What did I do wrong adding Tin and Super Hard?

[Roy Acuffff]

I get my pine sawdust from Tractor Supply. If I recall correctly it was less than $5.00 a pack. About 5 years ago. Still have over half of the pack.

Roy

[popper]

You never know what the box stores cut, some dust may have epoxy or 'junk' in it. I've used just paper before and plane shavings from any old wood - except mesquite or bodark. 2 processes. Reduced O2 so the tin doesn't oxidize, sawdust to clean the alloy of 'junk' - required a lot of stirring to get the junk out. I add any tin last as it is the first to oxidize.

[KenH]

Its nor perfect but you can start with some salted down ice for the low point of 32

Are you sure a salt/ice mixture will be 32⁰F? A 20% salt/ice mixture will be around a -21⁰F if I remember correctly (unlikely). You mix the salt ice together it will melt some to actually have a ice/salt/water solution.

[HangFireW8]

The temp of a salt ice mix depends (in part) on the temp of the freezer the ice came out of. Most folks don't run their freezers at -21F.

[dondiego]

Place ice cubes in distilled water, no salt, for a 32 degree F. calibration.

[KenH]

Place ice cubes in distilled water, no salt, for a 32 degree F. calibration.

CORRECT!!! Doesn't matter if the freezer is at 0F or 29F, an ice/water solution is still at 32F range. A water/salt/ice solution will be in the -10F to -20F range depending on the ratio of salt.