WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith

Sorry Frosty, I meant if the burner was mounted tangently (more or less level with the flame coming in across the top of the forge and swirling around the inside of the forge for more even heating and less hot spot) rotating the burner 90 degrees so that the two legs are up and down so that a breeze coming across the burner would not be directed directly into the burner. I had no intent of modifying your burner. Also, with a burner mounted tangently there is less problem with the chimney effect of heat "chimneying" up the burner and deteriorating the burner. I also always close the baffles on my burners when I turn the forge off to further limit this chimneying or drafting of heat into the burner.

I have my pressure gage on the regulator which is on the propane tank several feet away from the burners and forge. The Frosty T burners that I have seen always seem to have the T sitting horizontally. I wonder if turning the burner so that the T is vertical would have an effect on the breeze problem.

When you get the mig tip be sure and get a Tapered tip. I have had students come to me with a burner that they had built and that would not burn well. All we did was replace a standard tip with a T tip and it worked perfectly.

What is the difference in a curtain rod and window treatments? About $500.00.

You can use Plistix or Metrikote in place of the ITC-100 for a lot less. Self promotion removed. If you just wish to share information, you should post it here, rather than at off site places.

I think that the thought of ratios comes from the power hammer comments above and some have taken it out of context,

Frosty, as I told John when I met him at a BAM conference, "If you don't want to make a bunch of knives don't ever make the first one, and if you don't want to make a lot of Damascus don't ever make the first billet". He has again proved my adage. BTW, doesn't do nice work for a guy who said, "I don't make knives or Damascus. I'm a blacksmith."

Rashelle pretty well covered it. If you have your finger or thumb lying on top of the handle, don't do that! Rashelle was pretty well describing the "Hofi" style of hammering. There are probably some videos on YouTube where Uri is describing this and other techniques. Also see "Tom Clark" and "Ser Sedan"

I use 1" of Inswool, 1/2" of Kast-0-Lite and then paint over the casting with either Plistix or Metrikote. I do the floor in the same manner. The Kast-0-Lite is resistant to flux. After forging all day long I can reach up and touch my forge shell without getting burned. The Inswool, Kast-0-Lite and Infrared Reflective top coat are keeping the heat inside the forge where it belongs. When I built a forge for a student from a 20# Freon bottle after the casting had cured I put in a piece of 1" square and timed it to forging temp. It took 11 minutes. The next day I painted the interior with Plistix, then put the same piece of 1" square and again timed it to forging temp. This time it took 6 minutes. I think that this means that if you use an Infrared Reflective product you are going to use half as much gas, get twice as much work done, at the end of the day be twice as tired, and go in the house and drink twice as much beer. Let me know if I can help you.

Check out my web-site then send me an e-mail if I can help you. I may be able to answer some questions.

Frosty, I can ship you castable refractory in Flat Rate Boxes at reasonable shipping rates, even if you are in Alaska. Let me know if I can help you.

I suggest that you cast the floor. The hard fire brick is a heat sink and the soft brick won't hold up to the heat inside the forge. The soft ones serve good as doors and a place to put hot iron on. As my tutorial indicates, I suggest that you cast all the way around over 1" of blanket then paint the Plistix or Metrikote over the casting. I believe that the main difference between the three IR products is that ITC-100 is about $75.00 a pint, Plistix is $10.00 a pint and Metrikote is $15.00 per pint. As was mentioned earlier the IR products have not strength and every time you touch the wall, floor or roof you will poke a hole in it. If you will cast with Kast-0-Lite over the blanket then paint over that with Plistix or Metrikote you will get a good, long lasting, efficient forge. Otherwise expect to spend more time repairing than you do forging.

Thanks for the good words Vaughn. Readbeard (or anyone else needing help), you might want to look at my tutorial on my "Forge Supplies" page on my web-site. If you have questions that don't get answered there please feel free to e-mail or call me.

Big Blu has recently come out with a nice 275# double horned model at an attractive price.

A treadle hammer is not a power hammer and a power hammer is not a treadle hammer, but then a 3 pound hammer is not a 10 pound sledge hammer and a 10 pound sledge hammer in not a 3 pound hand hammer. You may be able to accomplish the project with the wrong tool but it is best to use the correct tool for the correct job. I have both and use both and would not be without either.

But do you need 25 foot? I sell it by the foot so when you only need a couple of feet a re-seller is much cheaper. You can send me a PM or check out my web-site.

Soft brick work well for doors and a place to put down hot iron while getting a new grip. They do not hold up well to the heat inside a forge. If you want to drill fire brick for a ribbon burner use the hard brick.

I have what you need.

Try Tractor Supply.

Big Blu now has oversized flat dies.

I think that when you get bitten by the bug and beat on hot metal you are a blacksmith. When you get bitten by the bug and forge blades you are a bladesmith.

Asheville has a very active blacksmithing community. Check out NCCA. You can go to www.abana.org then click on affiliates, then affiliates list. Plan to come to the March meeting at the Oak Hill Blacksmith Shop in Morganton, NC. We start getting there about noon on Friday for the big party. I then spend the night in the shop and am ready for the meeting the next day. In some years there have been 10 or so people camp in the shop.

The Metrikote nor Plistix have any strength. If you paint it over the ceramic blanket you will poke a hole in it every time you touch it with a piece of metal. I suggest casting over the blanket about 1/2" thick then paint over that with the Metrikote or Plistix.

Yup, and be glad to see you.

It looks like a Small Flat Rate Box (which will hold up to 3 Pints of Metrikote) is $5.80. Send me a PM for further information.