Naroe

It's a 1/2 inch burner but it came with the 6" pipe. Which is why I replaced both the end and the pipe. So according to the 8x rule 4" should be a good size! I wasn't making too many random changes just for the sake of changing things hah When I run it again I will definitely do as you say and monitor and make notes for when it runs well! Only making small adjustments each time. I really appreciate your help/thoughts Frosty! Nathan

I initially tried the 6 inch burner with a coupler on the end but it sputtered too much. So I bought a 4 inch pipe and with the coupler on the end it would be 4 1/2 inches. It works super well! I had time to fire it up last night (5pm) for half an hour and the burner tube got warm but nowhere near as hot as the old pipe+weird end. I was only able to use it for half an hour because the neighbour started shouting abuse about the noise. So my next project is deadening my ringing anvil haha I've bought silicone and plan to add layers between the floor and wooden stand and the stand and the anvil. Magnets made a massive difference initially as well.

Excellent! I'm actually learning heaps more from this than I would have if the burner was perfect from the start. So in that way it's been good. Thanks for the good replies! Ive already bought some slightly different lengths of pipe and a coupler or two to try out. I'll do some more testing next week once my engagement party is done and dusted after tonight!

Interesting to know John. Corin has them on his knife making website as a forge burner. No mention of handheld. 0. I called them initially for advice before starting my forge build and they offered nothing I already didn't know. But enough of that. Here is a picture of the top it came with. The 1/2" burner tube screws into the smaller end. Would a connector to a short 3/4" pipe work as a flare? Would a small step like that cause a slow in the flow speed for a flame to sit at the end? I also have a metal lathe that I could make something up with a taper. 1:12 ratio I've been reading. Not sure on the length though if my burner tube is already 6" long. I should have just made my own burner haha

Thanks for the suggestion John. I may just do that but to be honest, ordering this and a couple other things wasn't very smooth sailing so I am reluctant to bother him.

I fired the forge up for an hour and a half just now and the burner flare started to flow red hot by the end. I have it sticking about 1/2 inch into the 2 inches of insulation. I tried running the forge at slightly lower and higher pressure but the burner pipe is still hot at half way up the 6" length. If anything the higher pressure just made the burner flare hotter. I tried running the forge from 6-10psi. Which is when it's roaring loud. Here's a picture of the closest I could hold the burner tube to the forge.

I tested out my forge again today and I made small adjustment as you said Frosty. And I think it seems to be running well I just need to use it more and get used to how it runs. I was also reading somewhere that the sound of the forge will change at the point where the mix is pretty much neutral. There is a point where it really roars and then slightly past that point it rumbles a bit more. Does that make sense? A couple more questions. The hole in the insulation for the burner tip is the same size as the outside of the burner or should it be the size of the inside of the flare tip? Or even taper out the closer it gets the the chamber? There is a tiny gap around the burner flare, about 1/16 of an inch. Would it run better if I stuff something in there? The burner gets too hot to touch a long way up the burner and is cool about an inch from the gas nozzle. I probably had it running hotter than I would for normal forging this time though. Sorry about all the questions but I like to do things properly. Thanks Nathan

Thanks heaps for the replies! I'll be back after some testing then! One thing at a time in tiny adjustments.

hmm seems simple enough! The main reason is I had heard that having the forge running a bit richer means less scale forming on a knife blade. Is the flames coming out the front that much pretty normal? The lowest temperature I can get inside the forge is 1700°F. Which I guess I won't be heat treating in.

Hello everyone The last couple weeks I have been building a little gas forge. It uses a 1/2" burner I bought here in Australia. I used 9" round pipe and lined it with two layers of ceramic fiber insulation and hardener. The forge chamber is 4 and 1/2 inches across and 8 long. When I tune the burner it works perfectly at 1-30psi. It all looks to be going well when I put the burner in the forge however when I reduce the oxygen with the choke the burner starts sputtering. At lower pressures the huffing sound is longer between huffs. At higher pressure it still does it but much faster. I'm wondering if my chamber is too small and causing backpressure? Because when the forge gets up to heat there are quite large flames out the front. Maybe 6-8 inches? Ive been doing heaps of reading through this forum and am struggling to find an answer. I've attached a few pictures which hopefully upload. Thanks for your time!