Looking for suggestions for my coffee can forge

[Trilliumforge]

Hi Folks,

I've made a very small forge in an old coffee can. It uses a swirl torch (http://bit.ly/MMiI94) for a burner, and is filled with ceramic blanket insullation. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for improvment of this forge (so "get a new burner" or "throw it out" doesn't really count). I find that if I shrink the inner space to about 2-3" diameter, I can get an orange to bright orange heat on 1/2" square, but it takes a little while. It's not bad all in all, but I'd like to see if I can get a bit more heat out of it. Any suggestions for internal arrangment, positioning of insulator, firebrick vs blanket, angle of burner, etc?

Here's some photos:

http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9723.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9724.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9725.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9726.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9727.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9731.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9733.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9737.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9738.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.co...os/IMG_9739.JPG


Here's a quick video of it in action:

[media=]

Thanks!
Sean

[pkrankow]

Smaller pictures please! I am on a high speed cable modem and they are taking quite a while to load. 800x600 convey most of what people are interested in, 1600x1200 is OK too.

Make a front door so you can shrink the opening down considerably. This will let the forge heat better, as the IR energy will get reflected back in instead of heating your workspace. A second layer of wool all around, except where the brick is, instead of just halfway will also help by reducing the volume and improving insulation.

Asking that little torch to heat 1/2 inch stock is a lot to ask.

The back door isn't doing you much good, but I know it is needed since the thing is so small.

My 3/4 inch burner is in a 150 cubic inch cavity, just for reference.

Phil

[Rich Hale]

No need to throw it ouit or start over at all.....lol..But would you agree that it is quite like putting a llawan mower engine in a full size harley chassis and expect to drive around at normal speeds?
Wot I am saying is yoiu may have a item thta works,,,does it do wot you wish it did?
If you spent time making a proven forge design would you now be heating metal like you should?

[WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith]

Paint the wool with Plistix.

[Trilliumforge]

This stuff, or something else?

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/latex-ite-91m-30ft-pli-stix-permanent-crack-filler/994397#

I updated the files to make them a little easier to download.

[WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith]

No look at www.WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.com under forge supplies. $10.00 per pint.

[Trilliumforge]

Would drilling out the air holes on the torch help get more oxygen, or would that just be a good way to get no more torch?

[pkrankow]

Would drilling out the air holes on the torch help get more oxygen, or would that just be a good way to get no more torch?

quick way to a junk torch.

A roll your own wool stabilizer/IR reflector:
30% kaolin clay
70% zircopax
mix dry (100grams fits easily in a qt paint can) mix small batches to thin milkshake consistency with water and dab on with a small brush.

If there is a ceramics supply house near you it will be cheap. I have used Columbus Clay to get materials like this.
http://www.columbusclay.com/

However if you need shipped plistex is cheaper. ITC100 is the "industry standard" but is much more expensive.

You either need a much smaller cavity for your burner to heat, or a larger burner. You can source burner plans here on IFI, Ron Reil's website, or order a kit from someone like Zollerforge.com

BTW, where on the planet are you, someone might be nearby who can help you in person.

Phil

[Trilliumforge]

Hi everyone!

Forge update: I picked up some kaolin and zircopax from a local pottery place (in Kitchener, Ontario), and plastered the inside of the forge. Using the same torch, I was able to get a hacksaw blade up to a welding heat! Not muich, but hey, its an improvment. I ran some tests with a 1/4" square s-hook I had made way back when, and here are the time/colour results:

1 min: Mostly red
2 min: orange
3 min: bright orange
4 min: orange / yellow.

Again, not crazy, but should be good enough for heat treating, small jobs, and annealing copper. Any other tweaks you guys could recommend? Can't think of what to do for a door... but would a door help?

Updated photo:
Updated video: http://youtu.be/VCJ9N0P68sQ

SEan

[pkrankow]

Well, easiest type of doors are a brick pile. Soft fire bricks are probably better, but common hard fire bricks are fine, and much more durable. Stack them up so you have a smaller opening for your task, re-stack as needed. If the door is less helpful than you expect you have bricks for placing hot things on.

Since it looks like your forge is rather tall you can use a cinder block or some other means to gain height, just choose a thin enough cinder block that it doesn't get heated up directly or it will crumble.

For what you want to do I think you have something useful. It might be able to heat 1/2 inch in reasonable time, but that still would be heavier than you would want to work in that forge.

Phil

[Trilliumforge]

Quick Update: In an attempt to foolishly push limits, I tried welding in this forge.... and got it! I got a very light weld on two pieces of quarter inch, using Iron Mounting forge welding flux. I didnt really forge it in, but the weld was strong enough that I was able to pull the two bars apart without breaking the weld, and I had to do a fair bit of yanking to get it to fail. Who would have believed it?