Emax i Cergo Press

[a88nn]

Hello!

Did anyone try to use emax in cergo press furnace? We just bought emax kit but have only cergo press furnace. We heard it's possible to use them together. So... We tried to make a first work. Set the furnace with emax instruction. And just after pressing the ring cracked. Where is the problem? If anybody know, please help

 

[NicelyMKV]

Does your Cergo furnace have a setting for back pressure?

 

[a88nn]

uhm... i have no idea. How can I check it?

 

[TheLabGuy]

Could be a few things...pressing pressure too high (4.5 bars or 67 p.s.i.),calibration of oven, and/or the most likely thing investment broke down. Now the investment could be from not having the burnout temperature high enough, not the right investment or it wasn't vacuum mixed long enough (press vest requires 2 minutes). Like I said, it could be a few things. I'd start with calibration of both furnaces (pressing/burnout),then check pressure, and follow the investment guidelines.

 

[Alistar]

Pressing e.max in a non ivoclar oven sucks, with the exception of a Zubler from what I hear. I do it everyday in crappy NeyQex and I hold my breath on every press. It's a crap shoot. We have it dialed in, but it's cost us/me uncountable hours of time and hundreds of dollars in materials.

I don't mean to throw a wet blanket on your excitement to start pressing e.max, but expect some long hours trouble shooting.

If your time is a premium and you don't want to throw away a couple hundred dollars in materials, I would look into a new furnace. Just my 2 cents. And good luck.

 

[a88nn]

Alistar, I think you're right... We have heared in our lab that it's possible so that's why i'm asking here.Maybe with some advice we will try to use emax with cergo press by trial and error. But public opinion is in favor of using emax dedicated furnace. Does anybody have some more ideas? If there will be some free time in lab I am going to try everything on monday and let you know after all.

 

[NicelyMKV]

Well, the problem is most furnaces press by time and temp with a set pressure. What if the material is not quite done pressing when the time is up? What if it is done before the time is up? Miss presses, busted rings, finning, heavy reaction layer etc. The ivoclar furnaces and maybe a few others also use back pressure and crack detection. It presses till it feels a certain amount of resistance. I am not familiar with the Cergo line of furnaces but you will just have to get a happy medium where most rings will press successfully. The only advice I can give is temp and pressing time. I used a non ivoclar furnace briefly and kept lowering the temp til I got a miss press. I wanted to press as cool as I could. I would have sporadic miss presses or finning and finally said forget it, got an Ivoclar EP 5000 and never looked back. I understand you are not asking to hear us all say buy another furnace but I just want you to know some of the issues. Good luck

 

[ps2thtec]

When I started pressing, was told to start with the EP500 program #s on page 60 in the green emax instruction booklet. They just don't tell you the H2#. After some trial I set on 5min for 100gm ring. , 7:30 for 200gm ring . And 4.5bar pressure. I've never had a cracked ring, only miss presses at beginning. Just my 2cents. Good luck!

 

[a88nn]

I think that the easiest way to get rid of the problem would be buying new furnace. And I would do it if I was a boss. But I'm not. Not yet We have other pressing system. It's Ducera press. But we also have Ivoclar stuff and we are looking for a way to use it. But I have a hunch, we will use it all for trial and error

With Ducera there is a small problem. When the work is ready (but not glazed yet) I see some tiny black spots. Ring, furnace, pusher are clean. Everything should be ok. On tablets is an inscription with color so we always scratch it because we think it may be a cause. But always the same spots. I don't know what's going on.

 

[paulg100]

re the black spots:

Check that the wax being used is not contaminated with metal filings etc. you need clean wax.

other than that it can only be contamination in the muffle.

i do not believe its the writing on the ingot.

 

[CatamountRob]

Are you using wax made for pressing? Ash free?

 

[a88nn]

Yes. It's ash free wax. Especially for pressing. Don't remember the brand now ;/