Frosty Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 I think stability warnings have been issued so I won't. Is there a reason you built it so tall Matt? Just below chin level is . . . crazy too high in my experience and I don't know of anybody with one even close. I'm looking forward to seeing pics of it running. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 On 4/14/2016 at 9:12 PM, WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.c said: and as Matt did about chin high so that I can look straight into the forge without having to squat, etc. Frosty, you must have missed this part of my comment. Actually, In my travels I see most forges set that high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 8 hours ago, WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.c said: Frosty, you must have missed this part of my comment. Actually, In my travels I see most forges set that high. I must've, I miss a lot. Chin high? Wow, live and learn. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 I've never run a gas forge so this may be completely off base but wouldn't having your forge mounted that high run a serious risk of burning all the hair off of your head? I think Thomas Powers mentioned doing a demonstration where he singed the hair from his arm by passing it in front of the opening. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted April 15, 2016 Author Share Posted April 15, 2016 Thank you all for the great help! Now I will feel much safer using this forge once I mod it a bit. I made the doors today out of 2.5" soft firebrick. This reduced the inside of the forge from 12" to about 6.5"-7". My only concern is that I don't have a big enough space open for an exhaust. The front open is about 1", maybe a little more. I may make this a little bigger though so that a railroad spike can fit entirely into it. The back port half round is a bit over 1" long. Is this sufficient enough? Also, about how long will these firebricks last before I need to replace them? The last thing before I run it tomorrow is that I have read that putting Teflon tape on parts near the burner is not safe. My burner screws into a bell reducer and then onto the rubber hose. Can I put the Teflon tape on the hose end that screws into the bell reducer, or is that still too close? Thanks Sorry, the pictures uploaded sideways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 Use only metal piping to the forge in any area that will get hot or even warm when the forge is running. Did you get your stability issue resolved. It should be a priority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Matt, I'd be more worried that the rubber hose would melt than the teflon tape on the fitting next to it. I think I'd have done the front door a bit differently. I'd have a "shelf out in front that you could sit the bricks on. that way you can configure the bricks in different configurations to change the forge opening. Lets use 2" x 4" x 8" bricks as an example. One brick on each side in the 2" direction up, and one on top and your opening could be 2" high and anywhere from 1-6" wide. Turn the 2 side bricks the other way, and now your height would be 4" high and you can still adjust your width. Also if need be, because they are out front, if need be, you can remove and replace bricks to put stock inside. Say you have a heavy chunk of steel for a sledge you want to forge. Stick it in the forge, then close down the opening to build up heat faster. then take your tongs move the brick out of the way, and pull out your material. Work it and put it back in, closing the door again when ready to reheat. This is usually how I see doors on many forges done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 Yeah that would be a good idea. My thought was to put the bricks inside so that it will reduce the volume of the chamber. I do have enough room on my stand for when I get more bricks. As far as the stability issue goes, I will hopefully get to that tommorrow. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 I went to light the forge this morning so I can tune my burner. It kept going pop, pop, pop, and it looked like the flame was trying to ignite but it couldn't. You can see a blue flame kind of trickling and trying to ignite. I cut my mig tip about halfway, and I don't want to take any more becuase this didn't change the problem at all. To ignite the forge I held a barbecue lighter in the front and turned on the gas at around 5 psi. I also tried lighting a piece of paper and putting it in the forge. None worked. Is it the way I am lighting, or is it something wrong about the burner? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 Well, it seems that the popping noises were probobly only from the wind. The mig tip was about halfway between the top and bottom of the tee. I couldn't really get a good sense of the flame color since the wind was blowing the flame, but what I do know is that it heated up my forge and there was orange dragon breathe which I know is what I want. At around 8 psi I was able to get 3/8" up to orange in about 4 mins, and at 13 psi the steel can get up to yellow. im not sure if I need to tune my burner at all anymore though, maybe at dusk I will run it and see what the flame looks like. There was also a bit of oxidation on the steel. Well, all that I cared about is for the forge to work, and it did. Now maybe just some more final tuning and it should good. Note that the pictures are not as bright as they appear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 Hi, The gas forge I have made is going to be used in the outdoors. The only issue is that if you have just a little gust of wind, your burner doesn't work properly. So I was told that a windscreen would help. Can any of you guys give me an idea of what a windscreen should look like? Can it be just a tarp setup or does it have to be inside of a type of a tent? