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Best method for Venturi burners


SinDoc

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I have already spoken to some people on this forum, and have been enjoying reading around learning everything. I am new into this craft and have not yet figured out how to correctly...tune? is that the right word? my burners. I have a Majestic knife maker 2 burner deluxe. I know I have heard mixed takes on them, but they are located right down the road from where I grew up. Literally. So, why not buy local?

Anyways, should I set my regulator to a certain psi, then use my burners control to adjust as needed? Or just I get the forge going, the run the burners wide open and control via the regulator? Does it matter? It seems like the end results would roughly be the same, but the second method just sounds...wrong. The couple times I have used it so far, I use the controls on the burners and adjust the psi as needed but haven't really messed with it. I adjusted it to 10 psi and have just left it there.

 

Also, I have learned this thing is next to impossible to run with so much as a light breeze. Any recommendations as to designed a wind break for it?

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The burners on a Majestic are linear inducers and are very reliable. Adjust the air flow to suit the work. This is tuning the flame. Once you have a neutral flame run the lock nut onto the choke plates so they don't move.  You turn the heat up and down with the regulator, a gauge is only going to confuse you. The only real world use for a gauge on a propane forge is to preset the forge for a specific temperature before you light it. Most commonly for heat treatment but you can't put your steel in the fire, walk away and expect anything good anyway. If you have to keep an eye on it presetting the forge isn't particularly useful.

If you just light it and turn it down before it comes to heat your forge will get hotter quickly if it's too cool. Cooling down takes longer so start low and increase as needed.

Short answer, adjust for a SLIGHTLY rich flame at a lower pressure or neutral at max pressure. Lock the choke plates and you're done with it. Naturally aspirated burners will lean out as propane pressure increases but not a lot, if you start slightly rich it won't becomes oxidizing.

Frosty The Lucky.

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I apparently need to do more research on the flame envelope. Granted it has been roughly a week since I last turn it on, I don't recall even seeing blue in the flame. I will have to read more on what a proper flame should look like and then research the proper way to set my flow. Per Thomas, I should probably call Majestic as well.

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You aren't going to get specific instructions, there are a lot of local variables that effect the flame. Mike is better at reading flames than I am but a good cue is the sound it makes. It should be LOUD almost shrieking roar and the fame should be translucent, not quite transparent.

Worrying about analyzing flame envelopes without being really familiar with them in different conditions can do more harm than not. 

Adjust the choke plates, take a shot in the door so we can see the flame, wait till the forge heats up and take another. Post them here, we'll take a look and opine. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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If the sky outside is any indication of the weather today, looks like it probably wont happen. I could set it up at the cusp of the door to my shed/shop, but I dislike doing that. Plenty of ventilation, but the idea of a very, very hot thing sitting in my mostly wooden building (granted it has metal walls), is just an unpleasant feeling. Should have built that garage instead! 

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I did not get to take any pictures, but I manage to fire it up for a few yesterday. Only shortly however as I had noticed cracks in the liner and wasn't sure what to do about that. The flame was a nice light blue, maybe with a slight tinge of green and the dragons breath was very translucent. Only noticed licks of orange flame that would pop up when there was a ever so slight breeze (my forge sits outside).

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: Filling cracks are one of the things that refractory cement is actually good for. If you sift any left over refractory, to remove the chunks, it can be used for the same purpose. Remember to wet the inside surfaces of the crack before applying cement or refractory into it.

On 4/16/2021 at 4:27 AM, SinDoc said:

Got it. Hopefully it isn't really windy again today and I can fire it back up and take some photos.

Maybe it's time again to discuss how to protect burners from wind with baffles?

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