Andrzej Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I have been forging for about 10 years with home made equipment. I have gradually perfected my kit over the last few years. One of the features I have had trouble with is the air blast. A tuyere from teh bottom though traditional and engineering wise fairly easy to achieve was a constant problem due to blockages with clinker. A few months ago I tried a side tuyere with a sacrificial iron tube. It melted. I tried a kiln brick bored down the centre - melted. An engineering brick also melted. So I copied a design for a water cooled tuyere and after several days of arc welding to get it water proof along the seams I tried it out. Astonishingly it works like a dream but I am conscious it may not last. Has anyone tried anything else? Just in case my welds don't hold or rust through A titanium tube has been suggested - has anyone tried a titanium side tuyere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsberg Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 If the water cooling doesn't work try a copper tube. Sounds insane I know and although I havn't tried it I read in an old book that the copper tube is supposed to last a lot longer then cast iron ones for a side blast. The copper is much more reflective and so absorbs a lot less heat via radiation as opposed to the iron. The copper also has a much greater capacity for heat transfer so the tip stays much cooler. One other thing you could try is to pack ashes around the tube, those who have tried this with steel tubes say that the tube burns back to the ashes, then stops there. Caleb Ramsby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scampbell Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I have a water cooled side blast and it works like a dream! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I made a water cooled side blast from 6mm plate at college (in 1994) and it is coming to the end of its life only now!! the cast iron bought ones can last a lot longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Military forges for field use up till at least the 1880s around Europe and the U.S. tended to be side blast forges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I have been forging for about 10 years with home made equipment. I have gradually perfected my kit over the last few years. One of the features I have had trouble with is the air blast. A tuyere from teh bottom though traditional and engineering wise fairly easy to achieve was a constant problem due to blockages with clinker. A few months ago I tried a side tuyere with a sacrificial iron tube. It melted. I tried a kiln brick bored down the centre - melted. An engineering brick also melted. So I copied a design for a water cooled tuyere and after several days of arc welding to get it water proof along the seams I tried it out. Astonishingly it works like a dream but I am conscious it may not last. Has anyone tried anything else? Just in case my welds don't hold or rust through A titanium tube has been suggested - has anyone tried a titanium side tuyere? Welcome to the site, wherabouts in England are you situated> In response to how long it will last, you don't give any information with regard to the material sizes you used. What I can say is that at Westpoint we use this style of tuyere, the front plate is 12mm thick, and welded to standard wall tubing, and pipe (3mm wall outer tube 5mm wall inner tube) These have been satisfactorily working for over 12 years now. in fact the canopies (16swg or 1.5mm) need attention as they have rusted through (just this month coincidentally) but the tuyeres show very little signs of deteriation. We are holding a Forgein and bring and buy and barbecue weekend on August 21th and 21st at Westpoint, free on site camping for the weekend, if required, for futher details see www.blacksmithsguild.com Look us up in the Groups section for some past events and what we get up to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highwayman Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 We have used the same tuyeres for the last 10 years in my shop in PA for commercial forging for 8-10 hours a day, every day. They are just welded 3/16" plate and still just fine. The bosch tanks on the other hand are about rusted through. I know Vaughn's in England sells cast tuyeres for huge amounts of money, but I don't thing they are really necessary. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrzej Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 Thanks guys this is amazing my first use of I Forge and all this information within a day! Its given me more confidence that the side tuyere will work. To answer a couple of questions - I'm in Hampshire England and I have looked at Vaughans and the thought of spending over £500 on a tuyere drove me to make one. I have attached a photo of the tuyere and the forge which is made out of a dead oven (thus stainless steel). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Thanks guys this is amazing my first use of I Forge and all this information within a day! Its given me more confidence that the side tuyere will work. To answer a couple of questions - I'm in Hampshire England and I have looked at Vaughans and the thought of spending over £500 on a tuyere drove me to make one. I have attached a photo of the tuyere and the forge which is made out of a dead oven (thus stainless steel). Of course that should work. What are the OD' and ID's of the tubes involved? If you live in Hampshire, get yourself to the New Forest Show 26th, 27th and 28th July and have a look at the blacksmithing on show and taking place there. Loads of contacts and some of the best UK blacksmiths will be there. I am going to try and get there myself on the 26th, so may see you there if you ask about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 On Ebay at the moment is a new side blast forge, 24"x 24", water cooled and fitted with a hood, air pipe is 1.5"dia Some usefull information given in the listing re side blast forges, Buy Now Price is $599US. Look under blacksmiths forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Museum and Collector Specialties makes and sells a "air back" to make a side blast forge http://www.museumandcollector.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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