Damper

A vent flap that you build against a Crucible. Open, it lets heat out. It's the opposite of the Powered Bellows.

Using it

Place it against the crucible's side, the same way as Insulation. Up to four count. Each open damper lets out twice what a bare crucible loses on its own, on top of whatever insulation is doing.

• Right-click to open or close it.
• A Timer, Bimetallic Strip or Controller can open and close it for you.

Why you'd want one

The bellows can only make things hotter. Without a damper, the only way to cool a crucible is to stop heating it and wait, and a big insulated crucible waits a long time.

With dampers you can:

• Cool on demand, so you don't overshoot.
• Temper steel, which only counts while the metal is cooling through its band. Heat past the band, then open the dampers and let it fall through slowly. See Heat Treatment.

A damper is open or shut, nothing in between. To cool slowly, open and close it in a rhythm (by hand, or with a controller).