[TheForge] Re: Chip forge

[Jerry Frost]

Okay, I should start thinking these things through a little before making 
comments.

On further thought a fluidized bed shouldn't really be all that hard to make 
work. I don't know how practical it would be as this idea might damage work 
in the bed.

So, how do you fluidize a bed? You force something through it at the media's 
terminal velocity right? In the case of a fluidized heating furnace it's the 
terminal velocity of the "chips" in burning gas/air. In the case of certain 
gold extraction devices it's the velocity of water/chemical mix through 
crushed gold bearing ore.

Same principle at work and sin use for a LONG time.

Using a (to choose a term arbitrarily) "Terminal Velocity" fluidized bed (TV 
f/b) would be finicky for sure.

So, harking back to the halcion days when Father and I hung in the Sierras, 
fishing and panning and further associating with Woody (the inventor) I 
recall another fluidizing method. Again this technique was used extensively 
in the gold/mineral extraction industry. And again to arbitrarily choose a 
term I'll call it a "Vibrating Table" fluidized bed (VT f/b) <grin>

That's it, keep the media fluidized by vertically vibrating the table. 
Nothing finicky about it at all. However the vibration might damage delicate 
parts.

Good grief Mike! Who in their right mind would want to dispose of perfectly 
good sludge?

Crazy Nipponese!

<grin>

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

Meadow Lakes, AK.

http://www.artmetalradio.com/

From: "Mike Spencer" <mspencer at tallships.ca>


>
> Frosty quoth:
>
>> I suppose if you used a small gradation of chips, say passing a -20
>> seive, conduction would become the significant transfer. (vehicle?)
>> The problem with using fines as chips is forcing the flame through
>> it without blowing it out of the forge. Not impossible I supppose
>> but I'll bet it'd be really finicky to set up and use.
>
> Which leads to fluidized bed technology.  A quick google leads me to
> believe that "finicky to set up" may be exactly right.
>
>> Every time you put a piece of steel in it it'd change the flow
>> patterns and some media would fall out of suspension and some would
>> get blown out of the fire.
>
> Yeah, stuff like that. I spotted the mention of "at least 70 CFM, at
> 2-3 PSI, per square foot of surface area of the diffuser plate" for a
> fluidized bed burner/furnace/forge air feed.
>
> Nevertheless, this:
>
>> Comments from people who have used chip forges say it can be hard to
>> push small or delicate work into the chips.
>
> would be solved with a fluidized bed.
>
> I don't suppose many of us want to build what's pictured here:
>
>     http://nett21.gec.jp/JSIM_DATA/WASTE/WASTE_5/html/Doc_509_1.htm
>
> in the back yard. :-)  OTOH, this guy at Ryerson:
>
>    http://www.ryerson.ca/~mecheng/fluidbedlab.shtml
>
> might be worth talking to if one wanted to pursue the subject.
>
>
> - Mike
>
> --