Ridgeway Forge Studio Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 This is not strictly a question about my gas forge, as it has never done this before and I do not believe it's function plays into the question. Today, upon first firing up the forge, a distinct green flame curled up from the gas forge door. I have never put copper or zinc in any form into this forge. I avoid anything but plain steel. I was working on the same pieces yesterday, with only the good orange flames licking up. The only variable today was a full night of rain. My shop has concrete floors, but water comes in through the bottom and through a couple of pinholes in the galvanized roof. There was standing water around the pieces I put into the fire, with water coming off the galvanized roof, and nearby were unplugged power tool plugs that I unwisely forgot to move. My thought is that the rain dissolved a trace amount of zinc or copper from one of these sources, and that it evaporated onto the steel when I lit the forge. if anyone has any thoughts on how this unusual color came to be, please share it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Wrong color for burning zinc. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bravoecho1900 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 In high school I saw an experiment using borax to change the color of a flame to green, maybe this is the same. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Borax burning green? Hmmm, I'll have to toss a little in before my forge comes to welding temp and see. Normally borax only enters my forge at welding temps and burns yellow. Hmmmmm, I hear the voices whispering, experiments! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Frosty, google "colored flames." Borax is listed as burning with a yellow-green color. I have seen projects for making fireplace logs from old newspapers which have been soaked in solutions of various household chemicals (including borax) and then dried which will burn with various colors. I've always wanted to try it but never have. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Thanks George, borax burns green. The voices really like to experiment, they're bummed. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgeway Forge Studio Posted June 13, 2021 Author Share Posted June 13, 2021 Thank you all for helping me feel safer- I'm very glad it was not zinc. I am blessed to not know the color of burning zinc, as it stays very far away from anything remotely warm in my shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 George, you can buy this powder stuff that will change the color of the flames in a fire. They sell it at my Kroger in the BBQ dept. Also about any hardware, farm, etc. store. I remember as a kid when we would drive through Ashland and all the refineries were burning. The stacks all had different colored flames coming out of them. It was pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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