Seeking Help: Propane Forge with Too Much Flame!

[rockycoastlines]

Hello, knifemakers!

Thanks for taking time to look at my post.

I was recently gifted a small propane forge. It was built by a friend who has passed away. As far as I know, he used it, in the condition it's in, regularly and successfully, for all kinds of small forging projects. I have been trying to troubleshoot what's going on with it. Here's what happens: When I turn on the propane (there is no PSI meter or guage, just an open/close valve) then turn on the gas for the forge and light it, flames at least a foot tall leap from the forge front and back-- and continue on like that (no matter how open the propane or the forge valve is) until I turn it off. I tried closing up with forge with firebrick, so there was a smaller opening, and it just blackened the entire inside of the forge as the flames tried to leap out.

Photos of the set up:

THE PROPANE: Bad Link
THE FORGE: Bad Link
THE FLAMES: Bad Link -(even after running it a while, no hotter blues appear, and the black gunk builds up.)

Does this mean that it's too oxidized? That the forge is too small? Or am I doing something silly?

Thanks very much for any thoughts,
Rocky

 

[John Katt]

You should start a photo bucket account and upload your pictures there, the links you provided are not working

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

It sounds like the air/gas mix is wrong. Turn down the propane pressure and up the air flow. There can be other problems, but photos would be necessary to tell.

 

[Micdanson88]

Too rich, start a photobucker or imgur account and upload pics. you need less psi and more air basically