[TheForge] Gas Forge Recommendation

[don schad]

I did a little web search, and as you pointed out, I couldn't find
much detail regarding such a forge.  So I will post a couple of things
that I am musing about.

if I have a burner pointed at the bottom of a cube of ceramic balls, I
presume that there is going to be a frustum of a cone-of-heat formed,
with the widest part of the cone furthest from the burner and of
larger diameter then where the burner is aimed (i.e. a cone balanced
on it's blunted tip).  I assume that the primary factor controlling
the size of the large end of the hot-zone (i.e. the useable area) for
a given depth of balls will be the ceramic-ball size, with smaller
balls (to a point) yielding a wider, albeit cooler cone.

So if our input is a "typical" 3/4" naturally asiprated pipe and
Tweco-tip forge burner, what sort of depth and usable hot area would
we be able to achive(assuming "usable" means orange to yellow)?  What
are the typical/resonable/proven parameters for such a forge (depth of
balls, diameter, burner size)?

Thanks,

don


On 7/12/05, Keporter at aol.com <Keporter at aol.com> wrote:
> Chuck
> There isn't very much to  visualize. Just think about the  construction of a
> regular coal fired forge, replacing the coal  with broken refractory brick
> (home made ceramic balls of castable  refractory are better), change out the
> tuyer for a refractory portal  and gas burner, and then make a few other changes,
> like making the forge body  out of heavy kiln shelving (or castable
> refractory) in order to take  the heat, and your in business.