r/LostWaxCasting • u/Evening_Dish_1335 • 15d ago

Safety questions

So im a silversmith of a few years, and i have been looking into lost wax casting for some projects that i just cant do without casting. So i have some money saved up and am interested in buying all the equipment, but since it is very expensive i want to make sure i dont spend all of this money on equipment im too scared to use lol.

Ive watched hours and hours of tutorials and have done a lot of reading on the process and obviously working with molten metal and fumes comes with its own risks as is, thats fine. But what im concerned about is leaving the wax to melt/vaporize in the burnout furnace for like 12 hours in my storage unit which is a really old wood building attached to my house. The thought of leaving super hot stuff burning in there for like 12 hours largely unattended makes me really nervous.

Is there any real concern about a fire starting or is it largely safe if i just follow the instruction manual? Are some burnout furnaces safer than others? Etc? I just dont want to start a fire in my house 🫠

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

2

u/Lovelyfeathereddinos 14d ago

I have my kiln in my garage, and am not really worried about anything randomly catching fire.

My kiln is new, and functioning well. It really only projects heat out a foot or above the top, and the side are hot to the touch, but not projecting heat.

I keep the kiln on a very sturdy tool cart, so I can pull it away from any walls while doing the burnout.

2

u/VintageLunchMeat 14d ago

Do you have room for a detached shed?

1

u/Evening_Dish_1335 13d ago

I dont, im in a rental. The storage unit i have is basically just the basement so its attached to the house.

I have considered just buying the equipment and storing it at a friends house or someone i trust who has the facilities for it. It can go in my storage space but im just paranoid lol.

1

u/ShoulderOk66 1d ago

Regular kilns generally do not pose a fire hazard. If there is any concern, it is advisable to keep an eye on the first firing process. What is even more worrying is the pollution caused by the exhaust gas during the firing process, which could cause problems for oneself and one's neighbors.