[TheForge] Induction Forge?

[Jerry Frost]

Thanks for the rundown Ries.

Even with our higher elec rates it isn't hard to 
imagine it being cheaper to run than propane; it cost 
me $50 to fill my 100lb bottle a few weeks ago. <sigh> 
I about died a few years ago when my folks told me they 
had electric heat in the new house. It took a few 
seconds to remember Grand Coulee is only an hour or so 
from their place. You can't sell a house with electric 
heat here, the elec bills run higher than the mortgage.

I haven't been involved heavily in welding since 
inverter welders started getting popular so I don't 
know much about them. I'll be checking into them 
though, I have a new shop in the making and need some 
tools and equipment to fill in all the space. <grin>

I'm thinking Pete has a good point about an induction 
forge "control/adapter/?" that plugs into a base welder 
for power. The pics make this seem likely as they show 
a power(?) unit and a cooling/control(?) unit. If so 
just buying the control unit and using your existing 
welder for power would make it a lot more affordable.

Not pumping out a lot of waste heat is a good thing 
even here though it isn't a seriously bad thing in 
winter. It's still WASTE heat and I can heat my shop a 
LOT cheaper with a stove than the forge.

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

Meadow Lakes, AK.

http://www.artmetalradio.com/

From: "Ries Niemi" <rniemi at fidalgo.net>


> 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
>