ArmySoldier72 Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Before we moved, I built this little guy and heated up that piece of metal in the picture. And then we decided to buy the new place and packed up all our stuff. I pulled my little buddy here our of the box and set him back on top of the wood burning stove that will be used as my forge table. It is using a Bernzomatic TS8000 with an adapter hose connected to propane. at the time I thought an angled flame coming from the side was a good idea... now i am not so sure. I am thinking of buying a burner and rearranging this so the burner is on the top. I am in the process of building the Mr Volcano 1 Burner Forge. I will have some pictures tomorrow. Thanks for any comments or advice ARMY SE Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted May 21, 2022 Share Posted May 21, 2022 Okay; first, I totally approve of your choices...except that your torch's flame tube (I believe that's what they call this configuration) is very thin. As the manufacturer envisions his product being used, thin stainless steel will last just fine. But not when it is mounted within heating equipment. This still doesn't need to present a big bad problem. But, that flame tube will last a whole lot longer if you protect the last few inches of it with an outer tube of thicker stainless steel. Then, the outer tube is what gets oxidized away, instead of the flame tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmySoldier72 Posted May 21, 2022 Author Share Posted May 21, 2022 Thanks Mikey, that is a good idea. I was thinking of replacing the burner with one of those you can buy for the big forges. But maybe I will try try that first. And once I get the Mr Volcano finished and running this little guy may collect dust. we shall see. Thanks again ARMY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted May 22, 2022 Share Posted May 22, 2022 You will always find that, no matter how large a forge you may need for some work, that you will never run out of jobs that you prefer doing in a small forge. Many of us have built large first forges, which spend most their time collecting dust in a corner, while smaller forges, which they built later, rapidly become their go-to tool. Paying for a tank of propane makes little impression he first time. After a few more times, we all start thinking about what they would rather do with that money But supposing you're "just made of money." All that hot exhaust that a big forge puts out, is reason enough to reach for our tiniest forge; especially in July Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkertim Posted May 23, 2022 Share Posted May 23, 2022 One question. Those firebricks look to be hard ones rather than Insulated Fire Bricks (IFBs). If they are hard ones, then they will use a lot of gas getting up to temperature, before you can start metal bashing. It is recommended to use IFBs for bolt-together brick forges as it will run a lot more thermally efficient, saving Propane, but they are soft and can be cut to shape with a saw or core drill bit very easily. The down-side is that they don't last too long unless you coat the flame face with a kiln wash like Plistex to protect the surface. The savings in Propane by using insulating forge lining materials can not be over-stated. You will save a lot of money in the long run. Just my £0.02 worth. Tink! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 23, 2022 Share Posted May 23, 2022 On 5/21/2022 at 7:30 PM, ArmySoldier72 said: I was thinking of replacing the burner with one of those you can buy for the big forges. Consider making a Frosty T-burner, the instructions for which are HERE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmySoldier72 Posted May 23, 2022 Author Share Posted May 23, 2022 Thanks Tink, the inner ones are soft the outer are the hard ones. Thanks JHCC I will check that out. ARMY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 Give me a shout if you run into a problem. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 On 5/23/2022 at 9:45 AM, ArmySoldier72 said: hanks Tink, the inner ones are soft the outer are the hard ones. It's your choice, but I would put the hard ones inside, and the soft ones outside. The thing is that the only point of insulation is to slow the transfer of heat through the inner flame face. You only care about that in order to raise the temperature of that inner flame face, so that it will radiate heat back into the forge. So, no matter how you arrange your bricks, the amount they slow heat transference, will add up exactly the same. However, how long those soft bricks will last definitely does not stay the same. Yes, the soft bricks will become incandescent faster if they are the inner layer, however, what you gain doesn't equal what you lose this way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 Hard bricks are also more resistant to wear/abrasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 Exactly; but even if he never touches those bricks, direct contact with forge atmospheres will destroy them. I would highly recommend an inexpensive coating of Plistex inside the forge to help save even hard bricks from burner flames. Also it will do as much to raise internal temperatures at the flame faces as the insulating brick does. People just seem to have a hard time wrapping their heads around how much flame coatings do for a forge. Is it a case of "it sounds too good to be true?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 I've always wanted a nice platinum sheet liner for my forge... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 27, 2022 Share Posted May 27, 2022 Don't platinum sheet liners make you sweat? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 27, 2022 Share Posted May 27, 2022 No and they don't corrode from sweat if you do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 28, 2022 Share Posted May 28, 2022 I'VE never corroded the sheets no matter how much I sweated. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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