Charles R. Stevens Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 Metric easer to divide in half than fractions? 3/4 becomes 3/8, 3/8 becomes 3/16, 3/16 becomes 3/32… we get base 12 from ancient counting systems that count the philangies of the fingers instead of the digits. Thus one finger is one threw three, two fingers are 4-6 etc. the other hand then gives us multiples of 12 wile the thumbs give us multiples of 144. Further 12 is evenly divisible buy 1,2,3,4,6 and 12 wile 10 is only divisible buy 1,2,5 and 10. as to heat loss, like a hat, we only loose more heat from our heads than the rest of our bodies when we are wearing otherwise warm clothes, we only loose more heat out the ports when we contain the flame and insulate the forge body… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewoon ik Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 It is only 1inch insulation. You get what you pay. But at this moment, there is still plenty to improve by baffles. And to the metric vs ansi system. You can say 20 (or more) arguments for one or the other. You are used to a certain system and use that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 I use either, being taught both in school and used both in the service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 Charles, there is evidence that some early humans/cultures used a base 8 numbering system. You get this if you count from your pinky to your index finger with your thumb and then back to your pinky. I can't give you a reference. This is a factoid I got from you late wife, Martha. Years ago in the Society for Creative Anachronism there was a subgroup of "Dwarves." You had to be at least 6' tall to be a dwarf. They counted to a base 7 system (because of the 7 dwarves of Snow White). Merry Christmas. George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 24, 2022 Share Posted December 24, 2022 All systems are fairly "by fiat"; so I try to not get upset by them; poods per arpet works for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted December 24, 2022 Author Share Posted December 24, 2022 A lively discussion. And Merry Christmas to you too, George. May we all have an interesting new year; with more jokes please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted December 28, 2022 Author Share Posted December 28, 2022 Lots of well meaning people are buying low priced entry level gas forges to warm up their chilly shops, and provide their kids some thing fun to do this Christmas. This is a great move, BUT, while most of them are actually worth what you pay for what you get...its a hundred bucks not a thousand. So, you will need to do some finish work and pay maybe another fifty. Don't worry over the added expense. You will make the money back in fuel savings before summer. What you gain in added safety could be worth far more. Use a small bag of Kast-O-lite 30 for the forge floor (you can buy it through IFI or a knife maker supply store online). Or a use a small section of high-alumina kiln shelf from the nearest pottery store. Use a small bag ofPlistix 900 to coat all of the ceramic wool blanket; it will last much longer, and so will your health. Remove the brick that comes with your forge, and place it over the forge's rear entrance; not the forge floor!!! Buy some hard firebricks to use as a movable baffle wall between 1" and 1-1/2" away from the front forge opening. Have a merry and SAFE winter holiday season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted December 30, 2022 Author Share Posted December 30, 2022 Hanging motors and flex shafts: Why buy a separate flexible drive shaft, when they are cheap or even free as part of some rotary tool offers? Most rotary tools are designed to run at 35,000 RPM; running at lower speeds heats up their motors, damaging the thin layer of varnish used as electrical insulation on motor windings. Flexible drive shafts are designed to run at 23,000 RPM or less; running at faster speeds heats them up, damaging the plastic sheathing that the flexible shaft spins in, and the connections between the spring shaft and its ends. Like tiny in-built speed control circuits, rotary tool flex-drives are just another sales gimmick; a bad idea. You can waste all the money and time you wish trying to deny this fact, but in the end, if you want a happy ending, you must start from the right beginning. If you want the advantages of a flex drive, buy the real thing. Foredom isn’t the only manufacturer of hanging rotary motors running flexible drive shafts. There is much more torque entering the flex shaft than a rotary tool that has a third more speed, but a lot of that power is still lost to the shaft’s spring, so choose a model with a ¼ horsepower motor. You also want the hand piece to have a keyed chuck that accepts up to ¼” shanks; mounting stronger mandrels provides serious grinding/cutting power for bigger parts (ex. heavy wall pipe, steel angles, and sheet metal equipment bodies); some motors have a foot operated variable speed control that allows a speed range between 500 and 22,000 RPM; some others use a dial control, or no variance at all. If you’re a sculptor or wood carver, a foot peddle is a fine idea; but its wasted on steel work. You want a flex shaft that ends in a cylindrical shaped hand-piece, which you can easily mount a side handle to, for surface cutting. These tools have large DC motors, which are quieter than the small high-speed