MrMedieval Posted November 24, 2022 Author Share Posted November 24, 2022 Everything here is expensive Mikey and trust me it wouldn't be cheaper to make my own burners. I appreciate what your saying but end of the day what we pay here is ridiculous compared to you guys in the USA. As an example you guys would pay around $60K for a top of the line Tesla..here their worth $120K+ that's how over priced everything is here. But no after looking more into forges I've just discovered ribbon burners. Also regarding burners, I'm still trying to figure out whether or not having the burners pointing straight down from the top, or pointing in from the side being the best option/design. I was just watching a video of a Volcano forge on youtube and it took longer than i thought to heat up a piece of steel.. The burners were heating up the side of the bricks more than the steel is self..had me scratching my head just watching it. The Majestic forges seem to heat the steel up very quickly for the burners are pointing straight down and heat the steel directly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 Never take what a sale's pitch shows at face value. In the first place, nearly all the time you spend forging is done with your forge interior already super heated; at this point the bulk of the heat it transfers into your work pieces is radiant heat, from every bit of its interior; not direct flame heat from the burner's gas orifices. However, several people have mentioned the brick as a bad idea, and suggested replacing it with a high alumina kiln shelf. Thereafter, the brick can de used as a back wall for the forge. I have been reading what others on this group has said about the commercial forges they bought for several years, and Majestic Forge isn't generally well that of. You should check that out for yourself. I well only say that any forge that is given to warping from its own heat, is beneath my consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMedieval Posted November 24, 2022 Author Share Posted November 24, 2022 Yeah fair enough..if a forge is prone to warping then it must be thin walled, no wonder people use 9kg gas/BBQ bottles for forges. Thanks for the advice for the kiln shelf, that sounds like a great idea and i have some here i could actually use. By high aluminia do you mean the cement? Thank you for the insight regarding burner placement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 No. High alumina kiln shelves are pretty standard, and you could easily match them with some of the better cast refractories. However, they are also fired to very high temperatures for an extended period. I have never had one of them crack in the forge; they are also seven times more insulating than firebrick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMedieval Posted November 24, 2022 Author Share Posted November 24, 2022 Awesome will have a look for them thanks again.h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hefty Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 MrMedieval, whereabouts in Australia are you? I'm in Brisbane and I found making 2 x T burners to be not so expensive but more frustrating to find the right parts for from places that didn't only want to deal with tradies. There were a few things I drove across town for to save on shipping, like some double male 1/4" flare connector fittings, and my local steel supplier ordered in 1" x 3/4 reducing tees for me because bunnings only had equal tees. It takes a bit of research and ringing around but you should be able to put some reliable burners together much more cheaply than buying 2 x Mr Volcano burners. Cheers, Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMedieval Posted November 25, 2022 Author Share Posted November 25, 2022 Hey Hefty I'm in NSW...may i ask what you ended up paying to fit out your burners? I was going to buy the burners from https://www.artisansupplies.com.au/product/dual-gas-forge-burner-bkit7/ Expensive shop but the burners are good quality. I'm going to build my own forge in the end...but it was tempting to buy the Volcano. I had a moment of self doubt in regards to building my own but got over that pretty fast. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hefty Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 I can't remember exactly what it cost me to build them. I finished building my forge a few months back but I had made the burners about a year before that. I do know it was quite a bit cheaper than the Artisan Supplies burners though, because that's why I did it! Using 3/4" Frosty T burner as an example, a quick look at the bunnings website will get you a 20 x 150mm mixing tube for $4.62 and a 10 pack of 0.9mm mig tips for $5.67. They have equal tees for $4.04 so if you have access and skill with a metal lathe you could bore the intakes larger, or I think Frosty said it's possible to run an equal tee with a different mig tip size but not as efficient? Frosty, please correct me if I'm wrong! Otherwise, a plumbing specialist or steel supplier should be able to get you a 25x20 unequal tee and it'll cost you a little more. The flare fitting to mount the mig tip in is your most "exotic" item. You'll need to find a gas plumbing supplier that will sell to the public and not just tradies. I actually bought mine from Gameco and drove to their Brisbane warehouse on the northside to pick them up. If you're mounting the burners with the intakes lower than the hot end, you could order a 3/8 x 1/4 double male flare connector to go straight to a standard Aussie gas hose with a 3/8 flare fitting, otherwise you'll need some 1/4" copper pipe and make it a 1/4 x 1/4 double male connector. And if you don't have access to a tap set, you'll need to buy an M6 tap to mount the mig tip and I can't remember what size the big tap for the Flare fitting is, sorry! In the end, I think I spent about as much on taps and a pipe flaring kit as I did on parts for two burners, so if you've already got that sort of gear or a well-kitted friend who can help you out, the burner parts should be less than $60 for two, even with "exotic" mark ups for unequal tees and flare fittings. I hope that helps. Cheers, Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 Yes Hefty, you can make a perfectly effective T with equal T, it just can not induce as much combustion air through the smaller intake ports so you have to use a smaller mig tip. It's all about balancing the propane to the combustion air. Agreed, I spent more on taps than the first T burner cost in total, not counting regulator an hose of course. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMedieval Posted November 26, 2022 Author Share Posted November 26, 2022 Awesome Hefty thanks for that..great to hear i can make the burners for so much less than artisan supplies. Appreciate the help thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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