thanks for the help.....last minute advice

ryan9977

ryan9977

Joined
Feb 16, 2006
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hey guys....thanks for all the help so far with all my questions....i got my forge recently from darren ellis....couldn't recommend his service more....he answered all my stupid questions very quickly.....anyway i finally got my propane tank filled...got a good deal on a 60#tank.....anyway i am gonna try and line my forge tomorrow and set it up....any advice....tips on common mistakes....anything to point out?....ryan
 
Wear gloves and a long sleeved shirt. Working with ceramic fiber is similar to working with fiberglass insulation in that all those little fibers like to get into your skin. If you have to cut the insulation, put a nasty, toothy edge on your blade... not like a scary sharp one... like with a nasty saw tooth wire on it. Works for me anyway.

Spray it lightly with water before you coat it. At least that's what I do when I coat kaowool with ITC-100. I think Darren supplies inswool...which is the same type of insulation.

Good luck and have fun Ryan! :)
 
thanks fo rthe last minute advice nick....never thought to wear long sleeves...makes sense though....just the kind of tips i was lookin for!.....thanks and i'll definately post pics IF or should i say when i get it running:thumbup:.....ryan
 
well i lined the forge today with the first coat.....darren says in his directions to coat the insde of the forge with a layer of satinite first and then put the wool in and coat it.....so i did that and i guess i just wait 24 hours and put on another coat......

one question though....it said to fire it up to evaporate moisture first.....do you just run it for like a minute?.....he said u would see the moisture evaporate......i just wanna do it right the first time.....ohh and ho wmany psi should your gauge be at when your forge is running right?......ryan
 
The psi will depend upon your set-up. It may be .5 to 10psi. You just have to play with it to get it to run right. When you start it to evaporate run it as low as possible. I start at about 5-6psi on the gauge. I run it for a few minutes and turn it off. Then you will see the steam. Once the steam stops it is dry. The length of time to do this depends on the thickness of you coating. You may have it done in one heat or it may require several. I wish there was a hard fast rule to give but each maker builds the forge a little different. This makes it hard to give finite answers.
 
thanks chuck...i appreciate the answer.....i think it was arond 8 psi....the lower i turned it the more it sounded like a sputtering muffler type noise and less like a smooth jet engine type noise.....thanks fo rthe explanation on how to dry out the coating....i'm gonna do that tomorrow.....thanks again.....ryan


ohh how important is the layer of insiwool under the coating...i mean it had a little overlap....the inside wasn't totally perfect looking but i got it all coated ok.....does that matter if it ain't pretty....ryan
 
The smoother it is the better buuuttt, Mine have never been perfect either and they have worked great. I just slather it on and smooth it the best I can by hand. Your orifice size will determine the PSI more than anything else. The smaller the hole the higher the PSI. Just tune it till it runs smooth. Most of all be safe.
 
thanks chuck......i will post some pics when it is all coated and running.....now wonder alot of people i've talked to heat treat at night in their forge....u can't see jack in sunlight!.....ryan
 
Daylight is pretty tough if you don't have a thermocouple. I have been using the TC and it helps a lot.
 
i do plan on getting a thermocouple....to learn better...i figure if i at least know the temperature of the fire that i sa good start.......since u brought it up....for thermocouples.....darren included a small port on the side......do u just stick it in the hole and leave off the threaded cap....or do u drill a hole the size of the tc in the cap so it is a tight fit?......any advice......ryan
 
i drilled a 1/2 inch hole and put in the TC. It sticks into the chamber about 1-2". It gives a good starting point. I wrapped a piece of iron wire around it to keep it from sliding into the chamber.
 
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