Carbon Arc Forge Idea

[Peter’s forge]

Hi I’m young blacksmith who is trying to move beyond charcoal, and I have been looking into fule-less forge ideas and I stumbled upon the carbon arc furnace from King of Random and I was wondering if the design was altered  if it could work for forging 

 

the rough design is below 

[JHCC]

Welcome to IFI! If you haven’t yet, please READ THIS FIRST!!!

Please be advised that the self-proclaimed “King of Random” (or, as he is usually called around here, the “King of RanDUMB”) is not a good source for anything other than an increased risk of bodily injury. Do NOT attempt anything you see on his channel without first checking your health insurance coverage and putting your estate plans in order. 

What’s wrong with charcoal?

[ThomasPowers]

Did they mention blindness and an increased rate of cancer using a carbon arc system?  KOR is a Darwinian cultist in my opinion.  As I recall he suggested using plaster of paris to line a gas forge---pity that plaster of paris starts to degrade 1000, that's right: THOUSAND, degrees F below good forging temps. 

[Peter’s forge]

Thanks I have looked into the safety risks and I have a full ventilation system and I’m outside thanks for the concern and I totally agree about the king of random taking alot of unnecessary risks and probably decreasing his life expectancy by at the least 25 years

[Glenn]

Have you looked into induction heating? 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

1 hour ago, Peter’s forge said:

fule-less forge

Electricity is a fuel.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/53873-read-this-first/

 

[ThomasPowers]

If you want to forge with electricity induction is way to go; much superior to arc or resistance heating! I recently gave away a section of an arc furnace electrode: graphite and around 14" in diameter from a steel melting furnace that used 3 of them---three phase!

[Frosty]

Uh Peter: The serious UV radiation hazard of carbon arc is pointed out to you and you tell us you've, "looked into the safety risks and have a full VENTILATION () system." Forgive me please for thinking you really don't have much of a clue. 

It requires fuel to make electricity even hydroelectric power requires fuel. Charcoal is a nice clean easy to manage and inexpensive forge fuel but if you want to go electric go induction. It won't give you skin cancer nor blind you and the neighbors.

Please don't mess with a solar forge either those things are terrifyingly dangerous. An invisible beam that can melt steel WILL remove any human appendage almost instantly. Sure that's the focal point but it'll cook you to the bone at the half way point faster than you can get away.

Frosty The Lucky.

[bajajoaquin]

Charcoal, surpisingly, is carbon neutral. Tree grows in our lifetime, absorbs carbon. Charcoal made and burned, carbon released. 

Okay, you have carbon input to make charcoal and transport it, but the fuel itself is neutral. The problem with fossil fuels is that it is carbon sequestered over millions of years being released in decades. 

So if you live in the Pacific Northwest, they have like 90% hydro and induction is probably cleanest. In coal county, charcoal, and hard to say what would be best in natural gas states (it’s pretty clean given its transport costs but it’s still a fossil fuel).

in other words, everything needs energy to bring to forging temps. Life is a series of compromises.