Solar forging? (was Re: [TheForge] crackpottery)

[Ralph Sproul]

	Erik,  I don't do it all the time..........BUT - just to say I've done it
.......... in the past I have taken my foot pedal hooked to my Big 50 Diesel
welder and put two ground clamps on the cables connected to a 1/4 x 1 flat
bar.  When you lay into the foot pedal and feed about 375 amps into the
piece of flat bar - it gets to forging heat in short order!!  :-)    Fun
demo, but not real practical.

	You need to have a welder that is capable of 300 amps with a 100% duty
cycle.  My machine will put out 375 amps full time.  A shop machine (like a
large tig welder) would do it - but don't try it with a small welder -
you'll fry the panel, on-off switch, or weakest link in the machine if you
do.

	It's great to see people's reaction to the diesel pulling down and the flat
bar turning cherry red.   ..........well, maybe I got the biggest kick out
of it - not them.   :-)

	This demo really doesn't fit into the solar discussion - but it is a pretty
hairbrained idea - so I guess it qualifies for posting under crackpottery.
............I just wonder how Mike and Frosty are gonna take to me turning
their satelitte dish recycling thread into a More Power disertation
............and top this one??  (smirk)

Ralph

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Erik Gutfeldt
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 6:15 PM
To: The Forge
Subject: Solar forging? (was Re: [TheForge] crackpottery)


On Dec 12, 2005, at 11:11 AM, Tod Estes wrote:
> Mythbusters tried to replicate that, No luck. Drats.

Yeah, but a bunch of students at MIT had a bit more success:

http://web.mit.edu/2.009/www/lectures/10_ArchimedesResult.html

Though still unlikely that Archimedes was able to burn up ships with
a mirror.

 From their calculations, the sun provides (Solar insolation) 1000 W
per square meter. So how many watts do you need for forging?  Hmm 4.7
cuibic foot 2350F ceramic kiln draws 30A @ 240V = 7200W That's 7.2
square meters, or about 78 square feet. I guess that would fit in my
back yard...

OTOH, said kiln takes 5.5 hours to reach temperature. I guess the
strength of my hammer arm won't be the limiting factor anymore :)

Anyone out there use electric power for forging? Yeah, welding fer
sure, but forging?

Erik


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