Subject: Re: Am I the only one using LPG??

From: Bill Roberts <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Sep 1996 11:02:56 -0400

[email-masked] wrote:
> 
> I was wonderring due to all this coal discussion going on...Am I the only one
> using LPG as a heat source??  Just curious..
SNIP
> JP Hrisoulas

Jim-
 I wouldn't use anything else(but LPG). I believe that the problem you 
ran into with the EPA concerns will have to be addressed by all the coal 
forgers at some time in the future. The nature of the beast.
 Happy Hammering-
Bill Roberts
Custom Design Metal Arts
3740 NE 40th Pl. Ste. C
Ocala, FL. 34479
[email-masked]
http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/edu/arts/metal/incoming/portflio/broberts

---

From: Donnie Fulwood <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Sep 1996 12:17:20 -0700

[email-masked] wrote:
> The State of Nevada and Clark County basically said that if I was using coal
> as a heat source I would have to install all sorts of scrubbers and emission
> control equipment to deal with all the smoke, soot and other stuff...or else
> they wouldn't issue me a business permit...or else I could switch over to
> gas.... Which I did to prevent all those "problems" so I am curious as to
> whether anyone else is using LPG or is everyone else's AQMD people more
> "understanding"??
> 
> JP HrisoulasHi Jim,
     Here in the southeast the "powers that be" don't bother us too much.
Most of the serious smiths use both depending on what type of job they 
are working on at the time and/or personal preferances. I use coal and 
"natural gas" since I live in a town with a gas supply. Natural gas is 
much less expensive than LP but don't have the BTU that LP provides, 
therefore my gas forge won't quite get up to welding temperatures. I 
have to use the coal forge for welding. I use the gas forge when I'm in a 
hurry or doing production work but since it heats my shop up too much, I 
prefer to use the coal forge except during the winter months.  
     I enjoyed your vidio and book. Nicely done. Keep up the good work.

				Donnie Fulwood
				Editor, Ocmulgee Blacksmith Guild Chapter
				(a Georgia ABANA chapter)

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 1996 09:02:39 -0400

JP Hrisoulas

---

From: Peter Beky <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 1996 16:33:57 +1000

> using LPG as a heat source??  Just curious..

With all this talk of coal, coke, natural gas and LPG, am I the only one that uses *recycled 
oil*?

Peter.

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1996 06:08:05 -0400 (EDT)

> With all this talk of coal, coke, natural gas and LPG, am I the only one 
> that uses *recycled oil*?

Your ventilation system better be good.  Crank oil contains very nasty
stuff.

---

From: [email-masked] (Noller, Joyce)
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 1996 09:22:05 -0700

> With all this talk of coal, coke, natural gas and LPG, am I the only one that uses *recycled
That brings up an interesting question that I've pondered for a long
time.  How feasible would a heating oil fired forge be?  Does anybody
out there have any experience or comments?  Just curious.
Larry

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 1996 18:30:20 -0700

Larry,
  My uncle was a machinist aboard the U.S.S. Bunker Hill during WW II and 
he said the forges aboard that ship were oil fired, took their fuel
from the same tanks the boilers did, and he watched them forge weld in 
them all the time, but never got close enough to see how they were built.
At least, I am certain it is possible, if it worked fifty years ago, we 
should be able to devise something better today!
  Bob

---

From: Dan Nibbelink <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 1996 23:39:38 -0700

> out there have any experience or comments?  Just curious.

Chris Top offers "oil fired forging furnaces" (we call them forges even though they are properly furnaces because they are 
closed heating units). "Oil" for the British might be kerosene, heating oil, diesel, or ?. Does someone know? Heat to 1400C 
(2550F).

He advertises in "British Blacksmith", Price is 1250 pounds +VAT +delivery in summer 96 issue. I believe he has a USA 
representative who was at the Alfred conference.

Chris Topp, Lyndhurst, Carlton Husthwaite, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 2BJ, England
phone 01845-501415,  fax 01845-501072

-- 
Dan Nibbelink
RedHawk Forge
Berthoud, Colorado
[email-masked]
http://www.csn.net/~dannibb

---

From: Peter Beky <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 1996 08:39:50 +1000

> out there have any experience or comments?  Just curious.

My father worked at Port Kembla steelworks many years ago.  They fired 
the blast furnaces there with a mixture of Tar, coal gas and air.  These 
burners were 8 inches in diameter, the tar line 3/4 inch and the tar was 
preheated to run in the lines.  Also my uncle worked in the coal mines 
there in Woolongong as well, he has told me that in the blacksmith shops in 
the pit when he started work they fired their furnaces with a heavy feul 
oil.  As the cost of feul oil started to rise and became comparable with gas, 
they obviously converted over to the cheaper procuct.

Yes, to answer your question, oil predates gas in furnace technology.  The 
original oil burners that I got came from a junk yard, and I think that they 
came from a pit blacksmith shop from what the junk yard guy told me.  I've 
fabricated burners when I have needed to, but it's much easier to search 
the junk yards, and much more rewarding.

Someone mentioned the nasty things in the *crank*? oil.  The oil that I use 
now is not waste.  I buy RF4 Feul oil at AU$0.48/litre, I use between 
10-20 litres on a forging day.  This is an EPA(enviromentally) approved 
oil.  It is just a little thicker than distillate.  This is a mixture of waste 
(*crank*) oil that has been cleaned to remove all additives such as 
anti-foaming agents and other things like metals, blended with straight 
heating oil.  The cost advantage is over straight heating oil which costs 
AU$0.74/litre.

Peter.

---

From: Tom Vincent <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 22:23:49 -0500 (CDT)

We actually checked with the EPA, us RPCV's have a lot of friends in 
those places. We were told that the EPA does not consider blacksmiths to 
be a significant source of emissions, and not to worry. That is different 
than local ordinances-the City of Austin does have an ordinance on the 
books against burning coal. It is generally not enforced because the coal 
they had in mind in the 50's when the ordinance was enacted was high 
sulfur heating coal, so if your neighbors don't mind...