Zachary Posted May 28, 2018 Share Posted May 28, 2018 I would like some input on how I’m tuning my burner. I have trouble with forge scale and I can’t seem to get rid of it. I read that to much air can cause it and then I’ve to much gas can to. I’ve adjusted my burner a lot and can’t seem to change it much. So I tried to get some pictures to show you guys see if you can tell if it’s tuned at least close. It’s a 1” burner from hybrid burner so I don’t think it’s the burner. The pictures are at start up and after running awhile.Thanks for any help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timgunn1962 Posted May 28, 2018 Share Posted May 28, 2018 Which jet are you using in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zachary Posted May 28, 2018 Author Share Posted May 28, 2018 It has the .45 tip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timgunn1962 Posted May 28, 2018 Share Posted May 28, 2018 The Hybrid Burner web page gives the .045" tip as the one for "only a bit rich", so it should give forging-to-welding temperatures easily. It "should" give the hottest (and least reducing) flame when the choke is fully open. The choke sleeve in the bottom photo is about half-way open/closed. What happens when you adjust it? When you look into the forge (check out the safety stuff elsewhere. There are risks), is there a cooler spot apparent (by color) under the flame entry? What sheath material do you have on the thermocouple in the middle photo? If it will allow you to measure forging temperatures, it's a good way to get objective data. The color coding on the cable suggests it's a type K which will read to 2500 degF, but the maximum temperature it will tolerate without damage is likely to be lower and is dependent on the sheath material. You certainly have a rich mixture (less air than stoichiometric), judging by the Dragons Breath. However, I'm not good enough to tell from the photos whether you have a low gas flow and a lot of DB for the amount of gas being burned (indicating a strongly reducing forge atmosphere), or a high gas flow and relatively little DB for the gas being burned (indicating a less-reducing forge atmosphere). For the guys who are better at diagnosing this stuff than me, some more details would probably be helpful: What is the forge built from? How big is the opening? Is there just the one opening, or one at the back too? What gas pressure are you running? What are you heating and how hot are you getting it? Does/can the forge get the work hotter than you need? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zachary Posted May 28, 2018 Author Share Posted May 28, 2018 After it gets up to temperature I can't tell that adjusting the choke the rest of the way open makes much difference in the dragons breath although it might sound a little different but not much. Once in a great while I'll see a little green flame I read somewhere one time what that means but I can't remember and for the life me I can't find where I read it again. I can't tell that there is a cooler spot under the burner. The thermocouple is a type k I've had it to 2250 I think is the hottest I've seen it. The forge has a 3/16 steel shell, 2" of kawool and about a 5/8" of kast o lite inside that. The floor is 1" of kast o lite on top of 2" of kawool. And it's all coated then with a coating I got from hybrid burners that is supposed to do the same thing as ITC 100. I run anywhere from 14-18 pounds of gas when I'm working it hard. I make mostly hammers and some axes and it get's them hot enough for forging but I don't know if I could forge weld with it or not. There is a 3" square opening in the back that's open all the time and the front opening is if I remember right 3" x 7". Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted May 28, 2018 Share Posted May 28, 2018 Your answer agrees with your photos, which show the flame to be running rich--not lean. So, you need to look elsewhere for the reason behind your scale problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zachary Posted May 28, 2018 Author Share Posted May 28, 2018 Thanks for the help. Any ideas on what else could do it? I’m not sure what else to do other than just deal with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 As you appear to already have a reducing atmosphere int he forge I don't think there is too much more you can do with tuning your burner. I'm sure you have already tried to keep the stock out of the direct path of the flame while it is in the forge. If you are still getting excessive scale, my theory is that you are working the steel very hot, (high orange to yellow) and getting rapid scaling as soon as the stock leaves the forge. The only solution I know for this is to work the steel colder if you are forging mild steel. It will move slower, but scale less. If you are using high carbon steel you will just have to work areas faster so you need less heats, as you shouldn't work into the black range for anything but final straightening and some planishing. Do make an effort to do some planishing blows at lower temperatures for the mild as well. In my experience it knocks off some of the scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zachary Posted May 29, 2018 Author Share Posted May 29, 2018 I appreciate it guys. I try to stay out of the direct flame if I can but I usually have several pieces in at once so it’s not always possible. I’ll just have to work with it. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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