i need a 1 burner heat treating forge. ideas?

Knifemaker87

Knifemaker87

Joined
Jan 2, 2006
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okay the title says it all. i need some help on what to make it from and in what configuration.

i have some of a oxygen tank, left from another forge, it is about 8" wide and about 3 feet long is there any way i can use this and a 3/4" venturi burner to make a heat treating forge? if not... what should i look for?
~Chris
 
That tank should work great. I built one from a section of a 120mm mortar tube. It was just at 10" across so I lined it with 2 inches of Inswool. I've been running it with just a Bernzomatic JTH-7 ran off of a larger propane tank and it works great.

Contact Darren Ellis http://refractory.elliscustomknifeworks.com/. He's got the lining and coating you'll need. He's also got the kits or completed burners as well as a section of pictures of built forges. Really nice guy.

Charles
 
CShepherd said:
That tank should work great. I built one from a section of a 120mm mortar tube. It was just at 10" across so I lined it with 2 inches of Inswool. I've been running it with just a Bernzomatic JTH-7 ran off of a larger propane tank and it works great.

Contact Darren Ellis http://refractory.elliscustomknifeworks.com/. He's got the lining and coating you'll need. He's also got the kits or completed burners as well as a section of pictures of built forges. Really nice guy.

Charles
Click to expand...

He sure is a nice guy. I buy everything form him.
 
I am going with a small 1/2" forced air burner for my forge/HT, if you have the blower you can get the rest for under $20 it should make more than enough heat and you can scale up for any forge. If you need plans I can draw some up with a materials list for you, just tell me the dimensions of your forge so I can get a good idea of what size burner you would need. (me = mechanical engineer and good with any number of CAD/CAM software)

I hope to meet Darren at the Alabama hammer in this year, I am going to trade a 600# anvil for some forge stuff :) and ya great guy!
 
here is a pic of what i have of the tank
IMG_1299.jpg


i cut off about 12" of the bottom.... so what is left is what i have to work with.
i have a 3/4 burner... and kaowool... so some other people said i should put a burner perpendicular to the tank to get the swirl effect. any idea on the placement?
also can i get away with 1" of kaowool?
thanks
~Chris
 
Chris, That will work somewhat OK. The trick is to get the whole chamber up to temperature. Cut off the neck end ,and put the burner in the front, at an angle so the flame swirls around toward the back. Put in a piece of 2" pipe so there is no hot spot (put a couple of pieces of fire brick in to keep the pipe centered). Heat the whole forge for ten minutes before putting the blade into the pipe (checking temperature in the pipe if you have a PID or pyrometer). Turn the flame down low to avoid overheating the blade after you put it in. A PID controller will help a lot, but with a long thin chamber, it will not be real accurate. You will have to stick the thermocouple in the pipe with the blade.
With the small diameter, you won't have any choice but to use 1" wool.
Stacy
 
Knifemaker87 said:
here is a pic of what i have of the tank
i cut off about 12" of the bottom.... so what is left is what i have to work with.
i have a 3/4 burner... and kaowool... so some other people said i should put a burner perpendicular to the tank to get the swirl effect. any idea on the placement?
also can i get away with 1" of kaowool?
thanks
~Chris
Click to expand...

You don't want the burner to go in perpendicular to the forge. You want the flame to swirl inside the forge. On IG's site he lays out where to cut the hole for the burner very well.

Here's an example. You want to put it in right above the center line.

 
okay stacy... i think i got most of that.... but my mind works in pictures.
so here is a picture of what i think you are saying
Photo70.jpg

guess were i am....

now... i dont understand what you are saying about the pipe. i dont need a real long chamber... but i need at least 18"

are you saying tha ti should put a 2" pipe all the way through? so there is space for the flame between the wall of kaowool and the pipe or what?

sorry if i am being dense...
this is very helpful i just havent gotta all of it yet
~chris
 
You are getting closer.
Put the burner in the side, like the vertical forge,but at about a 30 degree angle toward the back. Put it about 4" from the front. This will make the flame swirl around the chamber. Cut the whole neck off so it is the same on both ends. Put the pipe all the way down the forge. It should be the same length as the forge tube. Use a couple of fire brick pieces to keep the pipe centered, so the flame swirls around the pipe,heating it from the outside. The blade (inside the pipe) will be evenly heated by the hot pipe. This is called a gas oven. The pipe is called a muffle. You can stack fire bricks to block some of the front and back to get a more even heating. A fire brick plug on the back end of the pipe will keep the temperature more even inside the pipe. I have a good bit of the 2", heavy wall, stainless pipe. If you need some, let me know.
Stacy
 
okay... sounds like a plan!
the pipe should be "suspended" in the middle. but how much hot air should be allowed to escape from the ends... meaing... how well should the ends be blocked? i got the burner placement understood just what the ends should look like is now my problem.

can you explain that a little more for me?
thanks
~Chris
 
CShepherd said:
That tank should work great. I built one from a section of a 120mm mortar tube. It was just at 10" across so I lined it with 2 inches of Inswool. I've been running it with just a Bernzomatic JTH-7 ran off of a larger propane tank and it works great.

Contact Darren Ellis http://refractory.elliscustomknifeworks.com/. He's got the lining and coating you'll need. He's also got the kits or completed burners as well as a section of pictures of built forges. Really nice guy.

Charles
Click to expand...


Sorry for the thread hijack...... Charles, shoot me an email...I need to get some burners to you! :)

-Darren
 
No problem. Check out Don Fogg's drum forge and build accordingly. You have a much smaller diameter, but also a smaller burner. You should have not problems if you follow his basic design.


John
 
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