[TheForge] Foundry heat source

[xlch58 at swbell.net]

Craig Schaefer wrote:
> Agreed, you need 'proper' combustion.  I have one of the HF burners in 
> question.  Never have used it as a forge burner, but I have made 
> several of my own forge burners and it isn't rocket science.   Couple 
> of reducing bells and iron pipe and a #59 or so drill bit and I have a 
> couple of burners that can melt steel in a 10x36 pipe forge.   My 
> point wasn't to say you were wrong, but to try out a $20 weed burner 
> instead of running out and investing in hundreds of dollars worth of 
> burners before you know what you need. Does my forge make efficient 
> use of propane?  Likely not as the forge is stored outside, in the 
> rain and I have to burn the water out of the kaowool before it gets 
> hot, but it does get hot and that's what it's about-- getting started!
>
> CraigS
>
I bought one of those Harbor Freight weed burners years ago for 
preheating stuff for welding.  About a year after I got it, it evidently 
started leaking around the trigger.  Small leak that went unnoticed 
until one day the tip ignited the leaking gas and the whole unit started 
to burn along with my sleeve.   No injury other than missing arm hair, 
and a little more excitement than I wanted that morning.

Charles