beast Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 alright i keep trying but i'm having problems i'm still new to this but i read a lot first lets start with the forge: it's a standard brake drum style 3" depth 12-14 inches in diameter i have a bathroom vent fan as a blower ( it was free) its about the same pressure as a hairdryer im using a blend of coke and hardwood charcoal (charcoal on the bottom seams to increase the heat a bit)i've tried just charcoal and just coke but the blend seems to be about the best now i have a color chart and i seem to be getting the heat to about 1600-1700 degrees (nice red color) but cant seem to get the yellow or higher what am i doing wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 The problem is one of three things: 1:Not enough air holes too small or spaced to far appart over too much area. 2:To much restriction for the design of the blower. Bathroom vents are designed to work on essentially free air. Hair driers work againt the restriction of heating elements and attachments. 3: fuel not piled deep enough. There is an Industrial heat gun that looks like a red hair dryer. It makes a great forge blower for not much money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Browne Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 I agree. Sounds like an air supply problem. Try opening up your tyuere with some more/larger holes. Either of those fuels can burn steel very easily when you get it right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beast Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 all right ill try some more holes but how deep should the coke pile be? right now im piling it about 4" deep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Most beginners answer the problem of not enough heat by increasing blast. That isn't necessarily wrong but could be. Try getting a deeper fire and cleaning out any clinkers as well as increasing blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 all right ill try some more holes but how deep should the coke pile be? right now im piling it about 4" deep. Twice as deep is not too much. I typically use a 20 oz paper drink cup full of paper and kindling to start my coal fires. I cut out the bottom, light paper at the top, put the burning end over my tuyre, pile coal as high I can around the cup and turn the air on at low speed. By the time the cup and kindling are burned out the fire is going nicely with out much smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beast Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 i don't know if that brake drum will hold 8' safley but what the xxxx right. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick L. Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I would think you could easily burn steel in a 4" deep fire with the fuel your using. I have done it with the coal I'm using and not intentionally. Your blower might be stalling against the resistance of packed coke / charcoal in the pot. Bathroom blowers move quite a bit of air but at low pressure. A hair dryer will blow your hair right out straight. Bathroom exhaust fan is designed to be low pressure / high volume I think. Just a thought. Dick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beast Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 right before i light it up its blowing air through the coal no problem but i think ill hook my small shop vac to it (in reverse of coarse) and see if that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 A shop vac will be waaaaaay too much blast! I was actually going to suggest that your problem might be that you have too much blast as it is. It's possible to blow the heat right out of the fire, and with an unregulated shop vac you certainly would. If you're going to use a shop vac you need to add some sort of valve between the shop vac and the firepot in order to regulate the blast. You're also likely to get very sick of the noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 You can usually find blow driers at 2nd hand shops for a buck or two and they work just fine. You're not getting enough pressure from the vent fan. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordcaradoc Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I typically use a 20 oz paper drink cup full of paper and kindling to start my coal fires. I cut out the bottom, light paper at the top, put the burning end over my tuyre, pile coal as high I can around the cup and turn the air on at low speed. By the time the cup and kindling are burned out the fire is going nicely with out much smoke. I love this. I was taught to set a brick on end on the Tuyere and pack with coke, then pull the brick out and pack the space with tinder and kindling, but this is self contained and I could even make up a couple for ease when I want to forge after work in the evenings. Outstanding! Best regards, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beast Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 i have 3 commercial heat guns (really big hot hair dryers) you think those would be to powerful ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordcaradoc Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 i have 3 commercial heat guns (really big hot hair dryers) you think those would be to powerful ? Now beast, I know it seems desperate, but even with three commercial heat guns, you won't be able to get enough heat to forge weld. That is why we use Coal/Charcoal and Propane. Best regards, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beast Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 allright i tried the vac its a small vac 1/4 hp handheld one and it was defintitly the problem with the vac i accidently melted the steel but it was deffinetly hot enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 The big heat guns will be strong enough air blast to drive you forge. Keep the heating element turned off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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