Another Forge Idea

Very Nice, and informitive, Tim. I wonder if the clay needs to be red, or if I could use the native clay, which is what we call "blue clay" around here in the Northwest. Also is there any way to 'damp-proof' it to allow for the wet weather?

Thanks again for the nice post.

Rick
 
Nice idea.
but I found two problems: 1. most gas bottles I found are butane or a butane-propane mix.
Does butane work too?
2. insted of clay, you you use concrete, even isolating concrete with the white small balls in?

greetz and thanks, Bart.
 
I am pretty sure just about any clay will work. The ashes in the mix make it into a primitive fire clay and can make borderline clays thicker and usable. Most people think adobe has to have straw in it, but when I experimented with straw it seemed to burn it out of the adobe and left hollow spots and the crucible was weaker and easily broken. Without the straw it's pretty tough. Almost like pottery. I would be careful using concrete. I haven't tried it but my guess is that it will crack with the high heat. Maybe even radically and explode into pieces, so be careful.
You can use other gases. I have used Mapp gas in it too and it burns hotter but is expensive. Propane is the cheapest in my area.

[This message has been edited by lively (edited 07-12-2000).]
 
Over here, butane and sometimes a butane-propane mix is all you find. And camping-gas bottles, whatever that may be. Never seen mapp gass bottles, maybe I should look better. About the concrete, I was not referring to regular concrete, but the white-gray fireproof stuff used inside ovens and stuff. You can even make it lighter and more isolating by putting styropor balls in it, which melt and leave bubbles in the concrete. You can even coat the inside with ceramic wool, used in chimney's. Once you have a mould to pour those oven's, you can make the rapidly, so if one cracks, you just take the next. The mould itself shouldn't be such a problem. One big barrel(50cm diameter), half filled with fireproof concrete, and a smaller cylinder (10 cm diameter) , with the ceramic wool on the outside to make the interior. Use a diamant tube drill to make the hole. Or two.
Sound like a good idea, right or wrong?
 
Sounds like it will work to me. Whatever is readily available that will work safely is always the best choice.
 
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