motors found on small hand tools. Flex drives, even when mounted on hand held rotary tools, must be hung from a hook, and handled carefully to avoid kinking their flexible spring shaft. Nobody wants to spend a small fortune on tools, while trying to build a forge or furnace. But there are flex-shafts that weren't designed to be mounted on Foredom style motors. Someone came up with a better mouse trap; flex-shafts for mounting on large drill motors; they're even better when mounted on drill presses. Large drill motors usually only have one speed; The larger the drill the slower its speed. Once you’re drill motor has sufficient power, your flex-shaft will be running way too slow. Drill presses can change speeds by changing belt positions. If you already have a drill press, this kind of flex-shaft costs less than a rotary tool. There are several versions of them on the market. The various models come and go. Note the manufacturer’s rated tool speed, and don’t exceed it! Below is the one I chose; by the time you read this there may be better models marketed. The lower RPMs needed to keep your flex drive healthy may need to be offset with larger diameter accessories to keep them running at optimal surface speeds. Always grease a new flex shaft before using it. Always use all three holes in progression to tighten the accessory in it. Eyech Drill to Flex Shaft converter for $28 with .3-6.5mm (0.012” - ¼”) keyed chuck is designed to be mounted in a small bench mount drill press (or drill motor), letting you do a lot more than just drill. Pay attention to costumer’s complaints, and be prepared to adjust your tool. If the chuck comes loose from its mandrel, coat the two parts with some muriatic acid mixed in water (never pour the water into the acid) before putting it back on. Diluted muriatic acid will cause the two surfaces to rapidly rust tight together. Use plastic gloves, full sleeves, and plastic goggles to keep any splashes from touching your skin or eyes. Follow all recommendations on the container! The Chicago Electric motor and flex-shaft gives you the most tool for your money at $45. If there is a local Harbor Freight Tools store to purchase it from, and return lemons to, this can be a workable choice; otherwise, not. Be prepared to disassemble and lube the shaft with special flex shaft grease, before running this tool. Watch a video or two (on the Web) about flex shaft procedures and maintenance, before trying to run one. It is amazing how many people blame the tool for problems, because they assumed that buying one, and plugging it in, was all they’d need to do for it to run correctly—wrong! Pay especial attention to using all three holes to gradually tighten accessories in position (one, two, three, one, two, three...to tighten). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Should you tune the burner in the forge, or out? There are two schools of thought about fine tuning your forge's burner. My I say }out in the open air," and Frosty says, "do it in the forge." Before we each march forward ten paces, turn and fire... it's natural for the betting bystanders to ask "who is the better shot?" However, there is, in fact, no dispute. My burners and some other models are deliberately designed to produce very hard flames. "T" burners are deliberately designed to produce soft--yet very hot--flames. So Frosty burners are effected by a forge's back pressure more than harder flames are. There is no 'best way' to tune such different flames; only what is most appropriate to the equipment you're dealing with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 I'll have you know Mike; if we ever cross paths it'll be breakfast and bottomless coffee until we have this resolved! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimw3326 Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 I'll apply a little thought practice to this. With a forced air, it would be more akin to a jet engine and wouldn't need the same level of back pressure as a NA engine which needs the back pressure to burn effectively/efficiently. I haven't studied Mikey' latest design to see how much it relates to a jet engine (maybe a scram jet) but I would think it could benefit from a bit of back pressure. JMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 Too late Frosty, you varlet. My old body can only stand a single cup 'a Joe per morning, nowadays. Perhaps tea and crumpets (easy on the crumpets; heavy on the Tums)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 Beverage of your choice and light nibbles work? Chewing a very thin slice of ginger root will fix a stomach in seconds, beats the stuffings out of Tums. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 Oh, yes; that sounds fine. Mind you I'm not giving up on coffee; just trying to get more fun out of every cup I'm allowed. When Starbucks started doing various Xmas coffees, a lot of merryment got pumped back into the Mikeyverse Not that I missed that ginger remark. Since I love the taste of ginger, I will half to try that fix; thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 Cardamom is also a great addition, as I learned a few decades ago when I first tried Turkish coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 I can't drink cafe coffee like I used to, probably my parent's fault they always made it weaker than recommended, I haven't had an espresso stand coffee in a few years. There for a while my stomach was bothering me and I heard about ginger, I haven't had to use my dedicated micro-plane in quite a while but I keep a piece of root in the freezer. I've been drinking mint tea if I've overeaten for years and heck just like mint tea. I used to have some of the best growing under my front steps in the trailer park. I couldn't take a cutting, transplant, or grow the seeds but you couldn't kill it where it grew. John: Is cardamom a flavoring or does it ease the stomach? