2:42 am
April 21, 2010
Grant started a thread about ribbon burners and there are a lot of replies to it in the tutorial forum. I decided to start a build since I needed a new and larger forge for some of the things I would like to do. So here goes - I will try to keep this thread updated and take pics as I go. I got into my graphics program and sketched up (roughly) what I want to build.
3:25 am
March 22, 2010
Right on Bill...
I am about in the same boat as you.... I have a ready to run ribbon burner and a blower... what I dont seem to have is time to build a forge.... I'll be watching your progress and taking notes!
Are you going to make it up to the hammer in tomorrow?
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln
6:01 pm
April 21, 2010
Went to the shop this morning rumbling around and started gathering stuff up for the forge. I have most of what I need to build this but will have to purchase the bricks and rigid Kaowool board. I have a roll around table the last forge was on I can use once I dig it out of a storage shed. Somewhere in the shop I also have an analog pyrometer I can use so I know how hot it gets. I used to make titanium damascus and the pyrometer was necessary for that. Might as well use it since I have it. For air piping I decided to use automotive exaust tubing. It was the right size to match the outlet of the blower so there should not be much if any pressure lost to the burner. The CNC plasma is handy for making things like flanges to bolt things together. I decided to weld the top air 90 to the burner rather than bolt it on. The 90 has a swedge on the other end so the next 90 that will turn down and go to the blower will just slip in. Since the piping will not be getting hot I will make a wrap of duct tape around the swedge to seal the two pipes and prevent any gas leakage. The gas will connect to the air piping just above where it will connect to the blower. Look it over folks – what have I forgotten?
Larry I had intended to make it to the hammer in but forgot to mention it to my better half who made seperate family plans. Knowing which side of my bread is buttered I decided I best follow along with her today or suffer the consequences (grin).
3:27 am
March 22, 2010
Boy Bill that vise stand you got there sure looks nice!
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln
10:54 pm
April 21, 2010
Larry that is the old dirty vise I got from you that needed the weld repair on it. I welded it up after digging some of the old crap out w/ a grinder and cleaned it all up (finally). My vise stand is not as good as yours but it ain't too shabby either.
Larry I hope the hammer in turned out good for you and you didn't have a bunch of food left over. Wish I could have made it but then I would have been eating sawdust for months if I had (grin).
2:55 am
March 22, 2010
well I cant speak for anyone else but I sure had fun... I dont think Id wanna do that more than once every couple of years but It was a hoot:smoke:
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln
10:03 pm
April 21, 2010
Ok - time for an update folks. I cut plate for the forge body on the plasma table, got it tacked up with all the brick, refractory board etc.in it. Got it set on the roll around table and started to fit up the burner. I remember dropping the burner about a year ago when I knocked it off the shelf while getting something else. I thought the refractory felt a little loose where it connected to the tubing body. I was thinking that might cause a gas leak and a leak at that point would not be a good thing. So I thought I better test it and gave it a little tweak. Aw crap! - Murphy's Law strikes again. It came apart - so I will form it up tomorrow and take a couple of pics of it and repour. May be a few days before any update - I want to give it a good chance to dry.
2:36 am
August 29, 2010
3:35 am
March 22, 2010
so what did you line the forge with? blanket on the outside and board on the inside?
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Abraham Lincoln
10:41 pm
April 21, 2010
Larry I lined the fire side of the forge walls and roof with Kaowool ridgid board. I have the soft insulating bricks behind the board on the walls. The roof has 2" of standard Kaowool between the shell and board. the floor has 1" of standard Kaowool and then a 1" thick alumina kiln shelf on top of that. I was going to paint the entire inside of it with ITC 100 but the Clay Art Center was out of it. But - they had a new mix of their own they thought was as good as the ITC but half the cost. I got it and painted the inside with it. I will let all know how I like it versus the ITC after I get this thing fired off.
Got the burner re-poured today & will let it sit till late tomorrow before stripping the forms off and drilling the crayons out. Once the crayons are out I will put it in my heat treat oven at a low temp and let it cure out.
11:05 pm
April 21, 2010
7:46 pm
April 21, 2010
I don't seem to do anything fast anymore. I have made some progress however. I still have to put a system on to open the doors. I will rig the doors to a pulley system that will allow me to open them to any desired level and hopefully hold them in place with a counter balancing system. Got the ideas in my head just have to get them into steel now.
Here are some more pics to bring the thread up to date.
I do think I have a problem with the burner as it is. Take a look at the pics of the burner in operation folks and that is with the gate to the blower shut. I either have too much air (which is the direction I am leaning - or there is a distribution problem with the air/fuel flow within the burner itself. I am open to ideas about this folks so make a comment please. One thing I can see is that this forge is going to get reallly, really hot and do it quickly too. The forge is very quiet compared to my other forges when the last pic was taken with the dragons breath.
11:19 pm
March 18, 2010
Looking good there Bill! Yeah, that blower does put out some air. It has some holes in the back that allow it to pull in some air to cool the motor. Get yourself a ceiling fan controller and you can cut the blower back a little.
Rails for your door look too close to the fire to me, That's gonna go to hell pretty quickly. When it does, make a door that is 6" wider and move the guides outboard more.
Pretty cool, wonderful information. Now you'all know why Ron uses the smaller blower!
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot,
but then there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence,
transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso ~
7:37 pm
August 2, 2010
Bill, If you think you have too much air from that blower (and I agree with your assesment) you could always split a bit off with a divider at the blower output and use part of the flow to feed an air curtain at the door so that the dragon's breath is directed upward rather than out at you. It sure looks like it's getting hot- nice job. Steve G
8:06 pm
May 13, 2010
2:59 am
NWBA Member
June 17, 2010
6:03 am
NWBA Member
August 8, 2010
Great job, Bill.
I see you got the red dragon painted and mounted... looks great.
That forge gets stupid hot, and was only running at 2# of propane. I can't wait to see it after you get it 'tuned'.
Cooking anything yet? How hot have you gotten it so far?
I like the ribbon burners after seeing yours 🙂
Dave
Dave
No one really listens to anyone else, and if you try it for a while you'll see why.
- Mignon McLaughlin
3:29 am
May 14, 2010
Back the air volume off (or increase the propane volume) till you don't have any dragon's breath. The more air you let in, the more propane you need to balance the mix. The more propane you let in, the more air you need to balance the mix. Think of it.... like adjusting an oxy/acet torch to a proper flame.... Let the absence of the dragon's breath be the inital balance point.
You do need to be able to control the speed of the blower (and volume of propane let in) so you can raise and lower the heat for your needs. A good needle valve can be used to control the volume of propane.
Grandkids and blacksmithing... Joy Joy Joy..............................YouTube Channel: djhammerd
10:30 pm
April 21, 2010
4:04 pm
Dave Hammer;3174 wrote: Back the air volume off (or increase the propane volume) till you don't have any dragon's breath. The more air you let in, the more propane you need to balance the mix. The more propane you let in, the more air you need to balance the mix. Think of it.... like adjusting an oxy/acet torch to a proper flame.... Let the absence of the dragon's breath be the inital balance point.
You do need to be able to control the speed of the blower (and volume of propane let in) so you can raise and lower the heat for your needs. A good needle valve can be used to control the volume of propane.
Actually, the speed of the blower should remain constant to maintain an equal positive pressure.
I suggest using a gate valve to control the air flow. My original Centaur Forge blower had a rheostat to control the motor speed. I soon discovered it changed the dynamics of the forge and discarded it in favor of letting the blower run to capacity and controlling the air flow with the gate valve. Balancing the forge became much easier and predictable.
JE
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