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I Forge Iron

T Burner Illustrated Directions


Frosty

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Your flame isn't lean in any pic. Moving the jet that far in and out should make significant changes in the flame and it isn't. Pulling it all the way back the flame should be almost transparent dark blue. It is well shaped, the jet is remaining centered. It's probably too large. 

No, cleaning weld in the mixing tube has no noticeable benefit. Yes I tried, same for cutting out the threads and even tapering a coupler for a flare. The thread protectors work as well or better. 

I understand wanting to play with the burner but until you put it in the forge that is all you're doing playing around to no real purpose. The back pressure developed in the forge chamber will inhibit induction making your burners run richer. Period.

I only made one burner with an adjustable jet depth, the first T burner that worked properly and once I got it tuned NEVER moved the jet again, EVER. I tightened the lock nut and double nutted it so it couldn't move. Later I buggered the threads with a punch when I kept catching a student trying to adjust it. 

If you make the burner correctly the air fuel ratio curve remains very flat through it's stable pressure range. Making it adjustable is a waste of time, I can't even think of a metaphor that's as pointless to the final product. A HOT forge that doesn't scale the work. 

If you want to make an adjustable jet depth, fine it's your shop, your toy, I can't be of any real help though, have fun.

Frosty The Lucky. 

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You can't see it as well as you can hear how the flame changes quite a bit when I move the jet in and out plus the center cone changes from a very light blue to a much deeper blue as you move the jet in but yes, I know it doesn't mean much till I put it in the forge. Making the jet adjustable was just as easy or even easier than doing it your way and then trimming the jet, using stuff I had laying around. I figured that once I had it in the forge and tuned I would never move it again, that's why I used the small set screws instead of thumb screws as it would take a bunch of conscious moves to readjust it once the set screws are tightened so unlikely to happen. I think the 1/2" T is going to be screw adjustable as I just found a 4" piece of 7/16" UNC threaded brass rod in the back of a tool drawer that will make a perfect tip holder IMO. Now I have to start lurking on the casting forums to find a plan for a small foundry to power with it using the same refractory stuff I am going to use on the forge. I am going to pick up some .030 tips to try on the 3/4" also but no rush on that.

I think it's getting to be too cold here to do the castables and my shop is unheated so I am thinking I have till late spring to find and obtain what I need to finish the forge and foundry. I'm having a heck of a time finding the refractory materials all at one place to save on shipping and I can't find any kiln wash other than ITC-100 which I am learning on here isn't a kiln wash at all. Plistix and Matrikote seem to be unobtanium in Canada though my searchfu may be lacking. I read that you are using a DIY product but I forgot to note the page and thread where you gave the formula. I'll find it when I need it. I'll spend the winter finishing the designs/shells of both projects as far as I can and then figure out what I need to finish them and get it here for when it gets warmer. I still haven't gotten too deep into the forge I started building and am now considering one of your brick piles as being the best option for me. More reading needed on that, but as I now have a working 3/4" burner and will have a working 1/2" soon, I hope, I now know what I can power. 

Thanks again for all the help.

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Well, most home casters use a five gallon used propane cylinder for their furnace's shell. I normally suggest a smaller shell for a first gas forge, but if you also want to build a casting furnace, the five gallon propane cylinder can usually be picked up for free at most places that sell propane; this is because cylinders most be tested every ten years, to see if they can be legally refilled. There are usually old cylinders around that can't be refilled. they are happy to give them away.

The biggest difference between such tunnel forges, and casting furnaces are whether they are positioned horizontally, or vertically. So, an extra four legs on the shell's far end allows that. Than you also need to have the near end cut, and hinged back on, with a latch added on its other side, so that crucibles can be lowered into the furnace and pick up out of the furnace with special tongs. Lots of guys include A hinged door on the the exhaust opening end of the their forge, for other perfectly valid reasons. You will also want the inside surface of the far end of that forge to be perfectly flat; I recommend using a small round kiln shelf for the purpose, instead of cast refractory (it's just easier to get right). Instead of a smaller exhhaust opening, you drill an emergency spill hole in it, in case of crucible failure (at least 1/2" diameter). Instead of a flat forge floor, make the wall entirely round, and slide a rectangular kiln shelf in it for forge use, and leave it out for furnace use. Use two 1/2" burners (placed a third way between both for ends), instead of a single 3/4 burner. You shut down the top burner during casting, and only use it for forge work.

Simple, yes? 

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Crap!!!! Now you put more ideas in my head! I'm too old and my heads too full so stop.....just stoppppp:o

OK, I've recovered, don't stop. A lot of good ideas there and it started a whole slew of thoughts.

This is your burner thread so I am going to start a forge/foundry what to build thread so I don't hijack this one.

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 9/5/2022 at 1:28 PM, Frosty said:

I'm wondering how hard it'd be to make the T portion of the burner from copper. I'll have to take a look next time I'm in the corner HVAC/Plumbing supply. 

I was just ogling some pretty nice cast cup x cup x fip brass & bronze reducing tees today. Pretty expensive at the big box store, but under $10 on Amazon, and hopefully nicer to work with than copper. They already have a smooth inlet - the caveat is that copper pipe ODs are only 1/8 over nominal, so it's not really much reduction. 

Screenshots_2022-12-06-20-00-12-01_26.jpeg.0d274a1b3ae7835a60826979d1bcaaab.jpeg

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Hey Frosty, getting ready to put together one of your burners for a paint can forge and I'm reading over your directions. They say that the air port openings should be 2x the diameter of the burner inlet, but the openings on the example are only 1" vs 3/4". Or is it that the total opening should be at least 2x so two 1" openings is 2", more than twice 3/4"?

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