[TheForge] Ceramic chip forge

[Jerry Frost]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Robinson" <robi5515 at bellsouth.net>

> I don't know if this is a real concern or not, but I wonder if waste oil
> would contaminate the forge interior enough to interfere with forge
welding.
> I sure wouldn't use old motor oil because of the metal particulate
> contamination, but even  the salt in old cooking oil might create welding
> problems.
> Chuck
>

It's a good question. I don't think used motor oil is a good choice for a
forge either but I've heard of it being done. Years ago there was a fellow
down under subbed on who used old motor oil, heating oil and most waste oils
available in his forges.

A couple years ago I was talking to a caster and metallurgist who told me
fuel oil was a bad thing with too much sulfur and other "bad" things. My
high school metal shop had a fuel oil fired forge and it did a sweet job
though I must admit we didn't examine the metallurgy of the steel after
forging.

I may experiment with fuel oil one of these days but for the near future I'm
only planning on using waste oil to heat the shop.

Frosty
------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.