Gijotoole

Soooooo, should i get a oil-filled pressure guage or an air filled guage? Right now I have no pressure guage on my burner so I just get it started, max it out, and then back it off 5 full turns. My hard bricks were almost translucent this past weekend-i think that means too hot.

Okay, folks. I think I got it pretty much figured out. I am using my mod side burner form Zoeller and one layer of hard bricks to maintain the temps. I haven't found any ceramic or pottery dealers anywhere near town but I did find some ytong (aerated concrete) at OBI (like Home Depot-it's even white and orange). I made a bunch of cuts and got her started up and man, did she get hot fast. And how! That chamber was screaming red in no time. Problem I have now is that the hard bricks were glowing all the way through and it started to really eat at my ytong blocks. The front of the forge is one ytong big brick and and I am not sure how long that stuff can hold out before it just crumbles. There are quite a few little cracks developing already. I have no pressure guage so I think I was really getting on it (turned the 30 psi reg all the way up and then backed off 5 full turns, no idea how much that is) but again, I can'tt tell what the temp was. I'm more presenting the fact that I am really glad I got it so hot than anythign else. Can I use some lava rocks between the hard bricks and the ytong blocks to add more protection? Will some ITC (or something else) help to preserve the soft bricks, like coating to preserve the hot face (is that the right term?)? I can add a couple more hard bricks for the opening but it seems like I'm going to burn through those unless I can get the heat under control. Man, this is so much fun!

Okay. Frosty commented on another topic for me and explained it in depth. I couldn't find any good explanations in one location so I had to ask about the bricks thing. I'm going to get some insulating bricks and use them outside the hard bricks, that should be a cheap alternative to ceramic blanket and refractory. Thank for the help.

Frosty, You Are Amazing. My brain hurts. I'll look at our nearby gartenmarkt and see what they have for supplies, too. Thanks again.

Zoeller's brick forge seems simple enough and I could use my hard brick inside the softer insulating brick. I can't find anything over here. The Germans don't have their shops all over the internet like us Americans. I couldn't find a shooting shop until last week when I kind of got lost downtown-I've been here for a year. I'll look for pottery places. Thanks!

Thanks for the help, fellas. I got the gas pron fig'rd out. Now I'm having problems gettit to forging heat. My forge has 180in3 and is made with bricks. I have no refractory or blanket and am not sure if I should put the blanket inside or outside the bricks. Any help? 2" of blanket will give me a 1" by 4" working area so that's a little out. I am using a zoeller sidearm burner and don't know if it's tuned properly. I'll work on it this weekend. I'll ask the Germans on post, that work at the boiler, iv they have extra blanket or refractory laying around...

Thanks for the help, fellas. I got the gas pron fig'rd out. Now I'm having problems gettit to forging heat. My forge has 180in3 and is made with bricks. I have no refractory or blanket and am not sure if I should put the blanket inside or outside the bricks. Any help? 2" of blanket will give me a 1" by 4" working area so that's a little out. I am using a zoeller sidearm burner and don't know if it's tuned properly. I'll work on it this weekend. I'll ask the Germans on post, that work at the boiler, iv they have extra blanket or refractory laying around...

I have a bunch of 4x9x1 hard firebricks, some vermiculite plates (8x10x1) and a zoellerforge mos sidearm burner. The back is blocked and I have a brick for the front to help cover the top half of the opening. I use two bricks for each side plus three for the bottom. The vermiculite plates are doubled for a top cover where the burner is centered. I don't have a pressure guage but my reg is a 0-30 Cajun. I have had it up and running, almost maxed out, but still can't reach welding temp. The chamber is about 180 in3. What am I doing wrong that I can't reach the correct temp? If it's a choke issue, I'll read up on how to adjust it. I have no refractory or blanket, but which goes where when I get some? I live in Germany and I can't find any ABANA folks anywhere near here. Supplies are uber hard to come by so I'd like to just make a large but from Coe or Zoellerforge or somebody to get it fixed. Should I put the blanket inside the bricks and enlarge the chamber or should I get enough blanket to cover the brick structure and the rigidize/refractory coat it? Really sorry, really new. I can't find a good answer in the forums but I'll keep looking. Thanks again.

Thx for the input. The folks on base aren't too helpful - installation is closing soon. I spoke with the local president of the Kontakt Klub and he can't find any good answers either. I'm going to approach some mechanics and see if they can use a dye to cut a rh coupler to oh threads on one end, that should take care of some issues. I gave the bayou classic adj reg and s blue rhino bottle, so that's not an issue. I was warned against using qd air fittings on my supply lines b/c they're not actually air tight. I hadn't thought about a swivel... I'll post with any more questions. Thanks again.

Okay gents. I am a noob when it comes to pounding hot metal. I would like to not be noob long. That's where you come in. I currently live in Germany where everything is the way it is and people don't seem to be too creative with some stuff. I am trying to build a gas forge in my yard but I gave hit a snag. None of the five hardware stores in my city have an extensive plumbing supply, so I have to order my ex burner pieces online - no kidding. The shops only carry propane supplies as prepared items, not cut-to-length hose and a large variety of fittings and couplers. Question 1: my reg is eh thread but I can't find propane hose without a lh thread (I understand why). Can I re-thread it a eh thread to fit my reg and use some hardening dope to seal it? Question 2: since the threads are lh and all normal plumbing stuff is rh, can I cut an end off and use an insert with a threaded end to hook-up my tubing for the burner? I would use a clamp to tighten the hose around the insert ( which looks like a rubber hose coupling - slides into the hose). Question 3: do any of you know anywhere in Bamberg, germany that I can find a blacksmith supply? I looked on Google maps, internet, phone book, it's not the same over here. The hardware stores all carry the same stuff. If I can't find the parts I need I'll have to go with a weed burner and try to adapt my adjustable reg to achieve welding heat. I need some help.