[TheForge] gas forge design

Mon Apr 21 01:08:00 2003

The nice thing about any fuel oil, or waste oil is the amount of btu's it
has.  Like Jerry Frost said it can get REAL hot.  I built a waste
transmission oil burner that heats a glass crucible, it is a recuperative
furnace and the oil is run through titanium tubes in the furnace and then
injected at about 300 psi into the hot air stream which causes it to burn
through a ceramic nozzle.  The guy that owns the furnace actually melted
down an alumina crucible one day when the heater control went whacked.  This
was in a matter of about 30 minutes he was working a piece of glass in a
glory hole, and had his back turned to the furnace.  propane would never
have been able to generate the heat required to do such a thing.  At least
not in that time frame.  He loves the furnace though it burns less than 200
gallons of transmission fluid a month all of which he gets used.  His old
furnace burned over 1000 gallons of propane a month and even as a
recuperative furnace was very inefficient.

Paul

----- Original Message -----
From: "R.C.Mundt" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2003 9:51 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] gas forge design

> This idea of burning waste oil is somthing I've been thinking of for some
> time.  I know a guy who drills  water wells and he has some sort of forge
> to  he uses to sharpen his bits, he burns crude oil, he says nothing heats
> like crude oil.  I guess the forge is a fire brick box with a blower on
one
> end, the fuel drips into the air stream, and the bits are stuck in the
other
> end, I never seen it but this is how he explained it to me.
> Randy Mundt
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paul Hewitt" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2003 11:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] gas forge design
>
>
> > Ok I like this thread, now I have some questions.
> >
> > Oil fired forge?  I am assuming like #2 Fuel oil, or equivalent.
> >
> > I am interested if anyone has some thoughts on a waste oil fired forge.
I
> > am about to build one as an experiment, has anyone else done such a
thing?
> > In the past i built a transmission fluid fired furnace for a glass
> crucible.
> > Transmission fluid was used because it burns very clean.  Would the
extra
> > carbon from waste oil burn hurt the forge or the pieces being worked.  I
> am
> > going to assume not because we use coal forges...  What better place for
> > carbon soot than coal.
> >
> > I would appreciate and comments anyone might have.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Paul Hewitt
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jerry Frost" <[email protected]>
> > To: <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2003 10:12 AM
> > Subject: Re: [TheForge] gas forge design
> >
> >
> > > Hi Sheldon:
> > >
> > > The shape of the forge is less important than the volume to burner
> ratio,
> > > with one cateat: that there are no crannies the flame can't reach and
> make
> > > cold spots.
> > >
> > > There are a number of forge shapes and when you get down to the nitty
> > gritty
> > > they all work fine.
> > >
> > > In high school we had a very hot square box, oil fired four burner
> forge.
> > It
> > > had two burners on each side of the door, two high and two low, making
a
> > > horizontal vortex. If you needed a general heat you propped the stock
> off
> > > the forge floor in the center of the vortex. If you needed a more
> > localized
> > > heat you placed that part directly i the burner's path on the forge
> floor.
> > > You didn't have as much control of the heat as with a coal forge of
> course
> > > but it was pretty flexible.
> > >
> > > Most commercial gas forges are rectangular with the burners aimed
> straight
> > > down and they work fine.
> > >
> > > Folk place the burners in cylindrical forges in several different
> > > configurations. The two basics are: One, Directly opposing and two,
> > > tangential.
> > >
> > > The directly opposing configuration usually has the burners mounted at
> or
> > > near the top, aiming straight at the opposite side of the forge.
> > >
> > > Tangential mounted burners can be found mounted all over the place.
> > They're
> > > usually high, aimed at the far top side of the forge but some are on
top
> > > aimed down one side and some are mounted on the bottom aimed across
the
> > > forge floor.
> > >
> > > All in all, I don't believe the shape of the forge makes much
difference
> > as
> > > long as there are no flame shadows and there is enough burner for the
> > > volume.
> > >
> > > Regardless I'm still experimenting. <grin>
> > >
> > > Having enough exhaust porting does make a real difference with
naturally
> > > aspirated burners and with cylindrical forges it's common to block off
> the
> > > ends with fire brick, leaving enough gaps so the burner burns freely.
> > >
> > > Frosty
> > > ------------------------
> > > If it ain't forged
> > > it ain't real.
> > > Wrought iron is.
> > > The FrostWorks
> > >
> > > Meadow Lakes, AK.
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Sheldon Laing" <[email protected]>
> > > To: <[email protected]>
> > > Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2003 5:17 AM
> > > Subject: [TheForge] gas forge design
> > >
> > >
> > > > I have been working with a coal forge for a while now and I have
been
> > > > considering building a gas forge since last year and I have finally
> > > > decided to do it. I am well acquainted with Ron Reil's excellent
site
> > > > and I have chosen to use a side arm burner type. I still however
have
> a
> > > > few questions regarding the forge shape and design.
> > > >
> > > > 1. Will the forge perform a lot better if it is a cylinder? I want
to
> > > > use a semicircular forge (cut in half cylinder) with a flat base on
> > > > which to rest the steel, will this make it less powerful (i.e. will
it
> > > > not refract the heat to a lesser extent than a cylinder? If so, will
> it
> > > > be a big enough difference that I should change to a cylinder.)
> > > >
> > > > 2. What sort of exhaust area should I leave? Should I leave the one
> side
> > > > of the "cylinder" open or would it be okay to close it up (NOT
> airtight
> > > > of course).
> > > >
> > > > 3. If you have any tips or other advice gained from building your
own
> > > > gas forges please let me know.
> > > >
> > > > Thanx in advance for the help.
> > > >
> > > > Sheldon Laing
> > > > Hephaestus Forge
> > > > Cape Town
> > > > South Africa
> > > > [email protected]
> > > >
> > > >
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