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Looking pretty good Matt. With the orange dragon's breath scale won't be forming IN the forge. There's nothing you can do about it forming once you pull it out. If you can get yellow heat I think you're good to go. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Frosty is of course wrong: if you work the metal in a hard vacuum or a purged Argon/Helium/pretty much anything but O2 containing atmosphere it won't scale after it's taken out of the forge---getting the forge to run is an issue. Experience helps you to really speed up the forge to anvil to hammer to forge cycle that cuts scaling way down. I tune my forge for the job; knives reducing, large mild steel work *hot*; etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted April 21, 2016 Author Share Posted April 21, 2016 That's a good tip, thank you. My main issue is that the forge can't get up to yellow. It could be small breezes and I need a windshield, but it could also be that my office isn't dead center. I'll have to see on a dead wind day or once I get a windshield figured out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darious Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 Could also be an issue with the air to propane ratio going into the forge. do you have a way to regulate levels of each on your burner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 29, 2016 Share Posted April 29, 2016 42 minutes ago, Darious said: Could also be an issue with the air to propane ratio going into the forge. do you have a way to regulate levels of each on your burner? Welcome aboard Darious, glad to have you. Way to jump in with advice, how much do you know about burners? Know what kind of burner Matt is using? The volume of his forge? How it's lined, insulated or no? It's good you want to be helpful but do you have the knowledge and skills to be? Have you read the gas forge and burner sections of Iforge? Youtube, FB and such social media "experts" have kept Matt from getting a proper fire going for quite some time now. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darious Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Frosty You are right in mentioning that I don't have a lot of experience myself and that there are a lot of variables that I don't know. I don't use Youtube or FB for my studying and research as I never know the credibility of the sources. My suggestion of the Gas to air ratio comes from my research here and in BladeSmiths Forums based off of a lot of reoccurring posts involving getting up to and maintaining heat levels with a propane forge. If the advise is wrong please let me know as well because it is something I have flagged to monitor when I make my own gas forge in a month or so as well. Forging Carver My information comes from my own research into the issue. Make sure to verify it with someone who has a lot more experience then myself. As well make sure to post the result as I am interested in seeing what the fix is myself. Thanks everyone in advance for all the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I tend to get snappy when folk give advice based on too little info. I'm serious about not wanting folk to stop being helpful but I'm trying to up the bar on advice. Matt's been wrestling with building a functional burner while keeping himself overwhelmed with ideas from all over the web. We've been trying for months to get him to ignore everything BUT one set of plans. I have quite a bit of time and effort invested in him by now so I might be a little over sensitive. No, your advice is correct but in so general a manner as to be meaningless in this case. For example someone says "my car won't start." and while a mechanic is trying to find out what's wrong someone suggests, "the carburetor might be too lean or rich." While true enough what does it have to do with a specific situation? I'm not giving you a hard time I like it when people help each other, I'll often put a couple students together at the anvil and let them problem solve. I stick around to prevent serious errors but generally leave them be. But if there are 50 or maybe 40,000 people in the class you can't let a couple students do the lecture. Like a lot of us old timers I want to see as many people involved in the craft as I can and I want them to be as good as possible. Holding the confusion to a dull roar is getting harder all the time. So, what are you making and what do you want to make? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forging Carver Posted May 15, 2016 Author Share Posted May 15, 2016 To be completely honest, I did follow one set of plans the whole time through. I watch YouTube for enjoyment mainly, get some ideas, and maybe learn a bit from notable smiths. I don't even have a Facebook, don't see a need for it. It was my first forge, it can get up to almost yellow, but I was hoping maybe it could get hotter. That's alright, the next forge will be better. Thanks for the help Darius and I know you are right that the air ratio in a burner can affect how the firge runs. I know that from my own research and experience as well. That was a very good tip. Don't let anyone discourage you from trying to help if you know what you are saying will help. That's why we are here. The forum isn't dedicated to just a few people, so I am glad to have help from all if it will help. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darious Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Can you send me what you have so far as well as pictures. The one you have right now is good and will work it just needs a few minor adjustments. As well send me pics of your burner. Including how you built it. I think I can get it to welding Temps for you without too much work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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