[TheForge] Induction Forge?

[Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer]

It's easy to imagine a single inverter driven machine that is a 
forge, stick, wire and TIG welder as well as a plasma cutter.... 
I want one please and would have a whole bunch of stuff to 
trade!....Pete F

Ries Niemi wrote:
> Electrically, I think its pretty  similar to an inverter welder- so the 
> only power draw when its not heating metal is a fan, and the pump on the 
> coolant radiator.
> Electrical consumption is pretty minimal.
> Grant, who, like me, lives in Western Washington, where we benefit from 
> dirt cheap Bonneville Power Administration electric rates, says it runs 
> about 40 cents an hour for him to run it.
> He says its cheaper than propane, and since the induction machine is 
> only working a fraction of the time, its probably a lot cheaper in the 
> long run.
> It has a couple of timers built in- a heat timer, and a dwell timer, 
> which keeps the piece hot once its up to heat- both are adjustable, 
> along with the amps, to make it possible to fine tune it to perfectly 
> heat any size or shape piece. You can hook up foot pedal to initiate the 
> cycle, so you put in your metal, hit the foot pedal, and then, say, 14 
> seconds later, take it out.
> No warm up period- I am pretty sure it uses SCR's just like an inverter 
> welder does.
> And I know my inverter welder beats the pants off my transformer 
> welders, and uses less power as well to get the same amperage.
> As someone who has spent well over 10 grand on my various welders, I 
> dont see the $3800 price tag as a big issue- but I am a working shop, as 
> opposed to a hobby type.
> The price is about equivalent to a well setup 300amp tig machine. And I 
> have 2 of those.
> Like Jim, this thing is definitely on my "to buy" tool list.
> 
> ries
> 
> On Aug 19, 2006, at 4:55 PM, Jerry Frost wrote:
> 
>> I wasn't trying to suggest anybody work harder than they want to. Oh 
>> heavans NO!
>>
>> All I was pointing out is induction isn't limited to straight items.
>>
>> On the other hand speed and especially fine control is a good thing 
>> when you want or need it. Heck, next to noise heating anything that 
>> gets close is the most common complaint I hear about propane forges.
>>
>> So far we don't have electrical rationing but we spend a bit for what 
>> we get so elec consumption is a factor here too. One of the practical 
>> aspects I don't know is it's power consumption. Is it drawing all the 
>> time or does it just idle along till you put something in it? Can you 
>> turn it off and on or does it have to "warm up"?
>>
>> There're a lot of things I don't know about induction heating beyond 
>> the shallowest understanding of the basic principle. I don't know if 
>> it's practical on my scale of operation or even affordable to run. I 
>> am interested though, I see a lot of potential. <grin>
>>
>> Frosty
>> -------------------------------
>> If it ain't forged
>> it ain't real.
>> Wrought iron is.
>> The FrostWorks
>>
>> Meadow Lakes, AK.
>>
>> http://www.artmetalradio.com/
>>
>> From: "Michael" <michael.a.porter at comcast.net>
>>
>>
>>> Frosty,
>>> Perhaps; on the other hand, the very first complaint heard about my tube
>>> forge design was that it made the operator "work to hard." How fast 
>>> we need
>>> to heat the metal depends on how fast the work is done. With multiple 
>>> parts
>>> heating in the forge, very fast hammering indeed would be needed to 
>>> outstrip
>>> the forge's heating speed. Such fast hammering would be more likely with
>>> production work than fine art.
>>>
>>> Induction sounds quite promising, but I'm far from abandoning the 
>>> premise
>>> that "one shoe does not fit all." Nor would I jump too quickly into deep
>>> dependency on electrical use--not for the urban smith. In Seattle for
>>> instance, penalties for electrical use beyond a fairly minimal amount 
>>> can
>>> send utility bills into the stratosphere. Just running the air 
>>> conditioner
>>> in summer's heat pushes me close to the edge. So, I'm personally 
>>> reluctant
>>> to increase electrical use in my hobbies beyond power tools and a 
>>> 110V MIG
>>> welder. There is a great divide between the needs of the professional 
>>> shop
>>> and the realities faced by husbands defending their garage based 
>>> ambitions
>>> before irate wives :-)
>>> Mikey
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
>> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>> theforge mail list group photo site is
>> http://www.photoaccess.com
>> Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
>> password:  anvil
>> ___________
>>
>>
>>
> Ries Niemi
> Industrial Artist
> 
> http://www.RiesNiemi.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Manage membership or unsubscribe at:
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> theforge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login:  blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> password:  anvil
> ___________
> 
> 
> 
>