[TheForge] atmospheric forges getting hot

[Ries Niemi]

On Monday, May 30, 2005, at 08:17 AM, Chuck Robinson wrote:

> I'd like to hear from anyone who uses an atmospheric propane burner of 
> any design that actually has accurately measured a forge temperature 
> hotter than 2500 F-
> with out usig auxilliary O2,  compresser air or a blower boost.
> Chuck
>

Chuck- I am pretty sure mine does, but I have never measured it.
Mine is an atmospheric design developed by the amazing Phillip Baldwin. 
Starting at Carbondale in the late 70's, Phillip and a few others have  
been refining atmospheric forge burners.
He manufactures MokeMegane, and he needs controllable high temps for 
his processes- he has digitally controlled propane forges and furnaces 
that are capable of quite high temps.
The forge I am currently running, which is one of his latest designs, 
is a cast refractory cylinder, with cast refractory ends. 2" of kaowool 
is wrapped around the outside- none on the inside. The burner itself 
features a Baldwin forged from pipe mixing chamber, and a cast 
refractory burner tip that is approximately 4" in diameter, with maybe 
40 small orifices, each about 1/8" in diameter. Air/gas mix is 
controlled by a sliding gate well before the burner.
You might email Phillip at his website- www.shiningwave.com
and ask him more about his designs.
He forge welds in them all the time, and does a wide variety of highly 
controlled mokeme, as well as ferrous laminations. He also uses them 
for accurate heat treating of knives and swords- they are probably just 
what you are looking for.

Me, I am just an ignorant user of them- but Phillip has evolved these 
designs over 20 years, and he really knows what he is doing. They are 
quiet, very hot, and very nice forges to use.

ries