Subject: Re: Help on Forge??
From: [email-masked]
Date: 17 Dec 93 07:43:36 -0500
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] writes:
> For my propane forge I scrounged a regulator from a gas grill. It works ok 
> for general forge work, but I'm not sure I can get it up to welding heat. 
> I'm still playing with the oriface diameter, so I still have hope.

I've just assembled a 18" long LP forge (using a 12" diameter well pipe),
dual burners (each burner consisting of 3" of 2" OD black pipe swaged
down to 1", welded to 4" of 1" OD black pipe, with a 1/2" pipe nipple
running at right angles through the 2" section, 1.5" from the wide end,
with an orifice made with a #60 drill bit.  I welded a 1/2" nut (drilled
out to allow the nipple to slip through) over 1 of the holes in the 2"
section and equipped the nut with a small cap screw to act as a lock
mechanism).  Refractory consists of a lining of K-28 fire bricks and a
bed of castable refractory.  The gas regulator was a standard adjustable
reg (0-15 psi), stocked by my local propane company.  The beast eats
a 20lb propane tank in 3-4 hrs when wide open, hits welding temperatures
for wrought-iron/O1 Damacus without any real problems, and does this
without a blower or even pre-heaters.  I'm moving onto a more
sophisticated design so as to cut gas consumption, but...total cost so
far (including the reg) is < $50.00 (your mileage may vary).  I'm
impressed with how easy it was to put the beast together.

Steve Bloom, IronFlower Forge ([email-masked])