[TheForge] Gas Forge Recommendation

[Jerry Frost]

Build your own. <grin>

Naturally aspirated or blown, either is easy enough.

I run a 1" naturally aspirated "Jet Ejector" type burner in a double lined 
pipe forge that welds easily and if you're not watchful will melt your work.

The forge's inner liner is 3/4" of high phosphate rammable refractory rated 
at 4,000*f (working) and the outer liner is 1" of 8 oz. Kaowool. If I build 
another pipe forge it'll get at lest 2" of Kaowool.

My burner is basically about $9.00 (Alaska $) worth of plumbing, lamp rod, a 
brass fitting and a 0.045" mig tip.

As said the main expense is the Kaowool or equivalent, regulator and propane 
hose.

A few other thoughts on building a forge:

Occasionally a thread will arise on the pros and cons of "naturally 
aspirated" vs. "blown" burners and in years past the threads have gotten WAY 
more heated than they should. Truth is both have strengths and weaknesses, 
none of which are deal killers. In short, either type burner will achieve 
welding heat if properly tuned. Either will scale your work to pieces if 
improperly tuned. Both are good.

First is the shell. Regardless of shape you need something to contain the 
refractory, support the burner(s), work, etc. You do NOT need a piece of 
1/4" pipe or similar thickness for a box forge shell. Not unless you plan on 
heating pieces weighing hundreds of lbs. anyway.

If I do another pipe forge I'm using stove pipe for the shell with this 
caveat, I'm equipped and able to weld light gage steel and SS. Of course you 
can pop rivet all the hardware with equally good results.

Ralph Sproul sells an excellent forge plan with a variable volume. With a 
couple cranks on a trailer jack you can raise or lower the lid and position 
fire brick sidewalls to make a custom size forge. You can do it on the fly 
with tongs. My next propane forge will be based on Ralph's design.

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

Meadow Lakes, AK.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Keith Holmes" <keith at rcelectric.org>
To: "Theforge at Mailman.Qth.Net" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 1:36 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Gas Forge Recommendation


> Does anyone have a recommendation or preference on what brand of gas
> forge to purchase?
>
> Keith "Sparky" Holmes
>
>
>
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