Mikey98118

Avoiding scale...the right way Does a neutral flame create more scale on heating parts? NO! The problem is that most guys don't see the difference between a neutral and slightly oxidizing flame. Also, lots of propane systems pulse; they do not feed a steady gas supply, and so the burners they serve, will end up running with a neutral flame part of the time, and with an oxidizing flame the rest of the time. The answer to both problems is to turn your burner down to a lightly reducing flame So, where does a reducing flame begin? Think of a neutral flame as a balancing point between reducing and oxidizing flames. A neutral flame has a single light blue flame envelope, with no white inner core, and no lighter blue secondary flame envelope beyond it. So, as you tune your burner to reduce that secondary envelope, at the point it disappears is the point of a neutral flame. As you continue tuning the burner to a leaner flame, that single blue flame envelope begins to darken. The minute you continued leaning the flame beyond that secondary flame envelope, you began creating an oxidizing flame. As the flame darkens, that finally becomes obvious. However, you have been creating a more and more oxidizing flame all this time! So, what about pulsing? A minor amount of this comes from cheap gas regulators, but most of it comes from super cooled propane, which is not completely turned to gas, before entering the burner. This problem can be solved with a better burner, which requires less gas, or the addition of a second propane cylinder, connected to your gas system.

"Heat thief." I like that; it's a good description. The other problem is the amount of internal area it takes up, in a very bad way; since it will interfere with the smooth swirl of the internal atmosphere. The other problem with your forge, according to their own photo, is a burner that does not create a hot neutral flame. Was I you, I would look into building a 1/2" size Frosty burner, and call it good. Yes, yes...I know that I suggested a Mister Volcano burner. However, that little forge would be better served with a 1/2" burner size, and a know of no manufacturer who sells a good 1/2" burner, anymore. But, will it get to welding heat? If you build it right, and get rid of your "heat thief," I expect so But, won't a neutral flame create more scale on the heating parts? NO! The problem is that most guys don't see the difference between a neutral and slightly oxidizing flame. Also, lots of propane systems pulse; they do not feed a steady gas supply, and so the burners they serve, will end up running with a neutral flame part of the time, with an oxidizing flame the rest of the time. The answer to both problems is to turn your burner down to a lightly reducing flame

I finally looked up Mathewson's forge.Avoiding useless negative comments, I will just say that you should move the firebrick out of that little forge, and replace it with a piece of high alumina kiln shelf; that will due nearly as much to improve the forge as a better burner would.

Fuel gases Propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10), methane (CH4), and propylene (C3H6) are all LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) fuels; they are sold separately, and in various combinations, depending on area. Methane, while available in cylinders, is usually piped to homes and businesses, and is called natural gas. Propane has been steadily replacing butane in the marketplace, because butane is problematic in cold temperatures. So, you will most likely be choosing between propane and propylene to heat your equipment. MAPP gas has been off the American market since 2008. What you find sold as ‘MAP’ gas in 16 oz. canisters, is propylene. In general, the higher the number of carbon atoms to hydrogen atoms in fuel molecules, the hotter a fuel burns. However, propylene, is an exception to this rule of thumb, because of double bonding between two of its three carbon atoms. The breaking of this bond provides an energy boost during combustion, in a similar manner to the double bonded carbon atoms in acetylene (C2H2), which also has the highest carbon percentage. However, acetylene is expensive, because it is dangerous (and therefore, more expensive to produce, transport, and store, due to high insurance costs). Both propane and propylene come in 16 oz. non-refillable cartridges and in various refillable cylinder sizes. Propane comes in a generous variety of cylinder sizes. Propylene cylinders are sold and refilled at welding supply stores, and only come in two or three sizes from most of these stores. While propylene canisters cost about double the price of propane canisters, their fuel is only about one-third hotter than propane; a sucker’s bargain. However, in refillable cylinders, propylene only costs about one-third more than propane; but, why choose it? You can turn your gas volume down, and simply have the added heat available at need. Is this worth the lack of greater choice in fuel cylinder sizes? Probably not for most of us. However, anyone who is also doing torch work will want that added heat available. Several states took advantage of the national mandate on overfill protection devices in refillable propane cylinders, to include flow limiters in most propane cylinder sizes. You can count on propane exchange cylinders to come with flow limiters. When used to run a barbecue grill, flow limiters cause no major problems; but that does not hold true when such a cylinder is used to run a forge, casting furnace, or torch. If you cannot find a refillable propane cylinder in a suitable size, without a flow limiter in your state, and cannot buy a cylinder from another state (which does not include flow limiters), remember that propylene cylinders do not have flow limiters. No matter how well designed your burner and heating equipment is, the limit on heating efficiency is directly tied to exhaust losses. Propylene, being one-third hotter burning than propane, can be turned down one third lower than propane, for any desired equipment temperature; thus, reducing exhaust losses by one-third.

