Forget those weed burners

I

itrade

Joined
Jul 3, 2002
Messages
645
(I know many folks on this forum know this information, but in case you don't:)

I've been playing a bit with my weed burner/fire brick forge. Having fun but wasting gas.

Built one of these:

http://www.reil1.net/design1.shtml#Preface

There's a lot of burner designs on that page. I built the side-arm burner:

http://www.geocities.com/zoellerforge/sidearm.html

These are naturally aspirated = simpler design than having a blower. If you follow the instructions and use the 1:12 flared nozzle this design rocks!

Parts list for mine:

1 1/4" x 3/4" x 1 1/4" reducing tee
8" 3/4" pipe nipple
3" 1" flared pipe nozzle
1 1/4" plug
1/8" brass nipple
1/8" brass cap with #60 drilled hole for a jet
propane control knob from a Coleman stove (temporary until I get a regulator.

This baby is soooo much hotter than the weed burner and uses far less fuel, and is adjustable, and quieter, and ....


Steve
 
The few people I've talked to who use the side-arm burner love it. Heck, even the EZ burner with an unflared nozzle I built years ago works better than my forge needs. These are super simple to build from readily available plumbing parts and if designed with a choking mechanism very adjustable. Once I found Ron's web page I never even considered using a weed burner. I really should build one of the better burners, right now I'm in the process of building my first forced air burner and upright forge (which should have been finished 6 months ago! Where does the time go?) :D
 
Just curious, but why a forced air burner? These negative pressure nozzles seem like a logical thing to me.

Steve
 
I just finished replacing my burners with the side arm burners, thy are a breeze to build and work great and are almost fool prof. The NCTool burners I had were a joke in compression, Thy scale way to much and did not put out enough heat. Here is a pic. Gib

fimage001.jpg
 
Holy Crap is that a big forge, Gib! If you fire up all the burners you'ed need a 200 lb tank! I like it.

Clint
 
No Clint a 20gal tank does just fine and a 10 gal will work for a while. The point of the forge is that I can heat treat a 32" sword with out moving the forging. I also can run 1 burner or more at a time from either end. One more thing I have to do next week is to build doors for both ends with ports so all the heat stays in the fir box as it is this really wasts heat. Gib
 
How come you burners are on top? Dont you get a chimney effect when running causing you to run at a higher pressure to offset the rising heat? And how do you keep your jets from getting fried when you shut down. I built this same burner design. My burners are flareless there at the 10 oclock positon( round forge flat bottom) The forge is 12"x 24" with two burners at 25 psi it melts kao wool. I sold this forge and built one that looks like a mail box on the inside rounded top and right side,flat on left and bottom, with the flame introduced at the seven oclocK position,aimed ay 1 oclock one ez burner, the 3/4 x 8 one with the bell reducer on it. It seem It seems that I use gas I have to weld @ 25 psi and a 10 gallon tank lasts 2 days. The jet is # 58 should I change it? Maybe #61 or 62. Also when warm if you decress pressure to 10 it sputters....weird huh...
 
The burners are on top because that is where the people that built it put them. I stop the chimney effect by screwing a 1 1/4" pipe plug in the tee. I also use a wall of koawool behind the last burner running. The burners run fine from 3lb to 25lb thy do have the ss flairs. The jets have not fried yet as this is a tunnel forge cools off fast that is why the doors are being built, the doors will be quick opening so it be cooled of quick. I cant help on jet size I am still experimenting. I will keep you posted. Gib
 
Wow! Gib. What'a forge!

Looks like a clean installation of those burners. Can't imagine running that thing in AZ heat!

Hmmm, maybe I should make one bigger than I need for just such an occasion as a big knives.

Steve
 
Steve that is why I got this one, I had orders for some 16 to 28" blades and a forge 12" long just don't cut it. Gib
 
I run a vertical forge with a blower because I have more control and better fuel efficiency.

Nick
 
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