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I Forge Iron

Hello from Gosport UK


WayneF

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Hi All

I just wanted to say Hi I am new on here and looking to set up a forge using a Amal burner, fire brick base and insulating brick sides and roof.

One question I have is whether I place the Burner on the side of on top, I have seen both mentioned on here and would like to have the thoughts of experienced Blacksmiths.

I have never done any Blacksmith work so complete beginner, I am an electrical engineer by training but worked on machine maintenance so have had a lot of greasy days

it would be good to know if there is anybody in the local area to chat to and glean some knowledge off of.

that's all for now

Wayne

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

There have been some good discussions of burner placement over in the Gas Forges section; check those out. General consensus is that you want the flame swirling within the forge rather than blasting directly on the metal. Side-placement is a good way to do this, but much depends on the design of the individual forge.

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Welcome aboard Wayne, glad to have you. There a number of members your side of the pond and I'm sure they'll be speaking up soon and I'll let them suggest sources and such.

I'm a fan of brick pile forges IF you have the right kind of fire brick available. Heavy fire brick is a major heat sink that requires a lot of fuel and time to bring to forging temperature and has the insulating qualities of limestone. Old type light insulating fire brick (IFB) tends to crumble with the fast thermal cycling of a propane forge but recently Morgan Thermal Ceramics, K-26 fire bricks and THE stuff to use. It's also a lot tougher than the old stuff, heck it's even less expensive where I live.

Hard fire brick withstands forge welding flux better but borax based fluxes does dissolve it. Flux dissolves IFB like hot water on a sugar cube. 

What we've been doing with K-26 lined forges is trowel 1/4" of Kastolite 30 on the flame contact faces and or kiln wash it with Plistex as a final layer of armor against: heat, chemistry and mechanical damage.

Of course these products are available in the USA, I can't say about your side of the pond.

Frosty The Lucky.

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I think I will place the burner on the side at a 30degree angle facing backwards. I have a 9inch long 1/2 inch black nipple with a 1/2 inch to 1inch adapter on the end to flare the flame. My question now is do I place the flare all the way into the chamber.

 

cheers

wayne

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