PID forge upgrade (videos added)

Good evening all! With the help of fellow member C Cushing H. offline, I think I've corrected the wiring problem!!! (I had crossed the (+) and (-) wires from the PID to the SSR)
Tomorrow I plan to hook up the propane tank and make sure the plumbing is solid, then run a full system test, then hopefully get back to forging!!!
(can you tell I'm a bit excited?)
 
Hello all. I finally got the tank hooked up, checked all the joints for leaks and fired up the forge for the first time in about a year. I only ran it for about an hour, because of all the steam and moisture still coming out of it and don't want to have to re-cast the refractory. Not sure if this is necessary, but I figured it can't hurt.

One thing I noticed which has me puzzled. The burners seemed to run fine when I had the tank regulator at about 4 lbs of pressure, but when I tried bumping it up higher, it didn't seem to burn as well (see pics). The forge only got up to about 1500 F before I shut it down. Anybody have an explanation?

4 lbs
1.jpg 2.jpg

3 lbs.
3.jpg 4.jpg

Thanks.
 
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Looks like you are blowing the flame away from the nozzles (gas is flowing faster than the burning flame can propagate back to the nozzles. Can you turn down the blower speed a little?
 
Hello again, all. I fired up the forge again today for another test run, this time to check the controller. I had the controller on auto for about 30 minutes, and here's a video of the last 8:00.
 
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Really Cool. Are you ok with that level of control? If not, widen the proportional band more...
 
Cushing H. said:
Really Cool. Are you ok with that level of control? If not, widen the proportional band more...
Click to expand...

Thanks.
I'm not sure I have enough info to answer that yet. I think I want to play around with it as is for a session or 2 of forging before messing with it. I just found out our Coal Ironworks press is getting delivered on Friday....

I am curious as to what others have their parameters set to (@JTknives ???, Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith ??? anyone else???);):)

Ken H> said:
One comment, but maybe I'm not seeing the piping clearly. It looks like the pressure gauges are on the downstream side of the needle valve? If so, you won't really get much pressure at all since there is no restriction from pressure gauge to injection point. The pressure gauge should be upstream of the needle valves in order to read adjusting pressure from regulator.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, Ken, you're right, nothing happens at these regulators....:rolleyes:
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Ken,
He is building a version of my "Two-stage burner". There are much better schematics and detains in the Stickys on building a PID controlled forge.
The solenoid turns the HIGH flame on and off and has a needle valve in that line to set the HIGH limit for the flame. The by-pass needle valve is in the line that goes around the solenoid and keeps the low flame level going so the forge doesn't cycle from On to OFF , but instead cycles from LOW to HIGH.

Several of us tried running the blower on a two stage control but found it wasn't really necessary. That configuration is in my original plans in the stickys. Balance the flame for the HIGH level and it is fine at the LOW level, because they aren't that far apart.
Click to expand...


Stacy, Sorry for my ignorance, but where do I find the “Sticky’s” you talk of?
 
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