How do you get the gas to flow?

[Knife Guy]

So I built a burner to go in my forge but I'm at a loss to turn it on. It should be coming from the 10 psi part that screws into a Home Depot turkey fryer. I have that screwed into a series of fittings leading into a black steel pipe that I will connect to the forge. But my gas would not come on. Then I remembered the pin hole on the 1/8 piece and I assume it is some sort of safety thing but I don't want it. Can I just drill it out?

[j.w.s.]

Is that a thermocouple there? Assuming it is, thermocouples turn off the gas if there is no fire, but if there's no fire you're not going to get gas. Is there a button to push to make it manually flow? That tiny pin hole is there to help regulate the flow of gas. I'd start researching the parts you have there and learning more before attempting to hack together a burner from parts like this. Better yet, go buy a pre-built burner. Building a gas forge is great but it requires a working understanding of the entire workings, otherwise you're just building yourself a bomb.

J

[Jesse17]

Like j.w.s said, if that's a thermocouple that cuts off the gas if the flame is blown out, then it's not going to let gas though unless it's hot. If you can get a part to connect your gas hose directly to your other fittings instead of using that piece, that would eleminate that problem.

Then, I think you have a couple of other problems. The inside pipe with your pin hole in the end, needs to extend to somewhere around/just past the center of your air intake T. It looks, to me, that yours barely enters the end of your black pipe, then your air intake is a few inches in front of it. Plus, you'll want a way to adjust the inside tube in and out a bit to tune your burner to run right.

The other thing I've read is that while the regulator on a turkey fryer may let the gas flow out at 10 psi, the orifice is to small to allow the quantity of gas out that you need for the burner. I may be wrong on that, but I think I remember reading it a couple times.

[Charles R. Stevens]

There is another style of turkey fryer regulator that doesn't have a thermocouple and is adjustable. If you use a Jerry Frost "T" burner in 1/2-3/4" a 10psi adjustable frier regulator with a gauge installed down stream will work, better heat go to your propain supplier and buy an adjustable regulator. 

In the mean time, if you want to prove to yourself that we know what we are talking about, use a candle unde the thermocouple to see if the valve opens. Do not blow yourself up or burn down the neighborhood in the process, as I won't take responsibility for your safety. Just go a head and get the right regulator, search for "T" burner. Then if you do your research and build it right, "someone" may just help you tune it and provide other tech support.  

[Frosty]

I don't intend to offend but your contraption is a prime example of why a person shouldn't mess with dangerous things without knowing what they're doing. While I don't want to offend, I'd rather take the chance of making an enemy than see someone come to harm if I could have done something to prevent it.

Spend a while reading the gas forge section on IFI by a while I don't mean an hour or two, spend a day+ then pick a design you believe you understand and read it again. Once you have a handle on propane burners you'll know enough to ask good questions and  understand the answers.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Note the picture that represents Frosty, that is what you are trying to build. He built it, he knows his business. 

[Jim Coke]

Phew..   I was waiting for Frosty to chime in....   Knife guy ....  Take the advise of the masters....  It is in your best interest...  Just my 2c

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

[Charles R. Stevens]

Yea Jim. I didn't think "some one" could resist the bait. Lol

[Knife Guy]

Looks like I have some reading to do.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Been there, done that. No shame my friend. Some times the learning curve is steep. We honestly have some of the best folks here, and the archair smiths get shown up fast, most are not YouTube posers. 

To parafrais Glenn, sometimes you have to learn enough to be ignorant. But seriously do your home work. If your good, Jerry might even help you his self, lol

Edited February 21, 2015 by Charles R. Stevens

[Frosty]

Looks like I have some reading to do.

​

And it will be my genuine pleasure to help.

My IFI avatar is actually me forging a table leg at Metalmangler's shop, it's just brightly glowy and blacksmitherly so I thought it was a good one. Doesn't show my big belly either, better still. <grin>

The attached pic is my shop forge and T burners.

Frosty The Lucky.

Edited February 21, 2015 by Frosty

[Charles R. Stevens]

Make pizza in that thing?! Lol. Do love your monster.

[notownkid]

 

there is a lot of real good information here on IFI on gas forges and I'm sure many references to "If you don't know what you are doing, STOP DOING IT".

Many moons ago I worked for an Oil Company and a side line was delivering bottles of LPG and most generally the owners waited till they were out before calling, When we left a bottle we had to start what ever had shut down. I  knew nothing about gas and got about a 10 min block of instructions on what to do.  I went for months without eye brows, hair on my hands and forearms, and very little on the front of my head, singed a number of shirts and sometimes could go a few days without shaving.   

that is when I figured out if you don't know exactly what you are doing you are only going to add to the "BIG BOOM '"   Be real careful and the info from a home improvement store might not be all much of an improvement over nothing.    Don't know where you are but presume I'm far enough away I will not hear the BOOM of get hit with falling pieces of you or your shop.