[TheForge] reducing fuel costs by improving forge efficiency.

[Michael H. Murphy]

GURU? ME??!?  Thanks for the compliment, Ron, but I'm just trying to get by.

I've not used Satanite before.  It's basically a rigidizer, but from what
friends have told me it does help contain the heat in a gas forge.  I used
to use sodium silicate as a rigidizer before I was told about ITC-100.  This
stuff really works as an IR reflector, and it's a good rigidizer as well.

I got some new stuff from Larry Zoeller called Plistix 900.  It's
considerably less expensive than ITC-100, and it does a good job as a
rigidizer.  I've not had enough time to really check the differences in heat
containment, but at first glance it appears to work at least as well.  I'll
report back in a month or so.

As for the original thread about costs, propane is more expensive by the
hour than coal -- no question.  I'm not even going to try to estimate
production amounts using one or the other; there are way too many variables.
I use propane because it's convenient, clean, and even at a dollar an hour
it won't break the bank.  I started real blacksmithing in the NWBA in
Washington State.  Very few coal burners there, so I sort of grew up with
propane.

Murf 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:theforge-
> bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ron Childers
> Sent: Friday, July 23, 2004 6:30 AM
> To: 'terry l. ridder'; 'Sponsored by ABANA'
> Subject: RE: [TheForge] reducing fuel costs by improving forge efficiency.
> 
> Murph,
> 
> As guru of forges propane, you mentioned ITC-100 to improve efficiency.
> Will
> a coating of Satenite on the kaowool help?
> 
> Ron C
> 
> 
> 
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