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I Forge Iron

Long version of T-Burner


blacksmith-450

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1 hour ago, blacksmith-450 said:

..and what about the length of the tube ?

About 2x too long but not dangerous. About the only thing I see that's not dangerous in the pic.

I kind of like using an open end wrench as a spacer but that's about the best idea I see.

Frosty The Lucky.

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I try not to comment on "T" burners; Frosty is the expert. That said the added length seems to have have the effect--in this particular forge--of shortening the flame, and in this particular forge, that will probably prove beneficial. However, making changes in his burner is even less likely to be a smart move than in other designs. In summery, I think you were lucky--not wise.

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I saw a YouTube video yesterday from some guy going by "Joe the Builder".  At first I thought, "Hey a Frosty burner!" but then the guy started doing some really strange stuff with the fittings.  He tapped the T for the mig tip, then tapped the 1/8 MPT for the bit of mig tip extending through the T, then brazed together some brass fittings to the 1/8 mpt.  His mixing tube was about 12" on a 3/4" pipe.    AND he put a galvanized bell on the end for a flare!   A bit scary and I'm not going to link the video to give him more traffic. 

I HOPE people won't follow his construction techniques.

 

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Folks who know the least also tend to be the most positive in their statements as the more you know the more "exceptions" you are aware of so you don't get "X is done Y" rather "X can be done Y---but watch out for Z, Q, WW, ..."   (I even know exceptions to some of the safety rules; but try to NEVER mention them for Safety's Sake!)

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1 hour ago, Mikey98118 said:

It is sad that the guys who know the least speak up the quickest

or the folks who "know" stuff that just ain't so.

I have to be careful sometimes not to accidentally fall into one of those two groups...

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We are all susceptible to the Dunning Kruger effect. It's so prevalent it has to be human nature to over rate your prowess until you've learned enough to know how ignorant you really are.

A few days ago someone posted a link of a forge here and while reading up on the forge in question I took a look at the other forges and burners linked in the menu with particular interest in the one saying "home made sodium silicate." Well, he used sodium silicate but didn't make any. The forge he built all the time claiming not to know what he was doing was a good example of a guy who's only qualifications for posting a how to video is a camera and an internet connection. Oh yes, ANOTHER Plaster of Paris and Perlite  forge liner. There was another on the menu made with Plaster of Paris and sand, another slightly better liner made with perlite, aluminum oxide sand blast media and sodium silicate.

I had to stop looking at the sites, of the dozen I skimmed not one was a very workable forge, some were outright dangerous like the one with the Portland cement and perlite liner. 

About the above burners. Mike is right the flame looks good, very good. What I don't like about the set up is how it's made, the quick connect fittings specifically, the hoses directly above the forge is secondary but still dangerous. 

What I've been saying for a long time is the trick making a home built naturally aspirated burner work is tuning it. The maker has a tuned burner, on that it's good. The problem with such over length tubes as Mike knows is friction. Longer than the 8-9 x the ID ratio the balance between good induction and air propane mixing starts to become impeded by friction. 

To exceed the 8:1 ratio the tube needs to increase in diameter at no more than 12:1. Some commercial versions of linear inducers are 18" long with a 1/2" throat pushing the air fuel mix through better than 9' of pipe for the ribbon burner under the pan on the State's patch truck. Gotta keep hot mix asphalt hot. That burner is tapered full length from throat to the connection to the burner.

Again, my objections to the above burners are safety issues. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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