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Date

08-25-2007

Posted by Guy King on August 25, 2007, 2:50 pm

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From time to time I find I need to heat a bit of metal up rather more
thoroughly than I can manage with a blowtorch. Being an adventurous sort
I thought I'd make a tiny hearth, probably similar to this barbecue

http://www.skipweasel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bbq/index.html

only with a smaller bottle and perhaps vertical instead. I can arrange
some sort of blower without trouble using one of several redundant
vacuum cleaners lying about.

What I need to know is what do I fuel it with, and from where do I get it?

I'm only looking to raise bits of steel to a heat where I can bend them
more easily than cold. I'd like to keep smoke to a minimum as I get on
well with the neighbours and would like to keep it that way - not that
I'll be using it often but every bit helps.

Thanks...

--
Skipweasel
We have always been at war with Iran. [George Orwell - almost]

Posted by Trevor Jones on August 25, 2007, 4:25 pm

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Guy King wrote:

> From time to time I find I need to heat a bit of metal up rather more

> thoroughly than I can manage with a blowtorch. Being an adventurous sort

> I thought I'd make a tiny hearth, probably similar to this barbecue

> http://www.skipweasel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bbq/index.html

> only with a smaller bottle and perhaps vertical instead. I can arrange

> some sort of blower without trouble using one of several redundant

> vacuum cleaners lying about.

> What I need to know is what do I fuel it with, and from where do I get it?

> I'm only looking to raise bits of steel to a heat where I can bend them

> more easily than cold. I'd like to keep smoke to a minimum as I get on

> well with the neighbours and would like to keep it that way - not that

> I'll be using it often but every bit helps.

> Thanks...

Do a google search for "naturally aspirated burner". Lots of
blowerless designs out there, up to being able to melt iron for casting.
Lots of heat! (Nothing wrong with blown forges, but they do need a plug-in)

Most of the designs are propane fired, some natural gas.

Would make a nice quiet stand-alone rig that did not have to be
plugged in.

I've been playing with the idea of converting an old BBQ to a melting
furnace, to do a little bit of casting.

Lot's of info online on gas forges. Better insulating material equals
more heat/less fuel burnt. You can make a damn fine forge without
getting tied in knots over getting the last degree of efficiency out of
the burner too.

Cheers
Trevor Jones

Posted by Guy King on August 26, 2007, 3:58 am

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> Most of the designs are propane fired, some natural gas.

Ah - I hadn't thought of gas. I was thinking of solid fuel. I guess gas
also has the advantage of a lot less smell.

Hmm, lots of food for thought here with "naturally aspirated burner". I
shall now spend another year thinking.

--
Skipweasel
We have always been at war with Iran. [George Orwell - almost]

Posted by r payne on August 26, 2007, 9:13 pm

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Guy King wrote:

> From time to time I find I need to heat a bit of metal up rather more

> thoroughly than I can manage with a blowtorch. Being an adventurous sort

> I thought I'd make a tiny hearth, probably similar to this barbecue

> http://www.skipweasel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bbq/index.html

> only with a smaller bottle and perhaps vertical instead. I can arrange

> some sort of blower without trouble using one of several redundant

> vacuum cleaners lying about.

> What I need to know is what do I fuel it with, and from where do I get it?

> I'm only looking to raise bits of steel to a heat where I can bend them

> more easily than cold. I'd like to keep smoke to a minimum as I get on

> well with the neighbours and would like to keep it that way - not that

> I'll be using it often but every bit helps.

> Thanks...

> --

> Skipweasel

> We have always been at war with Iran. [George Orwell - almost]

For occasional use (how occasional?) a hole in the ground filled with charcoal
(natural lump not briquettes) and a pipe on the end of an old hair drier
works. Or lining any suitable container with wood ash, dirt, cheap kitty
litter or any number of other materials works. If you just need enough heat
to bend steel a blower may not be necessary even with solid fuel. There are a
few blueprints on iforgeiron.com for building forges using various materials
and at various costs.

ron.

Posted by glyford@gmail.com on August 31, 2007, 3:26 pm

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> > I'm only looking to raise bits of steel to a heat where I can bend them.

> For occasional use (how occasional?) a hole in the ground filled with

> charcoal (natural lump not briquettes) and a pipe on the end of an old

> hair drier works.

Actually, for occasional use, even briquettes would probably work. A
shop vac running on a router speed control might be pretty sweet, or
set up your pipe connection so you can dump some of your excess air
pressure and not launch ash everywhere.

Another option is to scare up some insulating firebrick (like from a
pottery or furnace repair place) and fire it either with your existing
torch or something like a weed burner. The enclosure will allow you
to get the metal hotter quicker than in the open air...
--Glenn Lyford

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