To begin with, gas pressure is a poor gauge of fuel use, without knowing the size of your burner's gas orifice. For instance, a 3/4" "T" burner will take an .035" size MIG contact tip, while a 3/4" Mikey burner should be run with a .023" MIG contact tip for that burner size. So at 15 PSI positive gauge pressure, the "T" burner will put out around the same amount of fuel as a Mikey burner at 25 PSI. I suggest that what you watch primarily, is the exhaust output; let that determine how much to turn your burner up. If you can't get the heat level desired whithout turning the burner up so high as to make an exhaust flame, it is time to improve your burner. Do not hesitate to bring up your objections and questions. Don't think for one minuet that there aren't loads of people who share them. The only dumb question is the one that you forget to ask This brings us to the other side of your question. So, from my book notes: Flame control is about more than choosing the right burner design, and proper tuning; it is equally about selecting the proper burner size. These are primarily equipment burners. So, understand that heat management only begins with increased flame temperatures. The reason burners are aimed on a tangent, is to cause their combustion gasses to swirl around equipment interiors, creating a longer distance from flame tip and exhaust opening. Obviously, a lengthened exhaust path increases the amount of hang time, for hot gases to deposit combustion energy on internal surfaces. What is not so clear is that the heat gained is not added by these gases blowing an extra foot or two at high speed; it is due to their continuing drop in velocity over the added distance. Hot gases begin to slow, as soon as they leave the flame envelope. The flames of two 1/2" burners will use the same amount of fuel to produce an equal amount of heat as a single 3/4” burner; but they will drop velocity much faster in a five-gallon forge or casting furnace, increasing efficiency, because their flames can burn faster/hotter without creating a wasteful tongue of fire out the equipment’s exhaust opening. Ditto for two 3/8” burners versus a single ½” burner in a two-gallon combination forge/furnace, or two ¼” versus a single 3/8” burner in a one/gallon forge/furnace. The parts and tubing these burners are built from all cost less, as their sizes decrease; generally, it costs little or no more to make two smaller burners, rather than a single larger burner. When buying from online sources, it is usual to find two or three small tubes offered for little or nothing more than a single tube, because the sellers want to justify a minimum price, on every sale, and two or three additional small tubes, cost nothing extra to ship. When forging small parts, further efficiency can be gained by placing a temporary partition in equipment interiors; separating them into twin spaces, and shutting down the rear burner. This is something that cannot be done with a single larger burner, which is centrally located. Combination forge/furnaces can have the forward burner shut down during casting operations, so that its flame is not wasted, from being positioned too high up the crucible. The main point of these burners is efficiency. So, you should not tell yourself “good enough,” and place them in second rate equipment. Follow through, by building equally efficient forges or furnaces to place them in.

Adjustable LPG pressure regulators There are a whole lot of very bad propane regulators being offered online these days. On top of junk regulators that barely work, and/or leak, there are many regulators that were intended for barbecue grills, or camping stoves, that have deliberately restricted flow; these will never be able to supply sufficient fuel to run heating equipment. Searching for "propane" regulators will bring them up in droves. Search for LPG regulators, to have any chance of finding something useful. Fisher regulators (now Emerson Fisher) is a long time supplier industrial grade LPG equipment; their 0-30 PSI adjustable regulators (now 3-35PSI) cost about $55; that is double the price of junk regulators. But then, you end up with dependable equipment, rather than nasty problems.

I stopped getting "jobs from hell," as I thought of them, once I learned better than to allow the department of unemployment to suggest places to apply

"Oh well" is kind of a drag...but it beats becoming a statistic

I paid little attention of druggies on the tools; I found them no more troublesome than young "cowboys" on the steel crews. However, cocaine brains making management decisions, was "a bridge too far," out at sea...

What I found over the years, was that proper working habits make all the difference, when you're so tired that you can barely drive home after the shift. Some deals, like the fishing fleet, takes tiredness to a whole new level; then lack of good habits, combines with lack of sense, and stuff like cocaine ...what a sad mess!

