Mt. Krakatoa

[Admanfrd]

I recently finished my brake drum forge (can't get ahold of 50g drum) and it shoots sparks like a volcano, hence the nickname mt. Krakatoa. Does anyone know how to stop this?

[jmccustomknives]

Didn't say what your fuel was.  Charcoal has a lot of "fireflies", there isn't a whole lot that can be done. <_<   What is your air supply, try cutting it back if you can.  What's the bottom of your drum look like?  Did you use one air hole? multiple? or a grate?  The latter  or a version there of is prefered.

My drum forge can shoot up a 3' flame (got too much air), but at times I need all the heat I can muster. B)

[ThomasPowers]

Sounds like too much air to me. especially if they are using charcoal.

 

As it stands this post reads like "Why won't my car  start?"

[Admanfrd]

Thanks. Grated bottom, charcoal, hairdryer.

[ThomasPowers]

Way too much air!  Charcoal needs only a light breeze to get it blazingly hot!  Works well with bellows; to use a blow drier you need to waste probably 90% of the output.

[Admanfrd]

Thanks. Does anyone have a link on how to put a dimmer switch on a hairdryer?

[DanielC]

Try using a ball valve with a Tee. Hair dryer on one side of the tee with the ball valve on the exact opposite side open about 90% of the way. The remainder side of the Tee goes to your forge.

[Frosty]

Try blocking ONE side of the intakes, don't block both sides the motor relies on the blower for cooling. There are other methods that work well, like aiming the blower so the air only hits part of the tuyere pipe. A gate valve in the air lie works well too.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Admanfrd]

The last time I restricted the airflow my hairdryer burst into flames :/

I think I'll just find a bid about dimmer switches.

[Charles R. Stevens]

You can get a 4 gang box, and wire in a dimmer and a combination switch/receptical. The switch/ receptical can be jumperd so you have on/ off and dim all in one package. Ad a cord and all you do is plug it in to the wall, and plug the blower in to it.
I use o foot reostate from a sewing machine.

[Dodge]

I don't know a lot about electricity but seem to remember something about dimmer switches and electric motors (one certain breed; brushless? or with brushess??) not playing well together. For long anyway...

[Charles R. Stevens]

At 10$ at Wally World it's worth e the experiment. I have a comersial hand held I liberated from my mom, 30 years ago, and I bet it was 15 years old then. Some of the cheap ones will run on DC or so I've been told. I like ac heater blower moters and clothes drier blowers as well.
I like a momentary switch, as a dead man, I don't like the fire growing wile I'm not at the forge. Old automotive foot starter switches work well, but the sewing machine foot switch is easy, just change out the end that plugs in to the machine.
I'll pick up one next time I find one at a thrift shop or on well at waly world. And see if I can kill it.
I do know that the foot switch from a newer machine has a circuit board.

[BobL]

The last time I restricted the airflow my hairdryer burst into flames :/
 

 

I agree with DanielC. In my limited experience I found I can get much finer control by letting a blower run at it's most comfortable speed and setting up an extra outlet and tap or flap that enables excess air to be spilled rather using a dimmer or restricting inlet or outlet flow. 

[Admanfrd]

An air leak? Interesting. I thought he meant a valve. I'll try that. Thanks AGAIN for the ideas

[ThomasPowers]

When I would switch off fuels  I would remove the cap on the ash dump when I went to charcoal to cut down on air to the tuyere.  Having a foot switch saves a lot of fuel!  SWABA even has them installed on their coal forges.

[arkie]

Admanfrd,

 

Depending on what type of plumbing you have on your forge (I have 3" black iron pipe) you can make a simple blast gate to control the air.  Just use a pipe connection, cut slots on both sides with a hacksaw or sawsall, slip into that a piece of scrap sheet metal with a hole cut in it to match the pipe ID.  Rig up some method to slide the valve in and out.  You can have great air control at very little cost and don't have to wire up rheostats, controllers, foot switches etc.  Here is a pic of mine before adding the fart fan blower, gate hardware and weighted ash dump.  BTW, the $15 fart fan provides my forge with ample air.

 

Added another pic....with the fan connected.

[divermike]

Arkie, thats the way to explain the solution, I was getting ready to do it, but yours is done so well I need say nothing further about it.

[Admanfrd]

I was thinking about drilling holes in the T joint where the lower cap screws on, depending how far I open it, more or less air. Thoughts?

[DanielC]

Best way to explain is with pictures. You can adjust the amount of air leaving through the ball valve. There is no restriction on your air supply. This is a common method used in iron smelting furnaces if you look at the various pictures of people running them on the web. There is no reason this cannot be employed in a forge.

[arkie]

Arkie, thats the way to explain the solution, I was getting ready to do it, but yours is done so well I need say nothing further about it.

 

Here are some detailed pics if anyone decides to go that way.  You figure out how you would slide the gate.  I just made a hanger out of scrap and control it from the side.  With the fart fan, I normally run it between 1/2 and 1/4 open.

[SierraBladeAndTool]

Why dim it?  Try just not fitting it snug to your air supply pipe.  This would be 'leaky'... and therefore... cut the push of air...

 

Thanks. Does anyone have a link on how to put a dimmer switch on a hairdryer?

[ThomasPowers]

for charcoal putting it 4" away from the pipe and not pointing directly at it is more the method.

[Admanfrd]

I actually found a plug in lamp dimmer that works GREAT. now i have total control over it. 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Credenza-300-Watt-Plug-In-Lamp-Dimmer-White-TT-300H-WH/100001525#

[the iron dwarf]

your hair dryer will be blowing out hot air normally, unless you have a switch position for cold.

restricting the flow with the heat on is bad and will cause it to overheat as will slowing down the motor, first disconnect the element or better still remove it if possible then as long as you know that the type of motor it has can be used with the speed controller you have you can use it more safely or you could restrict the flow if you want but dont shut it off or the motor will get hot.

[Admanfrd]

heater disabled.

 

I thought ahead