Forge Problems

E

Erik Fritz

Joined
Aug 6, 2002
Messages
1,115
The problem is that i can weld for about one hour and then my 40lb bottle freezes up and i cant get enough heat what can i do?..........
 
Either get bigger tanks and regulators,or try a water jacket.Get one of those beer keg plastic tubs.Put the propane tank in it and drill 1" drain holes at the height of the tank neck (don't submerse the valve and regulator). Put a hose in the tub,fill it to the drain holes, and let a slow but steady stream of water flow continuously.That may keep the tank from freezing up.Of course you will need to place the tank outside to let the water run off.
Some fool is probably thinking,"Hey why not use the tub as a quench tank to cool down tongs and stuff!" - Bad idea!!! Red hot metal and propane hoses are a bad mix.
 
Eric.....your best bet is to bite the bullet and get a bigger tank.

I had this problem and got a big tank and I am good to go now.

Greg
 
Ditto on getting a larger tank. I had the same problem until I broke down and got the 100lb tank. Problem solved. You can find them easy enough, Home Despot even carries them. -Chris
 
When ever I get up and running agin I'm going with a couple 50# bottles. Those 100# are getting to be more than what I care to wrestle. Not meaning to highjack this thread but just currious as to what propane prices are running around the country. The highest I can remember seeing it has been $2.29 a gallon in the Portland/Gresham area.
 
Yep , go with a 100 pounder. It makes life much simpler.
I pay $65 for a 100pounder delivered, and I'm in a rural area. bruce
 
100# bottle = 30 gallons? I've never heard of a bottle that size being delivered where I live. I think the smallest they will refill is 100 gallons and they aren't happy to do that. Thats a good deal, birddog.
 
re design the forge. you are useing way to much propane.

blown or venturi burner?
 
I recently had to fill the large bottle for a friend that I was helping. I almost didn't get away from the fill station because I had the tank laying down in the back of my pick-up. It seems that, in FL at least, it is illegal to transport on the side. It must be upright. This is very inconvenient for me so I'll stick with the 20# bottles.
Lynn
 
Sweaney it is a forced air blower. i do have a regulator but no gauge so i am not sure how to go about balanceing propane with air flow
 
is it an adjustable regulator? Try turning it back. a gauge isn't all that necessary if you make a couple marks on the knob when you get it where you want it.


What size gas pipe? 1/4", 1/8" ?
Try necking down the gas pipe a bit. Copper tubeing is great for that, a little cold swadging the tubing, light taps small hammer, slip a drill bit inside and kneck down to the bit. If you mess up you just cut it off and start over.


Choke plate or valve on the air flow?

You just gotta play around with it a bit.

When the dragon breath is shooting out the forge door. It is wasting heat.
A forge should keep most of the heat on the inside.

My forge, welds best when a light yellow is coming out the door.

oh yeah how big is the forge ID and how big is the blower?
 
I agree you should look at your pressures. I also think there are a lot of variables. How big is your forge, what is the outside ambiant temperature and humidity. I run a 9kg cylinder for my back yard set up I can forge weld in my forge 16 inches long10 inch diamiter sumer or winter never had a drop in pressure. A couple of times there has been a front on the bottom. The main time i remember was when i sat the bottle on the lawn. May be even consider if you could use a smaller more ecconomical forge that would require less volume of gas flow.

Appart from that if weight is an issue what about a 2 bottle set up and switch when one freezes. Many rural town run the houses on a 2 bottle set up
 
tacmedic45 said:
The problem is that i can weld for about one hour and then my 40lb bottle freezes up and i cant get enough heat what can i do?..........
Click to expand...
thats your forges way of telling you to stop and have a beer.
 
I have some 20's that I carry in the truck (I'm a farrier)but I rarely use them for welding. I have a 40 that I keep in the shop. I thought about getting a 100 but it would be a pain to carry back and forth especially with the way my truck is loaded.

I tried to get a big tank like folks use for house furnaces but my local supplier won't come out and fill a tank that's used for prtable equipment. They insist on hooking it up and having it remained hooked up and my gas forge needs to be prtable. They claim that they're worried about liability.
 
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