I bought a gas grill push button ignitor for my newly constructed forge. Its a blown burner and my question is placement. For simplicity, I am considering a spark plug for the electrode rather than what came in the kit as it has the mounting issues already addressed. (drill hole, tap, screw it in ) Where is the best placement for the electrode? Anywhere in front of the gas orifice, or as close to the burner nozzle as possible? My thought is to put it near the coupling at the burner inlet. Input??

Thanks, Scott

Edited April 19, 200917 yr by Dodge

there will be a higher temp exposure to that igniter than would be in a normal gas BBQ grill. so consider the melting factor before mounting.

The igniter that came with my NC forge still works after many years. I may be mistaken but it seems that the igniter is in a spot prior to where the flame is, once the ignition has taken place. The end result seems to be that the heat is not so hot where the igniter is sitting.

I could be wrong, that is just my humble observation. Gas forges are still a bit of mystery to me.

Can't answer the question but, your forge looks good. What's the little tin flap sticking out the side of air supply?

all the forges I have seen with built in ignitors have been in the burner tube just before entering the forge as you have said. there should be little heat there after the ignition as the flow will cool the ignitor.

I've seen both the standard BBQ ingitors and sparkplugs used. However the sparplugs have a better coefficient of COOL about them.

The flap lets you control the ammount of air so you can control the burn and atmosphere in the forge.

The flap lets you control the ammount of air so you can control the burn and atmosphere in the forge.

What do you do, push it in and out?

Yes. In reduces air flow for richer fuel mix, out increases air for leaner mix. Its crude but works very effectively.

Whats wrong with this picture? It sparks on the bench but won't ignite the gas. I had a shorter plug at first so I went to a longer one thinking it wasn't extending into the gas flow enough, but still no joy. Could the gas orifice be too close? it runs 6" into the tube so its only 3" or so from the plug. Too turbulent? Other thought I had was just not hot enough spark, although its designed to light a gas BBQ. Thoughts?
Thanks,
Scott

Assuming that every thing is correctly grounded your gas mixture may be wrong. Just because it burns does not mean that it will ignite with a spark.

Try going richer with a lower total velocity.

That's my thought too. Just try choking the air intake partially as you light it. Or just crack the gas on to light, that's how I light mine so as not to blow the burning paper out of it before it lights.

Frosty

Thanks guys. Forgot to mention; I've been trying to fire the spark in a totally choked atmosphere. Don't get any richer Also tried different settings of both fuel and air mixes. Figuring that there's too much gas, I even tried just cracking regulator (as well as attempts with higher pressure) As I said, it lights fine with burning paper in the forge chamber. Wonder if I tried a shorter gas tube that's not so close to the spark, or some sort of a finned diffuser in front of the orifice so its not a straight jet at the spark....or just buy one of those long BBQ butane lighters LOL Just frustrating having welded the fitting in and not getting it to work. Also still wonder if spark is hot enough?!?! I know its sparking as I get a little zap if I touch the top of the plug, but its not a "knock-you-on-you-keester" zap by any means...

I don't know, I've never even taken a close look at one.

Frosty

My only suggestion is to place a helix of perforated metal just before the igniter.

Start with min gas and minimum air. I'm suspecting your air/gas mixture is flowing just a little too fast and is not well enough mixed for the weak pizeo spark to ignite.
With all the air you blower generates you will not have trouble by adding a small mixer.

You could make some kind of alternative spark source but that is beyond my expertise. Maybe radio shack has something if you can find someone there that knows anything.

Edited April 23, 200917 yr by Charlotte
Add text

SUCCESS!!
After trying various shapes of helices, different positions of the gas orifice and different air fuel mixes, in the end, the only physical change I made was to the position of the orifice. The tube with MIG tip was cannibalized from one of my atmospheric burners used in my old forge. I shortened it so it only extended just past the air intake. Then, with the right air/fuel mix, POOF!! I was having trouble with the gas igniting inside the burner so I kept shortening the helix until I finally just tossed it. It still ignites inside the tube if the mix isn't just right so I have to shut it down, purge the gas and try again. Guess it

Alright, way to go!

Persistence pays off once again.

Frosty