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 Frosty, You know how you can like something like a certain brand of cigarettes for years, and then all of a sudden you can't stomach it? Well anyway that's the way it was back in my early twenty's (before the wife decided to keep me around, and started campaigning against smoking). Well about five years back it happened with coffee; just couldn't stomach it for about two years. When it was okay again, I had a tea habit, which is handy these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 Oh yeah, I know that score. It took being brained by a tree to finally kick my smoking addiction. Can't call that on a habit, I tried stopping for years but just couldn't put it behind me, then the TBI turned it off like a switch. I lit up a Swisher Sweet I found in the shop our of habit, it was there with the lighter when I opened a cabinet and I lit it up without thinking. One drag and done, not only did it taste nasty but my head spun for half an hour. There are times I have to close the car window driving down the freeway because someone ahead of me is smoking. I used to knock back 2 pots of coffee a day plus what I had at lunch or in my travel mug from the break room pot. Now I hardly finish a pot 3 ties a week and it's my not full strength brew. I haven't had an espresso drink in maybe 3-4 years while Deb and I were RVing. We were in a fishing town so the cafe coffee was close to Navy coffee so I ordered a 1/2 cup of tea, then caught the waitress with the coffee pot on the way by. My second breakfast and she gave me 1/2$1/2 coffee/water or mainland brew. I drink iced tea but not like I used to a jug lasts almost 2 days and green tea hot. Good grief if we get together we'll just be two more old farts comparing ailments over decaf. Oh well, beats the alternative. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted January 5, 2023 Author Share Posted January 5, 2023 Every thing does...until it finally doesn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted January 7, 2023 Author Share Posted January 7, 2023 On 1/3/2023 at 6:37 PM, Jimw3326 said: I'll apply a little thought practice to this. With a forced air, it would be more akin to a jet engine and wouldn't need the same level of back pressure as a NA engine which needs the back pressure to burn effectively/efficiently. I haven't studied Mikey' latest design to see how much it relates to a jet engine (maybe a scram jet) but I would think it could benefit from a bit of back pressure. JMHO Aside from the "noise, noise, noise" I don't see many parallels to jet engines; these are designed to exchange heat for thrust, where creating heat is the main objective with burners and torches. I will admit that all of my burners have been intended to develop some minimal thrust as an intrinsic part of creating very intense flames. However Frosty "T" burners create very hot flames that are quite soft in comparison. We simply followed different paths to reach similar goals. Which design is better means nothing to me; the differences provide people with more choices. Choices are good. Back pressure in the forge, is generally to be avoided, as much as possible. Positive pressure in the flames of naturally aspirated burners are totally necessary, BUT, where is back pressure in the forge generated? Yup; from burner flames, so good or bad depends on circumstances. As we all know, "circumstances alters cases." None of this means that introducing some principles of jet engines would be a false move. I just don't have the expertise to know. If you do, I encourage you to experiment. New burner designs are always good. Even what I stated about back-pressure, simply means its a variable; not necessarily bad, as it can be made to serve. On 1/4/2023 at 6:09 AM, JHCC said: Cardamom is also a great addition, as I learned a few decades ago when I first tried Turkish coffee. I will need to try cardamom; wouldn't want to miss out on anything good. Alas, its too late for Turkish coffee; just too high test for my old engine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Also, “cardamom” does not mean “Ask a mother for photo ID”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 My family leans heavily towards tea; It seems like we visit the St James Tearoom in Albuquerque often enough that we "should call it St Jim". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted January 8, 2023 Author Share Posted January 8, 2023 Doing "high tea" or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 3 pots of different teas with specific "foods" for each pot. Nice way to give a gift that doesn't clutter anything but the waist band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted January 8, 2023 Author Share Posted January 8, 2023 I just looked up tea rooms in Seattle, and was quite surprised with the differences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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