Forge burner question, JP-8??? Looking for a heat source for Iraq, besides the sun.

S

stefanj

Joined
Aug 5, 2007
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I'm trying to come up with ideas on how to make a heat source which would allow me to forge knives in my off time in Iraq?
I have another guy who wants to forge but comming up with ideas on how to make a burner/heat source is difficult.
Propane is hard to come by. I am not sure on the cost of coal but JP8 is readily available to me.

What do you suggest?
 
A Solar Forge, It looks like a big fresnel lens, but may be limited on how big an item you can heat, or at least how quickly you can heat it. I've seen a claim that 2500:1 concentration can easily burn through 1/4" steel. The big screen TV lenses are about 4' x 3', approximately a square meter, and will focus to a square centimeter for 10,000:1. You could back out of the focus and heat 4 square centimeters at 2500:1, but that's still only about a 3/4" square and the surface will heat much quicker than the inside. Getting farther from the focus may help. The intensity of the light will require a welding helmet, maybe an auto darkening one would allow you to see what you're doing when you get to the anvil.

Jason

Paraphrased from:: http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/solar-powered-forge-4620/index2.html
 
How about you modify one of the drip stove burners and insulate the stove body with satanite. We used to get the stove body white hot if we turned it up to high, should generate enough heat to forge if insulated properly. If I remember, they ran off of JP-8...
 
During my last tour in the Middle East, prior to retiring, I built myself a tiny forge using two fire bricks, and a large "rosebud" tip on an oxy/acty torch setup. Everyone in the unit knew what I did, and the folks in the motor pool were happy to let me use their equipment (thats where I would forge when I was off duty) Most of the time it was tough finding the time as we were working 12-16 hour days, 7 days a week.
 
Hhhmmmm some neat ideas. I will be under relatively austere conditions which will severely restrict what have available. I'm guessing I will have to buy some coal there and build a bellows.

My uncle built a solar oven once.
 
Stefan, you can use the waste motor oil from when they change out the oil from the vehicles/generators or whatever has lubricating oil in it, you can talk to the spoons and burn used fryer oil as long as it doesn't have water in it. Just need something to hold it, something to control the flow rate into the burner tube and an air source.

There's another BF member over there at least he was headed that way, Whitt, he's heading up one of the training teams IIRC. That's how he and I met, through BF while we were in Kosovo. He's pretty good people for an officer :)
 
Well sir :p no wonder you can't figure out how to get a forge going over there :D I didn't know you were working under the handicap of being an ossifer :D I'll pm you his name.

Edited to add.... well I can't pm you because yours is off. He's an Army Major, got a ranger tab and like the Red Sox :barf: pretty good smith and a great guy. His first name is Ryan since you officers like to call each other by your first names.
 
Ahhh! I've been fighting an urge to say anything about suicide bombers!:barf:
 
Will Leavitt said:
Well sir :p no wonder you can't figure out how to get a forge going over there :D I didn't know you were working under the handicap of being an ossifer :D I'll pm you his name.

Edited to add.... well I can't pm you because yours is off. He's an Army Major, got a ranger tab and like the Red Sox :barf: pretty good smith and a great guy. His first name is Ryan since you officers like to call each other by your first names.
Click to expand...

An what is wrong with the Red Sox's. Whit has god taste.:thumbup::thumbup: Don't forget he plays with some Biga$$ Guns.
 
3173942883_e2a72c5518.jpg


Me, when I was still a young Captain last time in Iraq.


There are many Ryans. Do you know if he is on ArmyRanger.com?
 
I don't want to put his whole name out there as you probably understand.

Email me at will46r AT yahoo.com and I'll shoot you his name.

If you get in good with the DFAC people they barbeque every once in awhile and you could score charcoal from them to forge in if you don't want to go the liquid fuel route. IIRC it's pretty good lump charcoal, at least it was in Kosovo.
 
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