johnptc Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 i am new to gas forges. i am setting up a vertical propane forge. it has a front and rear openings about 3x3 inches. they are existentially pieces of sq steel tube. in my first run to really cook the satanite i noticed the steel tubing gets quite hot ( a little color). is this normal ??? certainly seems reasonable given the hot gases flowing by. should they be covered with refractory cement or ??? to protect them in the long run ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Oh yeah, anything in contact with the fire is going to get HOT. If the openings in your refractory liner are steel tubing they will burn up in short order if your burner(s) are working properly. I'd use refractory for sure. However, I'm not exactly sure how your openings are and may be misunderstanding your description. A picture or two would cure that immediately and I could come up with a more creative answer. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnptc Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 (edited) picture coming up thanks Edited June 6, 2009 by johnptc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Yea, That surround around the door is going to get HOT! ITC makes a product ITC-213 that is designed to coat metal. I have not used it, but from what I have heard, it works pretty well. It is designed to reflect the heat off of the surface and not allow the metal to soak as much heat. You may want to try that, but I think it is a little expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnptc Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 thanks i just saw on the web.......... wouldnt take much says it sticks to metal !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 My vertical gasser is pretty similar design to that. My door openings extend into the shell by maybee 1" (its got 2"+ of lining in there so its not 'into the fire' I used box section like you have, poss 3 or 4mm thick. After 12 months the bits stuck into the forge have started to burn away a bit, but its all still sound outside. If im running the forge at anything near welding temp. the whole area round the door comes up to a dull red heat. Ive never bothered with coatings etc on the shell. No matter how nice you make a forge look it allways ends up looking like a bag of nails after a few hard welding sessions :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 (edited) For future reference. The less steel you put around your forge the better off you are. Just enough to meet the minimun structural requirements to protect the refactory is preferred. I have a forge that is sheathed with galvanized duct work sheet that has never reached a high enough temperature affect the galvanized coating. You may find that the shell of your forge will get quite hot. The paradox is that a light gauge sheet will remain cooler to the touch and because there is less mass it contains less heat energy to burn when touched. Edited June 6, 2009 by Charlotte spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnptc Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 thanks all......... my coke forge is all brick.no worries. the is a ellis vt12 forge, as i am pretty pressed for time and didnt make one from scratch. i just am concerned that the sq tubes will get damaged from the heat if i dont cover them on the other hand if they were there it might not be a loss.........i dodnt have any propane experience so there will be a learning curve ( i hope:) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Hmmmm, Im from the build em heavy school of thought. When your cack handed with the welder like me you can still get your burner inlet and doors welded in. A lot of moisture get trapped between the lining and the shell, you see it steam out each time you heat it up. To thin and its going to rot through pretty quick. thinner might not get as hot as a heavy forge shell, but Im not going to be touching it anyway so it doesnt matter, to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I worry about deaf and active innocents around hot surfaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I worry about deaf and active innocents around hot surfaces. I keep them out of the forge! , fact is a thin shell is going to get plenty hot enough to give you a nasty burn aswell :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Actually mine doesn't but the construction is radically different than yours. Insfire brick lined with motar surrounded by 2 1/2 inches of blanket inside a galvanized steel box. Welding heat for two hours and you can lay your hand on it for 15 seconds before it is too uncomfortable. We have two different objectives. I only weld occasionaly and yours is pretty much geared to welding frequently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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