[TheForge] Re: reducing fuel costs by improving forge efficiency.

[K Donahoe]

Jerry,

I can imagine how hard it is to not overthink and overcomplicate things up
there where the sun hardly sets (or is it rises?)... but go take a nap and
come back to this :)

The MOST versatile forge design I've ever seen was at Darryl Nelson's in
Washington.  It was a floor of firebrick on a steel table with an igloo of
firbrick in any shape/size/dimension you desired.  The burner was a ~1.5"
pipe stuck in the side of the igloo, the fuel orifice was .25" flexible
copper tubing stuck in a hole in the pipe a couple feet back, the copper
tubing came off a low pressure regulator.  It of course, required a blower,
which was a yard sale hair dryer with a burned out element.  I regretfully
missed him at this years ABANA conference, so I don't know if he's upgraded.
I'm sure some of the NW locals could clarify.

BTW, my mistake on saying domed, when I meant barrel section.  But if the
radius was gentle enough what would it matter if the bottom of lid had full
seal across the top of the brick?  The lateral top corner of the brick would
touch the lid and seal fairly effectively.

Kevin Donahoe
Flying Pig Forge
Morrow, OH 45152
flyinpig at go-concepts.com

    ------Original Message-----
    -From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
    -[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Jerry Frost
    -Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 1:27 PM
    -To: artgawk at thegrid.net; Sponsored by ABANA
    -Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: reducing fuel costs by improving forge
    -efficiency.
    -
    -
    -Doming a rectangle results compound curves which differ
    -(geometrically) at
    -virtually every position (by quadrant that is). Even if the
    -differences were
    -small it would require a new set of sidewall bricks for every
    -couple inches
    -of position change. It would also seriously inhibit free
    -orientation if for
    -instance you wanted a triangular firebox.
    -
    -An alternative would be a barrel vaulted lid. Then the end
    -walls could have
    -a semi-circular upper edge but the sidewalls would still have
    -to deal with
    -varying angles of contact with the lid. Also as the sidewalls
    -moved towards
    -the center the lid would have to lower to maintain contact with the
    -sidewalls or you'd have to "shim" the sidewalls. Of course if
    -it's a shallow
    -enough vault this would be a minimal concern. The problem for
    -making odd
    -shaped fireboxes would be at least as bad as for the dome.
    -
    -The only way I see to keep the forges versatility at a maximum and it's
    -complexity at a minimum is to keep the floor and lid flat. Of course a
    -variable volume forge may not be as important as I think but doggone, I
    -can't count how many times I wished I could get a localized heat from
    -propane similar to coal, without firing up the torch.
    -
    -I know I called keeping the hard refractory inner liner in
    -place a "problem"
    -but it's more of an engineering detail to be solved by
    -choosing the most
    -effective existing method. As has been mentioned there are a number of
    -hangars, commercial and improvised to do the job. I've pretty
    -much decided
    -to give a home made insulating refractory a try as the inner
    -liner for the
    -lid. If it doesn't work I'll consider using insulating
    -hardboard and if that
    -fails I'll fall back on light firebrick in a "clamp".
    -
    -Please keep the ideas coming though. It'll be some time before
    -I build this
    -forge and I'm always open to new ideas. While I pick new ideas
    -to pieces I
    -do it to my ideas mercilessly and THEY can't get away from me. <grin>
    -
    -Thanks Pete.
    -
    -Jerry
    -------------------------
    -If it ain't forged
    -it ain't real.
    -Wrought iron is.
    -The FrostWorks
    -
    -Meadow Lakes, AK.
    -
    -
    ------ Original Message -----
    -From: "Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer" <artgawk at thegrid.net>
    -To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
    -Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2004 11:05 PM
    -Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: reducing fuel costs by improving forge
    -efficiency.
    -
    -
    -> Jerry:
    -> Could you shape the top edge of the top layer of bricks to
    -fit the curve
    -> and  lay them up in moveable arcs? Guess you'd have to shape the ends
    -> too but  hi alumina bricks are easy to shape....maybe too easy.
    -> Pete F
    ->
    -> Jerry Frost wrote:
    ->
    -> >
    -> >
    -> >
    -> >
    -> >
    -> >Doming the lid would help and might even "solve" the
    -"problem" of keeping
    -> >the liners in place.
    -> >
    -> >Unfortunately the nature of the forge's adjustability requires the
    -sidewalls
    -> >be movable and a domed lid would leak fire when the
    -sidewalls are moved
    -in
    -> >from the perimeter. An inch or so of Kaowool on top of the
    -sidewalls as a
    -> >gasket might do the trick though. I'll keep the idea in mind.
    -> >
    -> >Thanks,
    -> >
    -> >Jerry
    -> >------------------------
    -> >If it ain't forged
    -> >it ain't real.
    -> >Wrought iron is.
    -> >The FrostWorks
    -> >
    -> >Meadow Lakes, AK.
    -> >
    -
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