Iron_Will

The orifice size on the MIG Tip in the first pictures was way-oversize (like ~ #50 over-sized) which of course was why the flame kept lighting in the tube...WAY TOO MUCH PROPANE moving TOO SLOW out of a orifice that was TOO LARGE resulting in much REDUCED VENTURI PERFORMANCE...I knew it was too big but my curiosity got the better of me and made for a pretty cool picture but the configuration was useless for any forge. First Forge Trial: Broached out a new MIG Tip to about a #76 and smoothed out both ends of the pipe along with the inside of the FRONT 1 1/2" - 1" Reducer. It would not stay lit in open-air and I took that as a good sign and then set it up in the forge and began. Compared to the 3/4" Mako-Style burner I was using, THERE REALLY WASN'T A COMPARISON TO BE MADE: Using the same size orifice, the "Trailer Park" Hybrid was able to exceed it in every way cutting the "room temp-to-forge temp time" literally in half while running at 30 PSI. It was able to IDLE down to almost 3 PSI and I briefly pushed it up to 40 PSI but beyond about 30 PSI it's just a waste of propane. I tried a lot of different angles and lighting to capture the inside of the forge but as can be seen, the light was just too bright & intense. So how did it do? This is a solid 1" X 1" piece of 1018 taken from room temperature to beyond critical in just under 10 minutes. I stopped the forge just after seeing the sparks coming out the exhaust and that the steel had started to melt.

Well thank you Sir, that's mighty kind of you and I shall look get word to you before I'm back up that way again!

Howdy everyone, thanks for having me. I'll get right to it: I watched a lot of movies and with a vivid imagination and an interest in history (military in particular) from classical antiquity to the present, I thought I would build a working forge, buy an anvil along with some tongs, hammers, etc and start by cranking out an "expedient" sword like Ehud from the Old Testament... ...and here I am about 2 years down the road with nothing to show but 2 coal forges I built that could actually weld and an experimental "modular" propane forge that I'm getting extremely close to welding temperature and a very humbled ego. (It's not so easy finding blacksmiths to study under in or around San Antonio, TX) Laugh if you want but may my folly be a light with which another man lights his own path. I love the science and physics behind metallurgy and am continuously amazed by the knowledge and ability true Blacksmiths possess and seek to eventually obtain that with which I revere. Will Brown Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2006 And now for the "Bonus": Unlike many who join a forum only to make their post a request for information vs. a true introduction, I chose to endeavor to BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE instead of merely ASKING TO EAT FROM IT. My latest burner experiment with my own version of a poor man's hybrid burner: A Venturi-driven 1 1/2" chamber 6" in length with a short 6" barrel with tons of excessive adjustment available. I literally had just fired it up last night for the first time running the choke completely open using a MIG Tip with far too large of an orifice for entertainment. And now my pictures are here for your amusement as will be any note-worthy revelations as I come across them. P.S. I am at a loss to explain it but @ 30 PSI, this thing "BUZZES" just like a German WWII V-1 Buzz Bomb and has to be heard to be believed.