear out or unintentionally break the graphite rod it is easily replaced by loosening the handle set screw and removing the remaining portion and reinserting a new graphite rod..
You could cheap out and use a piece of scrap stainless wire or other steel material to mix your molten material but you absolutely risk batch contamination, burned fingers and/or your metal sticking (along with the flux) to a metal stirring stick when you remove it from the molten material in your crucible.
Do it right - use the correct tool and get the best results possible!
Offered exclusively by FissureMan Online for use with the Microwave Gold Kiln GPK or any other high temperature smelting process using a crucible of 5" or less of internal depth.
Price: $22.50
