natenaaron Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 This info is probably here somewhere but for the life of me I can't find it.Some forges have the burner directly above the metal. Some have them directly to the side of the metal. Others have them at around 20-30 degrees off center on the top. Why? Does it really matter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 It can make a difference but a lot is personal preference. The flame heats the forge liner and the hot liner transfers the heat to the work via IR. Aiming the flame directly at a wall causes a hot spot there with the rest of the forge cooler. Work in the forge can cause a heat shadow again making heat uneven. Not a big deal really but it can make a difference if you're heat treating finicky things say knives.Aiming the burners to make a vortex circulates the heat more evenly in the chamber for a more even chamber temp.You need to experiment and find what you like best but if you let the chamber come to a good heat the flame direction doesn't make so much difference, it's just keeping everything hot.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I have a circulating flame set up and like it very much as I still have a hotter side and a cooler side and can place work to my advantage in it---eg recently we were heating some 1" sq stock and some 1/4" sq stock. Turned up the propane and put the 1" stock in the hot spot and was able to heat 1/4" to working temp without it melting...(yes I have melted steel in my propane forge; which makes me wonder when folks tell me propane forges don't get as hot as coal forges...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsteve Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 I have used a few different gas forges ( including those of a well known knife maker ) each with the burner angled to supposedly get the circulating flame, however it just creates a hot spot on one side of the forge and cooler spots elsewhere. I guess that can be useful? Although I tended to find it annoying with multiple bits of metal in there at one timeI just built a gas forge an have the burner vertical as I figured That I'd rather heat the metal than just the side of the forge. But like Frosty said you need to experiment to see what you like. Gees, thought I had more posts here than that... Sure of it, been a member since 2011. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 And then, we have flames from ribbon burners, which completely change the ol ball game; I like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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