Forced Air Burner Forge Build

I would keep an eye on it for leaks. Solonoides that are designed for combustible gules with heave seals made out of viton or buna. Silacon seals are not designed for fuels and will not hold up. How long that is I don’t know but that’s what the experts say lol
 
JTknives said:
I would keep an eye on it for leaks. Solonoides that are designed for combustible gules with heave seals made out of viton or buna. Silacon seals are not designed for fuels and will not hold up. How long that is I don’t know but that’s what the experts say lol
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I'll be on it with the soap and water frequently to monitor for leaks. Thanks for the info.
 
Hmm... I bought the same solenoid, and I just noticed the disclaimer: WARNING: Not for use with flammable gas or liquid. This valve is NOT explosion proof.

Granted, I'm using it in ADDITION to a ball valve just as an additional safety if my fan cuts out, but I'm a little dubious about the seal type now.

Just to caution you with soap tests, that's really only good for checking "fitting" leaks, not necessarily seal leaks. If your valve seals leaks by, you won't see bubbles at your fitting threads, but you will still be getting gas letting through to your burner.
 
If a tire said, "Not for highway use", would you put it on your car and drive the family on a trip????
If an item said, "Not for human consumption", would you server it to guests????
If a solenoid said, "Not for flammable gas", why would you use it in a forge build?????

If the solenoid isn't rated "Fuel Gas', or "Propane", take it out off the burner NOW. I am not saying it will explode today, but it will fail and probably will cause a fire. Get a valve made to carry propane at 30 PSI.

I'll be blunt - Don't be stupid to save a dollar!
 
You might be able to just order the seals. Thy come apart real easy. At least my read head does
 
I have seen those low cost solenoids and thought they would make good main shutoff valves. However, I wondered how they will hold up to cycling in a PID control situation. I always go with Red Hat 120VAC valves rated for propane. Sure they are more expensive, but IMHO worth it. I have never seen one of those simple solenoids used for an industrial control. They are mainly used for shutoff of propane lines in RVs and Campers and similar situtions..
 
Well... I just bought some cheap ones off of amazon for this exact purpose. I’ll let you know how they hold up!!

I do have a couple red hat solenoid bodies, but the valves are the wrong type. I’ll probably get some rebuild kits from them and get them working, but in the interim I’ll be using cheap Chinese built ones...
I figure 40$ two ain’t so bad...
 
You know, I have never considered rebuilding a non-flammable gas red hat with the right seals for propane? I might look into that, as I come across the wrong type for very low prices all the time. I may check that out. Thanks for the idea.
 
So I’ve got a general PID question for you guys... I’ve got an Auber Ins. PID and I’m thinking about running a couple of 12 v solenoids with it. Since I’m not running 120v to power the solenoids, do you think I need SSRs?
 
12 volts doing what??? 12 volts at 50 amps would need a heat sink. 12volts running a light bulb, no problem.
 
So I did some research and the answer is no. the PID I have has two output settings 120v 3amps and 8 v 350mA. Neither of those is compatible with the solenoids I have. Just gonna have to use the ssr to control a 12v power supply. Not a big deal!!
 
Sorry, I totally misread the question.
Yes, you will need to use SSRs to control the solenoids, regardless of the solenoid voltage used ( 120VAC or 12VDC). *

I was referring to the heat sinks on the SSRs. If they are carrying much current, then a Heat Sink is advisable.

* For those who ask why? - Directly connecting a controlled device that has a coil and a metal core (transformer or solenoid) to an output circuit on a device like a PID may damage the PID. The coil creates a voltage spike every time it collapses (power is shut off). This spike can play hell with some electronic circuit types. We old guys used to call it "fly-back" voltage. Modern devices are less vulnerable to this due to diode protection, but it is far better to isolate the controlled device from the controlling device by way of an SSR , opto-isolator, isolation transformer, etc..
 
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In regards to the cheap amazon BACOENG solenoid (2W-025-08):




https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010LT30HE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

& (Both are the same Valve (2W-025-08))

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018WRJYR2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Hi James,

Thanks for your reply.
Yes, our valve(Brand BACOENG) has viton seals and can be used with propane. If you need it, please order it on Amazon directly.
Hope my reply is helpful for you.

BR
Zoe
BACOENG Customer Service
 
Little Update:

Worked with the forge for around 3-4 hours today. Performed well. Got to welding temps easily yet was still able to tune down when needed.

It didn't fall apart with semi-prolonged use... so that's good!

I closed the doors and left the steel in it too cool slowly before grinding. It was still 300 degree 6 hours later.

Here was the cost:

 
Hey guys,

I plan on building a new forge cart out of steel... The wood one just isn't cutting it.

Do yall have suggestions on optimal forging height?

Also what features do yall like in a forge cart? (casters, tool storage, shelves, etc)

Thanks for any input!
JKeeton
 
The funny thing about non fuel gas rated seals. The quick connects I bought from high temp tools way back in the day work amazing to this day. I looked them up becaus I wanted more. Come to find out thy are not rated for fuels. Thy have never leaked or had any problems in 10 years. But thy no longer sell this style of disconnect.
 
I'm planning on this... or a design similar to this one with only one front leg out of 2x3x1/8 square. With a single, centered front leg I could Put a single "cart-rolling-around" handle that folds down on a hinge.

Cheers,
JK

 
Cart v2.0:

This is what I ended up with. It's about $60 worth of drops from my local welding supply shop. The back legs are 2x2x0.25 angle iron and the front leg is 2x2x0.125. Most of the rest of it is 1.5x1.5x0.125 angle. Had the wheels left over from an old welding cart.

I changed the piping around some to mount my blower more cleanly to the frame and also position the air and needle valve control in a more advantageous position.

I also put a handle on the front that folds down on a hinge.... All in all this is much more robust... and fire proof than my previous cart!

I plan on forging some hooks to attach to the sides of it to hang tools, strikers, etc. Also I want to attach a power strip to it somewhere with an extension cord.




Cheers,
JKeeton
 
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