New gas regulator / 1st forge weld

[Frosty]

Is it scaling in the forge or after you pull it out?

If it's after you pull it out, that's just the way it is unless your flux to prevent it.

If it's scaling in the forge it's burning lean and you can richen it up to eliminate the problem.

Frosty

[larrynjr]

I would say it's scaling in the forge, it doesn't matter if I'm using flux or not. As soon as I take it from the fire and hammer on it, large chunks of scale start flying off.

When you say richer, I'm guessing you mean more gas less air. I'll have to play with it to see if I can get the right combo of air to gas to still get welding heat but without the dragonsbreath 2 feet out of the forge.

[Chuck Richards]

What is the opening on your gas line into your forge?? If you are looking for a little more control try making the opening smaller. I used to pinch the end of some 1/4 inch copper pipe and drill a hole in it to the size I want. I used to use a #54 drill. You may need to play with it to get optimum performance. I have since gone to a design based on Kevin Cashin's forge set up On his web site. It uses a needle valve to control the amount of gas allowed into the forge and a gate valve to control the air flow. Much better efficiency that the old forge and easy to control at lower temps.

[djhammerd]

Larrynjr... You mentioned a few posts ago .........

I know it was hard to get a consistant flame in it and after an hour or so, when the tank got colder the volume would decrease significantly. The new one I ran for at least a hour with no sign of decreased volume.

When your tank gets low, and you are using a fair amount of gas, it is normal for the tank to frost up and give you decreased propane flow (lower pressure in the tank). When you have a full tank, this doesn't happen, so your experience with a near-empty tank, then a full tank, is normal. Make your judgements on your equipment with a full tank only.

I have lessened the effect from a frosty tank in the past by putting the propane tank in my slack tub (now I have ganged two small tanks together to avoid the problem). If you do put the tank in your slack tub (or some other tub), be sure it stays upright. You DO NOT WANT the tank to tip and deliver liquid propane to your forge. It would not be pretty.

[Chuck Richards]

DJ

A larger tank will help. I use 100lb tanks. They hold 20 gals of propane and eliminates freeze up. One tank will last for 3 days of forge welding. Thats about 6 hrs a day so 18 yours. That is a little over 1 gal/hour. my forge is 8" id and 18" long with 4" of cerachem wool and a layer of castable. Freezing is common if you are drawing gas too fast so the old slack tub trick works well also. Like you said just keep it from tipping. Wayne Goddard goes even further and puts a heater into his slack tub.

[larrynjr]

The opening for the gas is fairly large; 1/4" maybe? The overall design is based on the hand drawn plans given out by Jerry Culberson at his course at Old Cedar Forge. I guess I need to start playing with that end if I want to achieve more control over the fire. I forged tonight for almost 3 hours. I did increase the gas pressure a bit and decrease the air flow which lowered the overall temp a bit but I'll figure out something for the gas pipe to reduce the output hole.

I have a 25gal. propane tank that I use and with the old regulator it would still start to frost up as it got empty. With the old regulator the flow would decrease after an hour or so even with a full tank. Depending on how much or little the volumne decreases as the tank gets empty using the new regulator I may spring for a second 25gal. tank and use them in tandem.

[Chuck Richards]

Larry

How fast are you going thru propane?? If you smash the end of your copper tubing and then drill with the #54 drill it will help a lot. If your blower is going full blast it is probably too much air. Make a gate for the input and damp it back. You r pressure may go up on your guage but pressure and flow are connected. Smaller hole higher pressure for same flow. My forge I had the air gate on the input almost completely closed and still had plenty of air for the fire. Also the forge should be really quiet. If it sounds like a jet engine it is not efficient. Let me know if I can be f firther assistance.

[Frosty]

Sounds like your old regulator was icing up and lowering delivery. This shouldn't be a problem with the new reg. but if it is make the orifice smaller. With a 1/4" orifice there is a significant pressure drop across the regulator which can cause icing. A smaller orifice will keep the differential smaller so there is less chance of icing.

And yes, either increase the gas a little or decrease the air a little. When you have a neutral flame it will be hotter.

What you describe though is scaling outside the forge which is a natural outcome of bringing hot steel into the open air. A layer of borax will stop the scaling till you've beaten it off the piece. You'll still end up with less scaling and more holes burned in your clothes and hide from molten borax splatter.

Molten borax splatter . . . Mmmmmmm.

Frosty

[larrynjr]

So I went to the hardware store and picked up a new piece of copper pipe with an end cap to replace my existing steel pipe with no cap.
BUT I got ahead of myself and drilled the hole for the gas without checking for proper placement and made the hole in the middle of the pipe and it needs to be closer to the cap to actually be inside the gas / air intake pipe of the forge.
I've taken pictures so you can see what I've been using and how large the original pipe oriface is / was compared to what the new one will be.

Would it be safe to solder the small hole that's in the wrong place closed and drill a new hole closer to the cap it would there be too much pressure that might blow the solder out and cause explosion issues?

[Frosty]

No problem Larry, there's no way it'll build enough pressure to blow a solder plug out of so small a hole. Heck, it'd probably take full tank pressure.

NOT that I'm saying you should give it a try! <grin>

Frosty