Who would have thought that game playing would get so bad in power tool design, that building one's own tooling would start making a come back If I had a background in 3D printing, this is exactly what I would be doing these days.

I was in the Aleutians, working steel on a floating fish processor; it was a converted Liberty ship, served by their own trawler fleet. I spent months at a stretch working steel on their ships in the Aleutians, for five years; then they started getting their people killed, and I left; a few months later they managed to sink their newest factory trawler in calm waters, through sheer mismanagement.

That brought back memories of my first view of a live volcano (we were out to sea) in Alaska; it was billowing smoke sideways from the top, because the wind was blowing so hard. I hadn't thought about that in thirty odd years.

Unfortunately, their sales departments are not listening. I also would prefer nothing more than on/off switches on everything I buy.

I think day to day weather is becoming less predictable, but overall, seasonal changes will continue; but more extreme. Winter is still going to be winter; just more so

The dog days of summer are rapidly passing by. It is probably time for the prudent among us to get busy building their neat little garage heaters...er, I mean their gas forges and/or casting furnaces, before next winter arrives

Um, I don't think over-amped battery run anle grinders are a problem. The things I don't like about them are complicated circuitry, which is inclined to fail, and product descriptions rated in amp hours, which give no clue about just how strong of weak the motor is--only how long the battery duration is

The Galaxpro 4-1/2" 4amp angle grinder came to day. It was impressive; it had none of the usual signs of poor construction (bulging brush covers, stiff power cord, or unfinished castings on the gear head). I turned it on, and it has low noise, and is smooth running. So far, it is very impressive. This tool comes with one grinding wheel, four cutting discs, and a wrench. It also comes with a clear instruction manual--in English. Frankly, I don't think their low asking price will remain at $25 for very long; expect it to end up north of $50 in the next few months. If you want to cut parts with an angle grinder, this one will be much safer than the usual over amp models.

I never tried one on steel; for wood, they work great.

Exactly, Frosty. Every since Makita marketed the first small angle grinders forty odd years back, the race to make ever stronger grinders has been on. These days, finding an angle grinder with reasonably low amperage, is a marvel; and finding one at a low price! I have no doubt that, as soon as sells pick up, so will the price

The right grinder at a low price, too! The Galaxpro 4-1/2" angle grinder is offered on Amazon.com for $25. The advantage of this particular grinder isn't its low price, but its low amperage rating; just four amps. For cutting with one of the included cutoff discs, this is as safe as a standard angle grinder gets

Fuel gases Propane, butane, methane, and propylene are all LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) fuels; they are sold separately, and in various combinations, depending on area. Methane, while available in cylinders, is usually piped to homes and businesses, and is known as natural gas. Propane has been steadily replacing butane in the marketplace, because butane is problematic in cold temperatures. So, you will most likely be choosing between propane and propylene to heat your equipment. MAPP gas has been off the American market since 2008. What you find sold as MAP gas in canisters, is propylene. Both propane and propylene come in 16 oz. cartridges and in various sized refillable cylinders. Propane comes in a generous variety of cylinder sizes. Propylene cylinders are sold and refilled at welding supplies stores, and only come in two or three sizes from any given store. While propylene canisters cost about double the price of propane canisters, their fuel is only about one-third hotter than propane; a very poor deal. However, in refillable cylinders, propylene only costs about one-third more than propane; but, why choose it? You can turn your gas volume down, and simply have the added heat available at need. Is this worth the lack of choice in fuel cylinder sizes? Probably not for most of us. However, anyone who is also doing torch work will want that added heat available. Several states took advantage of the national mandate on overfill protection devices in refillable propane cylinders, to include flow limiters in most propane cylinder sizes. You can count on exchange cylinders to come with flow limiters. When used to run a barbecue grill, flow limiters cause no problems; but that does not hold true when such a cylinder is used to run a forge, casting furnace, or torch. If you cannot find a refillable propane cylinder in a size without a flow limiter in your state, and cannot buy a cylinder from another state (which does not use them), propylene cylinders do not have flow limiters. No matter how well designed your burner and heating equipment is, the limit on heating efficiency is tied to exhaust losses. Propylene, being one-third hotter burning than propane, can be turned down one third more than propane for any desired equipment temperature; reducing exhaust losses by one-third.

I find everything fails with age. Even my impatience with youngsters

Perhaps you're turning into an old coot? best wishes from the other one

That is about as high a temperature as a first class burner in a first class forge is able to reach on propane