nonjic Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I thought I would share a few pictures of my vertical gas forge. I use this primarily for welding stacked billets for damascus (patternwelding) The design is based loosly on those shown on Don Foggs website. The beauty of this style of gas forge is the gases get a full burn in the forge (not out of the door as with many horizontal forges). This means that they run HOT In this design of forge the workpiece is held 'mid air', not sat on the forge floor. so workpieces are usually welded to a piece of re-bar or similar as a handle. This way your billet is not sat in a pool of melted old flux / refractory etc. The construction is very straight forward, old gas cylinder (read all the other threads on using gas cylinders as forge bodys and make your own informed decision), top lopped off and a couple of pieces of box section welded in for the door apatures, and a piece of tube for the burner port angled so the flame swirls at the bottom of the forge . You can use a blown burner, or verturi. I run mine using a home made venturi burner. This one is lined with a couple of inchs of Thermal Ceramics Wool with rigidiser. Refractory cement 'floor' and a couple of inches of wool under the lid. These forges do run very hot and I regularly melt linings, so ive switched to 1700 degree castable (longer heat up time but much more durable) This is the most gas efficient forge ive built. At a good welding heat it uses 1.5 - 2 kg of propane an hour ( 30 ish hours from a 47 kg / 100 lb tank) Any questions and ill try and answer them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I also think verticals are the best for welding. Nice job there, John! I'm in the process of building another vertical with a pipe vise attached so I can weld cable without removing from the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
781 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Just returning from Batson's Knife Symposium One of the demonstrations was Steve Swartzer and Wally H. building a vertical gas forge. He used a forced air blower that could easily slip off any of his forges and slip onto a bigger one he already had built if necessary. That way you only had the cost of the burner once for several size forges. He used a castible bottom (AP Gren Mizzou I think) and kaowool lined sides and top. The top was not welded on but a plate sitting ontop. This was incase you added the gas before the fire and it had a place to vent instead of detonating. The wool was lined with Satanite Said it would get to welding temp in about 2 minutes. fdHe also had a bean can forge with a map gas torch from Lowes that could weld small stock Saw Glenn walking around but did n ot talk to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 THAT's what I'm talking about!! I saw your "heater" in another thread on damascus. VERY impressive. Looks freakishly hot!! Nice work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAFTBENDER Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 That burner looks like the design from the Michael porter book. I built my 3/4 inch burner from the plan in his book. What size hole is in your jet tip? Mine is .030 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 I also think verticals are the best for welding. Nice job there, John! I'm in the process of building another vertical with a pipe vise attached so I can weld cable without removing from the fire. If you ran a piece of 1" stainless tube through the forge, and put your cable through that (with the gaps at the end plugged up with a little insuwool) you wouldnt need flux either!!! :cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAFTBENDER Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I also think verticals are the best for welding. Nice job there, John! I'm in the process of building another vertical with a pipe vise attached so I can weld cable without removing from the fire. Since I live close, I'll get a first hand look when you finish your vertical forge, Bruce. You'll be the first kid on your block to have one. Ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 Good spot on the burner, its based on porters design ! I think its a 0.040" tip in there The lid of the forge isnt welded on. Basically I cut a 1 1/2" band from the cylinder, then welded it round the outside of the cylinder forming a lip that the lid sits * in *. the speed I burn through linings access is required pretty often (and when steel melts it cuts through most linings!) The other main reason for a removable lid is you cant discount the chance of dropping the billet in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junksmith Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I like the sign on the side. "Contents MAY be hot":D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 And just becasue photobucket is open a couple of pictures of the burner (F16, coz of the noise it makes lit!) and just because its a nice photo (taken on my phone so just lucky it looks nice) a photo that as a patternwelder I call 'Anticipation' - all the hard cutting and stacking works done and the funs about to start :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 I like the sign on the side. "Contents MAY be hot":D made me chuckle for a bit, health and safety dont you know (course it burnt off after about 10 mins!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Very Nice John!!! Thanks for shairing. Thats some hot fire! Your using one 1" burner? Wow! I am also in the process of making a set of the Micheal Porter/Hybride design burners. Hope they look as good as yours when I'm done:D I picked up .045 mig tips at the local (only) supplier the other day. I'm fearing they may be a bit to big for one inch burners... Any thoughts? I'da bought .040 but they didn't have any:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelson Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 John, Excuseme if I appear to be ignorant about damascus welding, I am in fact. The question is: when will you know the billet reaches weld heat inside the SS pipe? Guess SS gat to be very red hot so the inside piece is about that huh... Nelson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAFTBENDER Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 And just becasue photobucket is open a couple of pictures of the burner (F16, coz of the noise it makes lit!) and just because its a nice photo (taken on my phone so just lucky it looks nice) a photo that as a patternwelder I call 'Anticipation' - all the hard cutting and stacking works done and the funs about to start That burner is absolutely beautiful! That flame doesn't look anything like the one coming out of my burner. Mine is blue. Are you using propane? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 yup, its propane,. might be pulling in some dust from the air maybe? might be some IR washout on the phone camera? - but i have noticed that when you get a really complete, vicous, hot burn you get some dancing (colour) on the end of the flame cone like that! Nelson, Ive never tried welding cable in a tube. Ive welded swarf up in a 'can' though, and ive just made sure that the forge is running hot, and given the can full of swarf a reasonable soak time (based on experience from welding stacked billets, which require a soak time depending on mass) You cant really look into a gas forge at full welding heat without damaging your eyes, I wear a pair of no.3 shade safety specs which let you see any cold spots in the forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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