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T Burner Illustrated Directions


Frosty

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0.023" MIG contact tips isThe thing about  0.023" MIG contact tips is thatthey have been around so long, and are made by so many domestic and foreign manufacturers that there is no such think as quality control; their through holes are supposed to be 0.031" diameter, but can be as much as  0.033".

The thing about 0.025" MIG contact tips, which are suppoed to have 0.034" through holes (and do)  is unscoupulous online sellers often send you 0.23" MIg contact tips in their place. Forewarned is forarmed. If you want to have control of the gas hole diameter, buy your tips at a welding supply store; not online.

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Ditto that! Also be aware that different machines have different threads in the mig gun so the tips may have something you didn't expect. UNLESS you take a nut with the desired size and threads with you when you pick them out.

Frosty The Lucky.

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18 hours ago, Mikey98118 said:

0.023" MIG contact tips isThe thing about  0.023" MIG contact tips is thatthey have been around so long, and are made by so many domestic and foreign manufacturers that there is no such think as quality control; their through holes are supposed to be 0.031" diameter, but can be as much as  0.033".

The thing about 0.025" MIG contact tips, which are suppoed to have 0.034" through holes (and do)  is unscoupulous online sellers often send you 0.23" MIg contact tips in their place. Forewarned is forarmed. If you want to have control of the gas hole diameter, buy your tips at a welding supply store; not online.

With the labor problems we're having up here I probably know more than any employee at the local welding store:-( The last time I talked to one of the "kids" they have working there he thought the hole size was exactly what was stamped on the tip and he thought they all had the same thread pattern. He now knows as much as I do, which is still very little!

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On 10/25/2022 at 1:03 PM, Frosty said:

You're welcome. Does that mean you'll be building a bunch of burners now? :rolleyes:

Give a shout if you run into a problem.

Frosty The Lucky.

I'm building a couple for sure and I do have a question for you. When you trim a mig tip is it to make the gas nozzle shorter to spray gas differently and/or a different amount or is it to move it's face back to allow more air into the mixture? I'm sure I read the explanation somewhere but it's just too much knowledge going into an already too full brain!

I just finished a 3/4" head with an adjustable (in/out) mig tip and the results have me a little mystified as to what I have accomplished, lol. I will post pics and video, if I can figure that out, later today. I think I saw one like it in this thread but I can't find it now so maybe it was in Burners 101. I did go to a 6" nipple on the 3/4" and the burner really burns nice now but of course it is not in my slowly being built forge yet.

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I don't mind an ignorant sales person if they are willing to admit to their ignorance and are willing to learn from their customers but..... you're right, the other type is a real curse because their customers don't necessarily know the salesperson is ignorant and take their word as gospel, very scary!

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Trimming the mig tip is to adjust combustion air induction. The farther back from the "throat" (beginning of the mixing tube) the more combustion air is induced and leaner the air fuel ratio. 

I've changed a few things since the first set of plans I posted here but that design works fine. If you followed the pics  using a lamp rod and locking nuts it would from before the first plans I posted. It's adjustable while it's burning even but finding a cap for lamp rod to thread for a mig tip is way too much hassle to be practical. 

I made that burner work and posted pics a number of places, "theforge. list," here I think and elsewhere. It worked well enough to melt a couple guy's projects while they were talking about how you can't weld in a naturally aspirated propane forge. 

The improvements are mostly in ease of construction and performance consistency. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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Okay, I remember this build. It's nothing like my first. Having all that junk connected to the jet makes it REALLY difficult to keep aligned straight down the mixing tube. 

Just a couple STILL pics of it burning please. Videos are almost always a waste of bandwidth and rarely stay in one spot long enough to see what I need to evaluate the flame. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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On 10/26/2022 at 2:21 PM, Mikey98118 said:

0.023" MIG contact tips isThe thing about  0.023" MIG contact tips is thatthey have been around so long, and are made by so many domestic and foreign manufacturers that there is no such think as quality control; their through holes are supposed to be 0.031" diameter, but can be as much as  0.033".

The thing about 0.025" MIG contact tips, which are suppoed to have 0.034" through holes (and do)  is unscoupulous online sellers often send you 0.23" MIg contact tips in their place. Forewarned is forarmed. If you want to have control of the gas hole diameter, buy your tips at a welding supply store; not online.

Are you using tip cleaners to measure the tip ID's? I tried and if I'm right and used them properly the holes in my .023 tips are around .036 or so. The forth smallest cleaner (68-66 IIRC) fits right in and the fifth (64-62?) only goes in to the file section and stops. I don't have any # drills under #60 so all too big for this. 

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The .023 tips I bought back when measure around 0.029-0.031 I use feeler gauges. Did you mic your files to see what dia. they really are? I was taught to fit the file to the torch tip and treat the size marks as suggestions not true diameter. My last welding class was more than 50 years ago, things have probably changed. 

If I have to chase a tip out it means I can't open it with tip files and I get another one. I avoid drilling deep holes in copper, especially just skimming a few thou. It's a good way to snap bits.

Frosty The Lucky.

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As to using tip files as drill gauges; I use them with the same attitude Frosty suggests, because (just like everything else) quality varies widely today. I hope and trust that you are mistaken about your tips actually being 0.036" inside diameters, but cannot rule it out. The problem is that so many of these tips are imported. This doesn't mean that their manufacturers did a sloppy job. However, most of their importers play silly games :angry:

If you have a good pair of digital calipers, you can get a much better idea what actual through-hole size are, by using the wire files.

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There's another point I forgot to mention. The marked Dia. on tip files is the file section, not the smooth wire guide you insert first. And seeing as you are using the guide, not the indicated file to determine mig tip size you aren't even close.

No, I have dedicated feeler gauges for measuring holes smaller than my mic or calipers can. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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following this thread i have learned plenty. i am looking to make a new forge and saw the vaulted design discussed a few pages back wondering what the recommended height would be with a 3/4 frosty t-burner I am thinking maybe a 3" inside radius thus a 6" floor and 8" to 12" deep.

M.J.Lampert

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I found the wire gauges, I actually have 2 sets and I now know the .023 have .031 holes, the .030 have between .035 and .038, and my .035 are a perfect fit for a #57 drill bit .043

Pics of the burner

10PSI tip all the way in

UIbTOfh.jpg

all the way out

DA7pRL0.jpg

 

20PSI all the way in

kNhPW3M.jpg

and out

f4ixUl9.jpg

 

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I understand that, you can see the forge to be in the background, this is just some first burns to see if it works plus, you know "NEW TOY!!!!!!!!". I am building a 1/2" T burner to use for a couple of projects and will probably be used sometimes outside a forge or foundry.

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Tell me a little bit about that angle grinder, please?

The burner still needs a little tweaking, but you are on the right tack, and I believe it will be a good one when its done. The flame is both a strong flame, and running rich ringht now. What that means is that with a little more work (larger air entrances and/or smaller MIG tip) it will be a monster.

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It's just a Mastercraft, Canadian Tire house brand, 4.5" with rocker switch. I wish they made a paddle switch version. 3 year OTC warranty so I get a new one from them every couple of years;)

I am really happy with the burner, I can't wait to finish the forge gut I have to scrounge up some more supplies for it first.

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