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Leather Bill

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Everything posted by Leather Bill

  1. On the subject of swirl and vortex ,I wonder if there is significant difference between flame temperature of conventional air/propane torch and TurboTorch. I used oxy/acetylene when working in refrigeration while others seemed to do fine with air/acetylene TurboTorches. I also wonder if increased heat comes at expense of more fuel consumption. I wonder how difficult principle is to duplicate. Lastly i wonder why voices inside old men's heads talk about such things instead of tropical beaches.
  2. Some tips and advice are good,some are great and others like this are little gems.
  3. Thank you for offering Frosty,yes I would appreciate information such as mfgrs specs on flow meter acting as propane regulator for an oxy/propane torch. I've had limited experience with liquid and gas flow meters serving to record quantity but never in an application where it regulated flow to a torch head. I've had occasion to utilize manometers for precision measurement of vacuum and pressure but was never aware of need for such precision applied to torches. It would explain alot to find out cuts I've admired and never able to duplicate were done with precision equipment similar to what you are using while I struggled with what I thought was quality torch sets. I'll pass on asking you to explain the difference between BTUs and temperature, difference in heat output per cu/ft. of fuel gas between fuel air and oxy fuel burners. After dwelling in ignorance all these years about flow meter regulators for cutting torches, I'm not sure I'm ready to find out I missed the bus on that stuff to. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.
  4. This is the second time in as many months I've heard it said regulators sold for oxy/propane heating/cutting are unsuitable for forge burners and dangerous. I have used the same fuel regulators for torches (oxy/propane and air/propane) forges and weed burners over 50 years and I'm still here. One of the rigs in my shop today was first used on the farm in mid 60s and still going strong with a couple diaphragms and an O-ring here and there. I can't see any reason the dual guage,Harris regulator Frosty posted can't run most burners discussed here. The guage look's to show 60 psi and I've never had one with less than 30psi and never needed near that for a single burner. I'm further baffled by this. " The propane regulator on my All States oxy propane torch is a flow meter the output pressure maxes about 3ounces/sq/in. " That doesn't sound like it would run a jeweler's torch,much less torches 90% of us use in our shop. I realize many of us march to different drummers but I doubt that translates to burner voodoo.
  5. It's always interesting to see people accomplish something like this and now I will reveal how ignorant I am of metal work. In a home shop,would it be feasible to anneal,machine,harden and maybe temper rail in order to spare tooling?
  6. Some people alow medical science to use their body after they die,I went ahead and let them use mine now in hopes they discover a cure for what's going to kill me.
  7. Reading through this I had a few thoughts,some maybe not exactly applical to this build but related. If that butterfly on blower is origional I'd use it and lose the electric speed control until mfgr or motor shop says controler is ok. As for shutting gas down via solenoid in the event blower slows/stops. Draft induced gas furnaces have an air pressure switch,sail switch or other device to shut gas off. For those like Thomas Powers and I that scavange junk yards,there's always gas furnaces in them to rob. Safety measures/devices may not take a front seat when building the first or experimental burner but should certainly be on the short term to do list. Even redundant measures/devices make sense for homemade burners. Those junkyard furnaces have high quility safty valves in case pilot fails. The gas valve, thermocouple, draft blower,air flow switch and 24 volt transformer can save some $$ and up your safty if you can take them. While you are at it might as well grab the blower clamshell to vent the shop. Holeshot has a gas pressure regularor on the way but also mentioned having oxy/propane torch. Some torch regulators are capiable of enough volume to support small burners like these. If building a burner and already have a torch there's advantages to using it. The same regulator,hose,couplers,quick connects,flashback aresstors and backflow preventers can be easily switched between torch and burner plus are of high quility and reliability. Acetylene accessories work fine with propane with a couple caveats. Technically type R hose isn't approved for propane by some but have been used by many for years without incident. Most hose on shelf now is type T anyhow. The only reason an acety regulator might be limited is if it only registers 15 psi in the event you need higher pressure. Most regulators go higher than 30 psi.
  8. The best flea market around here is an annual event that started about 5 years ago and grows every year. Starting in a small village at daybreak, vendors are set to serve coffee and various other food and drink. A booth sells brochures and maps of the 40 mile drive on which sellers are located(booth proceeds go to non-profits). Sellers are set up in their yard or on roadside short distance from home. Lots of sellers bring out items to display and post a list of collections, large items and other things available but not displayed. Sellers that wouldn't spend time hauling things to central locations and the few that do never take everything they are interested in selling. Pretty much fashioned after neighborhood garage sales but includes many farmsteads and rural households that tend to have more strorage space,indoors and outdoors.
  9. I've used propane in many applications for decades including home heat,cooking and engines. I have used propane fueled farm tractors including one I bought in 1958 and still use. I've never detected wax,greasy or other substances inside hose,regulators nor orfices. That lead's me to suspect overseas manufactured hose and regulators as possible culprits. If rebuild kits for gasoline carburators is any indication I can say for certain quility control is sorely lacking. I've had carbs fail within monthes of rebuild. On teardown,soft parts were deteroiated. I've since put extra parts and fuel hose in sealed clear jar of gas and found some were damaged. A furnace or tractor engine consumes more gallons in a year than a forge of this size would in a life time. No research was done,just a thought. I'm not suggesting that equipment should be replaced but some may be able to save money and use higher quility by using gas welding hose and regulator. An acetylene regulator will fit and despense propane from a grill bottle. Before 1990 when RMA/CGA IP-7 standard was established requiring grade T hose for other than acetylene,grade R hose had been used by most shops regardless of gas and some still do. if a shop has a torch,the regulaor and hose can supply a small forge simply by installing a left hand thread to accomindate the hose. A used welding regulator,a leingth of welding hose and 3 fittings cost's about the same as a new propane hose/regulator set.
