Help me tune my 2BF

fast14riot

fast14riot

Joined
Oct 27, 2010
Messages
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So I built a two brick forge following Charles' design with hollowing it out down the middle, I lined it with a coat of furnace cement and put the hole for the torch on the tangent of the chamber at the top to get the best swirl. It doesn't seem to be getting hot enough. The flame doesn't swirl to the front of the chamber and 1/8" x 1 1/4" 1084 is barely getting non magnetic in a couple spots. I am using the basic plumbers type torch on a porpane bottle right now, I also have Mapp gas.

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This is as the forge was warming up. That is a 1/4" HC tool steel rod in there just to gauge its efficiency.

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After I played around with it for a few minutes I got a little better flame, but still wasn't getting hot enough.

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Should I be able to reach forging temps on that stock easily with this set up? I would move and rotate the piece in the chamber to try and get even heat, but it still wasn't past magnetic. Is it the type of torch I am using? Should I build a Reil type burner instead?

I am at a loss, no one close enough to come by and watch it run to help me tune it. What should I do? I had it running for about an hour so far, it should of been up to temp.


-Xander
 
My guess would be the torch being used doesn't produce enough BTU's. I've got about 10 different ones that I have tested and there is a very big difference between some of them. What torch are you using? Also, you might not want the tip of the torch so far in the chamber. From what I've been told/learned, it should be just barely out of the main chamber, so the flame starts in the chamber.
 
Show what the torch looks like. If it is brass you arent going to get hot enough. You will need something with a swirl flame like the TS8000. I use a TS839 but in a much smaller volume forge. The flame needs to be blue at the nozzle exit, not yellow. Also, I think you may have it angled too much. Bring the nozzle down until it just barely angles and dont stick it all the way into the forge, have it about 3/4 inside the burner opening. Too far and you can ruin the nozzle, not far enough and the flame won't spread. You should be able to get hot enough with propane but I have used Mapp at times.
 
Thanx guys, it was the torch I was using. It was a basic pencil type for doing plumbing. I picked up a TS4000 today and it made all the difference! I still need to fine tune the setup a bit, once I get a safer and semi permanent location for it, but it works an order of magnitude better now. Thanx, Tattoo, for the tips.

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Now to get some real hammers for doing this stuff, a cross pein would be nice!


-Xander
 
Play with moving the torch out and in until you find the sweet-spot. Also, MAPP gas will make a hotter flame. A torch with a hose to attach to a bulk tank will be useful for many things, as well as the heat source for the 2BF. The high output models like TS8000,BZ8250,and similar models produce the best flames for a mini forge.
 
zaph1 said:
Last night, in a dream, I realized that the threaded rods were the handle! I love it!
Click to expand...

Haha, yeah that's why I bent them up that way! I just need to cut down the excess a little bit, but they work great.

I found that a doorknob installation hole saw worked way better than standard holesaws, because they are deeper and the pilot actually made it all the way through the brick but left just about 1/4" of brick for the saw to get through. It is 2 1/8" diameter.


-Xander
 
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