Hello everyone!
I have moved into a larger space here and I am building a larger forge. This will be a blown unit, (which I have never built or used previously.) Naturally, I have a few questions.
First, I know Wayne Coe always is comfortable with 1" insulation. If I use 1" of maybe Mizzou or Kastolite 3000 over the wool layer, can I get away with an 8 cu. ft./lbs. 1" insulation that is a 2300° max? Or is that temp wool too low if I want to get to forge welding temps?
Secondly, my forge skin is a 16-gal barrel. The chamber volume with an inch of insulation and another of castable refractory comes in at 1145 in³. At that volume, I would need several atmospheric burners, but I don't know about a blown system. Would a single, tangentially-set blown burner be enough for that volume? If so, what size is recommended? 16-18" seems deep for a single unit, (but what do I know? ). Longitudinally, where would it need to be in relation to the midpoint?
Finally, without getting into the "burner wars" , would I be better served with a ribbon burner? I don't necessarily want to go that route, because it seems to add a layer of complexity to a possibly finicky system. I believe I would rather have two blown burners than a ribbon, but I am open to being convinced.
The satisfaction of getting a new shop space is lessened by all of the new benches I need to build, woodworking and other equipment to rearrange, and a 2x72" to construct. I am even stressing to get this new forge done so I can move on to other things. I appreciate all of the knowledge advice you folks have for me, especially if you have experience with blown forges. Thanks!
- Chris
I have moved into a larger space here and I am building a larger forge. This will be a blown unit, (which I have never built or used previously.) Naturally, I have a few questions.
First, I know Wayne Coe always is comfortable with 1" insulation. If I use 1" of maybe Mizzou or Kastolite 3000 over the wool layer, can I get away with an 8 cu. ft./lbs. 1" insulation that is a 2300° max? Or is that temp wool too low if I want to get to forge welding temps?
Secondly, my forge skin is a 16-gal barrel. The chamber volume with an inch of insulation and another of castable refractory comes in at 1145 in³. At that volume, I would need several atmospheric burners, but I don't know about a blown system. Would a single, tangentially-set blown burner be enough for that volume? If so, what size is recommended? 16-18" seems deep for a single unit, (but what do I know? ). Longitudinally, where would it need to be in relation to the midpoint?
Finally, without getting into the "burner wars" , would I be better served with a ribbon burner? I don't necessarily want to go that route, because it seems to add a layer of complexity to a possibly finicky system. I believe I would rather have two blown burners than a ribbon, but I am open to being convinced.
The satisfaction of getting a new shop space is lessened by all of the new benches I need to build, woodworking and other equipment to rearrange, and a 2x72" to construct. I am even stressing to get this new forge done so I can move on to other things. I appreciate all of the knowledge advice you folks have for me, especially if you have experience with blown forges. Thanks!
- Chris