[TheForge] Ceramic chip forge

[richard maynard]

Bury it. Once the chips are up and running, it's very like a coke forge. I'll 
tray and take some pics if you like.

Cheers,

Rich.

Quoting Jerry Frost <frosty at customcpu.com>:

> Rich:
> 
> Do you bury the steel in the chips or lay it on top?
> 
> Frosty
> ------------------------
> If it ain't forged
> it ain't real.
> Wrought iron is.
> The FrostWorks
> 
> Meadow Lakes, AK.
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rich Maynard" <rich at maynard.org.uk>
> To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2004 11:49 AM
> Subject: RE: [TheForge] Ceramic chip forge
> 
> 
> > I use a ceramic chip forge at the school where I teach. It runs on natural
> > gas from the mains, and does use a blower to get the flame hot enough.
> >
> > At first, you get blue flames burning out through the chips but as they
> heat
> > up (15-20 mins) the chips are glowing and the gas gets burnt deep inside
> the
> > forge.
> >
> > I think the reason the school bought it - it was before I started - was
> the
> > cleanliness. The school's in the middle of London, and burning coke here's
> > not an option!
> >
> > If anyone wants a little bag of chips to play with I might swap some for a
> > railroad spike or two...
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Rich.
> >
> >
> > London, UK.
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> > > [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Jerry Frost
> > > Sent: 12 September 2004 18:19
> > > To: Sponsored by ABANA
> > > Subject: [TheForge] Ceramic chip forge
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "GHS" <ghs at execpc.com>
> > >
> > > > The reason I said density and not refractory quality is this.
> > > >
> > > > In our propane or NG forges the flame is inside the kaowool or
> whatever
> > > > along with the work. The object being to insulate and to heat the
> inside
> > > > surface to the  glowing point  so that it radiates heat back into the
> > > > cavity and thus to the work.
> > > >
> > >
> > > Yes, a reverberatory furnace to be technical.
> > >
> > > > In a system in which the flame is in effect on the "outside", the area
> > > > where the work is not, the object would be to heat the ceramic to the
> > > > glowing point so that conduction and radiation would heat the work.
> > > >
> > >
> > > Evidently the fire is burning in the bed of chips, not outside it. Other
> > > than that the principle is the same; heat the chips and the chips heat
> the
> > > work.
> > >
> > > > More or less the difference twixt an oven and a frying pan.
> > > >
> > > > I have never set lava rocks to glowing as they dissipate heat pretty
> > > > much  as it absorbs it. A higher density ceramic should store some of
> > > > that energy as it gets to glowing. (less surface area as it relates to
> > > mass)
> > > > The stored energy work be released at the point where the cooler metal
> > > > contacted it.
> > > >
> > > > A glowing bed of anything should work as a forge.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Am a missing a big part somewhere? Could be I am still on the first
> cup
> > > > of coffee.
> > > >
> > > > Mike Graf
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > No I think you're as on track as I am so far.
> > >
> > > My contention against lava for media is simply it's low melting point
> and
> > > high silica content. Pumice is silicious to the point that if it
> > > hadn't been
> > > full of disolved gasses when it cooled it'd be obsidian (volcanic
> glass).
> > > Using it would essentially be trying to heat steel with clinker.
> Basaltic
> > > lava is only slightly less silicious generally having a higher iron % in
> > > part why it's much more fluid when molten and why it has a lower melting
> > > point.
> > >
> > > I've had lava rocks (vasicular basalt) fuse together in particularly
> > > fearsome campfires. It wouldn't stand a chance in my forge though
> > > I may have
> > > to fire it up and confirm it if pressed. <grin>
> > >
> > > Melting temp aside I agree, the lower the specific heat the
> > > better for forge
> > > media. Specific heat and density aren't the same thing. However the
> > > distinction can be meaningless to a working device.
> > >
> > > Frosty
> > > ------------------------
> > > If it ain't forged
> > > it ain't real.
> > > Wrought iron is.
> > > The FrostWorks
> > >
> > > Meadow Lakes, AK.
> > >
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