  10. At the risk of sounding ungreatful for your foward thinking Mikey,I don't believe the world is ready for your new version of PPE. I'll admit it could be intertaining but I'm afraid IFI could be shut down and you might be banned from the web if pictures are posted. Maybe just stay old school and reccomend kids use longer reins and wear an apron.
  11. I did poorly by not completing the name Thomas. Call it lazyness. Ted, sand box came to mind because I couldn't see how a "stem" could be attached as tool was shown in picture to have working faces on both sides. How did you anchor the block in anvil hardy hole without losing one or more swages? I like your idea but as I said above,I'm lazy and want you to work the kinks out before I try duplicating it. Lazyness also make's me want to use light hammer and few licks as possible and wondering if sand might help. Having swage in hardy hole is undouptedly preferable to a box of sand but I'm having trouble with how.
  12. In addition to tank size you must realize regulators come in vairous cubic feet per minute capacities.
  13. To keep it from dancing and firm it up under the hammer,how about sand in a steel box ? Might even weld a hardy on bottom of box. Alasticity and strength of concrete can be improved by subsututing junk latex paint for some of water. Fibers instead of or in addition to rebar might be a good measure.
  14. Mikey you and Frosty sure have attracted alot of people looking to gain credibility and profit from your efforts,. At least you can still reccomend people buy it after pirates did what ever it was they did with it. They have loused Frosty's up so bad even Frosty say's he wouldn't buy their versions much less reccomend it to others. s
  15. Have you considered step-down pulleys to slow down motor speed? Look at a multi speed drill press for a good system that can easily give you multiple,interchangable speeds. If a single speed will serve your sander or blower requirment,take a look at THIS calculator. For example using a 3"pulley on that 3450 RPM air compressor motor above and a 7" pulley on your sander will turn sander 1500 rpm.
  16. If you ask AmeriGas if it's ok to transport newly filled bottles in the fashion 90% of us do,the answer would be no. That's why most fill stations don't(non are supposed to) help customer load bottles in their car. As for explosion resulting from closing forge doors,it could occur outside forge as well. Considering past lawsuits where mfgrs were held liable for consumer mis-use and ignorance,propane is fertile ground for lawyers. Blitz gas can lawsuits come's to mind.
  17. I've seen people put gasoline in a Zippo,it worked so they dropped it in their pocket and went about their business. Before long the fumes blistered their leg.
  18. Clamps look like they can easily adapt to welding table and work bench.
  19. Jack really get's around,he once jumped over the candlestick and singed some hair off his legs.
  20. WHAT! First we had TPAAAT where the mention of looking for a decent anvil in any barber shop or garage sale between Phoenix and Ok City usually resulted in being told ThomasPowers already asked them to let him know if one become's available. Now he's at the gate when scrap yard opens in case something worthwhile came in the day before. If I rushed out every morning with such anticipation my wife would accuse me of seeing another woman.
  21. Yes,read the first 3 threads under Gas Forges which is the forum you are in right now. The titles are Forges 101 , Burners 101 and T Burner illustrated Directions. If you still have a question after reading each thread ask it there. After reading and asking your questions,follow the directions EXACTLY AS WRITTEN and ask questions as you go along to build your forge and burner. If forge doesn't reach welding heat you have my word that you will get all the help you need until it will. When you see what is involved you will understand why all the neccessary information doesn't need to be reposted for each individual that starts a new forge and burner. Best to you and looking foward to haveing you here at IFI for a long time, seeing your work and hearing your ideas.
  22. Pat,regarding air/acety torch,I have one I used for years soldering copper water pipe. When I built my propane forge burner,I realized I could build a smaller burner for soldering pipe and haven't used the air/acety since. Take a look at the small propane burners Mikey desighned recently. I've also been using oxy/propane for several years. On the rare occasions I need gas welding I still use oxy/acety. I got away from acety when all the mom and pop welding supplies were bought out by corp companies like Air-Gas that don't want hobbiest business. If you decide to buy an air/fuel torch,Turbo-Torch is the best but cost near what a small oxy/fuel set up does.
  23. I thought some might be interested, confirm or reject my ID of piece. Look's like a knife guard from a hay mower sickle bar. I cringe when I recall how much stuff I saw go to recyclers post wwII as tractors replaced mules. I wagger that wagon wound up in the water when boys pushed it off the hill just for entertainment. Not that i have first hand knowledge of such mischief.
  24. After that tutorial on using the floor flange I have to agree there's no reason for using anything other than iron pipe and fittings. I have seen the flange mentioned for alighnment but never understood how. I visualized the nipple connecting flange to tee both while alighning and drilling. I must agree it's "silly easy" and therefore other fittings would be more trouble than they are worth. "Well that xxxxxx Cuban cigar got me riled up" ,otherwise I would have grasped it first time around.
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