[TheForge] Gas Forge Recommendation

[keporter at comcast.net]

-------------- Original message -------------- 

> The ceramic thermal mass in a gas forge sounds interesting. 
> 
> The Melon Ball fruit tool to make up small clay / ceramic balls 
> for "heat soaking" ceramics forge welding in a gas forge 
> ... brought up a couple thoughts for me. One reason my little 
> whisper momma forge heats up so quickly, is that essentially it has 
> no thermal mass. The kao-wood lining is very light stuff, but a 
> good insulator. 
> 
> I bought some "anti borax" for gas forge welding, but continue to 
> have problems getting a gas forge welds. 
> 
> Confessions, but even with my coal forge and clean coked 
> coal, Getting consistent forge welds is a pain. 
> 
> So on my "to do" list is to get some cone 8 or so ceramic clay, and 
> make up a bunch of little melon balls. I know that they will have to 
> be super dry, and probably have to "pre bisk" them in a convention 
> oven, as I don't have access to a ceramic kiln. Figure that it 
> might be worth the effort to see how the little whisper momma does 
> on some sample forge welds, with the firebox semi filled 
> with ceramic. If not, well I thought it sounds like a pregnant idea. 
> 
> Dann 
> 
Experimentation is almost always a good thing. You should be able to use either the gas or coal forge to dry and then heat cure the ceramic balls. The coal forge, with a good sized gas burner retrofited, along with kiln tiles (these are 1/4" to 3/8" by aprox. 5" x 5") lining your flame intrance to protect the firebox area from the intense flame heat would allow you to use the coal forge as your ceramic chip forge, at least on a temporary basis. I would not personally deliberately load a Whisper forge  with thermal mass. The purpose of thermal mass is to raise temperatures in a given environment (area) beyond what a burner normally could provide by overpowering the normally expected thermal losses. We could call this thermal loading. The point being that your forge wasn't designed to be treated this way, and my nickle says you'll trash the insulation; why go there?
Mike P. 

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