Subject: LPG and gosh, gee whiz

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1996 13:03:43 -0400

In a message dated 96-09-03 10:27:25 EDT, you write:

<< 
 While I *strongly* believe we should act responsibly toward the 
 environment, I also, and in some variance, believe it would be a 
 great loss if we all were to switch immediately to gas to fire our 
 forges.  To do so would be to risk losing a body of information that 
 survives only through continued use.  What I think would be a 
 responsible action would be to use the more environmentally friendly 
 gas most of the time, but keep a coal forge also.  Use it when 
 appropriate for the task at hand.  It would be nice if the EPA would 
 recognise limited use of the coal forge would result in reduced 
 pollution, but without carelessly discarding a tradition.  One day, I 
 would also like to experience forging with charcoal, just to look 
 into the past.
 <<

Well I have tried talking to the EPA folks about this exact same thing and
they simply didn't want to talk about it at all...Seems that it's all or
nothing with them.  Now don't get me wrong, I dearly love a coal fired forge,
there are some things that they are better suited for than a gas forge, but
in this day and age well, the writing's on the wall here folks. I don't think
it will be very long before  "big brother" here in the US will start coming
around and telling everyone to stop using coal and go over to something
cleaner....Which will be a shame as there is a lot of skill involkved in
properly building and keeping a coal fired forge working..

<< BTW - I saw the exhibit of "Recent American Blades" this weekend 
 (for the second time!).  Among the finest is one by one Jim 
 Hrisoulas.  I really enjoyed the exhibit, and having you on the net 
 increased my enjoyment of your blade.  Thanks!
 Marrin T. Fleet>>

well gosh....umm...  thank you for the kind words...By the way that is my
"cowboy" knife that I wear while I am stooting SASS matches..I kinda miss
it..

JP Hrisoulas

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 From [email-masked]  Tue Sep  3 10:26:47 1996
 Return-Path: [email-masked]
 Received: from wugate.wustl.edu (wugate.wustl.edu [128.252.120.1]) by e >>

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From: [email-masked] (Dan Hughes)
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 11:19:23 -0400

>Does any one out there have plans for a solar powered forge?
>
>Hochewa
>
How long are your tongs? 90 or so million miles?

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From: "Marrin T. Fleet" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 1996 09:07:21 CST6CDT

As almost a footnote in a reply discussing solar furnaces, you wrote:

> Date:          Fri, 06 Sep 1996 09:40:13 -0400
> From:          [email-masked]
> Subject:       Re: LPG and gosh, gee whiz
 SNIP
> If you want a solar furnace, put up a windmill & a generator.  Use the
> electricity to heat your metal.
> 
> Pete Engle

It dawns on me that electric induction furnaces are used in industry 
for heating metals.  There is a huge coil, and the metal is placed in 
the center of the coil, where an electromagnetic field is induced.  
The nature of the size of the coil induces an overload condition in 
the secondary field-the metal in the center- which then heats up.  
Does this have any practical application for us?

induces a
Marrin T. Fleet
[email-masked]
Admin. Computing Services
The University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee  38152
901-678-3604

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 1996 09:40:13 -0400

In a message dated 96-09-05 08:50:26 EDT, you write:

<<  Does any one out there have plans for a solar powered forge?
 Now you mention it, i've heard about one! Looong time ago, so details
 might be very wrong. I think it's located somewhere in France. A lot of big
 flat mirrors reflect the sunlight to a stationary focusing mirror. The flat
 mirrors follow the sun. In the focal point the temperature gets hot enough
 to melt just about any metal, nice and clean. I'm not sure if it still
exists
 and what it's used for.
 
There is also a BIG solar furnace in the desert in CA.  Its called Solar 1 as
far as I recall.  It's used as a demonstration power plant.  A whole field of
tracking mirrors that reflect the sun at a central receiver that glows
red-orange hot (with coolant flowing through it!)  The problem is not total
heat, its getting hot enough, because as the receiver gets hotter, it
radiates as fast as it absorbs.  Theoretically, you could approach the
temperature (black body equivalent) of the sun, but realistically, forging
temperatures would be tough but achievable.  Oh yeah, the facility takes
about 15 acres of land......

Pete Engle

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From: [email-masked] (David Hoopes)
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 1996 06:11:58 -0500

[snip]
>Does any one out there have plans for a solar powered forge?
I'm still looking for that nuecular one that was mentioned at the 94 ABANA Conf.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Hoopes
[email-masked]
Lenexa, Kansas (Near Kansas City, Mo)