NZ games, I call on thee!

[Trigga*happY]

So! I'm hoping that one of you enlightened, intelligent follk (and the rest), will be able to shed some light on a project i'm working on.

I have built... dum dum dum! A forge! Now it's only a baby forge in a bucket, but works great, but chews through coal. So, now I have got the regulators and all I can setup instead as a propane.

I'm going to be building a slightly different one soon, but in the meantime, I would like to determine just how hot my little bucket forge is gonna get when I put it into high gear. Logic (or the internet) says it will burn at 1996degC. But I need to translate that to how hot is it right inside near my slowly melting metals.

So what do I need, if anyone has any experience with this and wouldn't mind sharing some info i'd be glad of the assist CERTAINLY before I go and introduce my next stage, which is utilising the Oxy/Propane regulators I've got and raising my forges heat to close on 3000degC!

Cheers

Simon

[DrTiTus]

Nice, I've seen those videos too, post pics of yours if you can... are you using the hairdryer method?

I assume you're not wanting to regulate temperatures (just reach a critical point), so if I was in your position I'd do it experimentally, and just see if it melts whatever you are wanting to melt since that's the goal right?

They also mention that the type of coal matters for longevity, and you can get longer life from a particular type (although which type I don't recall, damn my medicinal herb).

Might wanna try some of that 9/11 jet fuel, I heard it melts steel beams as long as you have an insurance policy that pays out handsomely :P

[Trigga*happY]

Going to need to regulate as well, so it needs to be a realtime measurement. Certain metals have to be heated to a specific heat and then cooled to a specific heat before you work on them... I've got an old acetylene regulator that i've retrofitted as a propane regulator, and i've got an oxygen regulator as well, for once i get real keen (or mad).

The propane SHOULD do about 2000degC on it's own, or about 2800degC with oxy bottles pumping alongside.

I'm just after the equipment needed, their arrangement, and how it all works lol And yes, i'm googling, but I figure if we have an expert amongst us - an email convo or phone convo could go a long way... towards me not blowing myself up! :P

I'll see if I can dig some pics up later. At the moment, it's purely for aluminium (well anything lower than aluminium too obviously) but at a guess, i'm sitting around 700degC. Hoping to quadruple that and work with steel soon!

[StN]

Are you going Alec Steele, BigStackD or the little Pask Makes Pig forge - or the big one?

Where do you get crucibles?

[Trigga*happY]

Been designing my own - but in all likely hood, it will mot resemble "The Big One".

Crucibles were just off trademe and also, if anyone has some old firebricks they wanna offload, hook me up

[pxpx]

Please post photos

[Trigga*happY]

Hah I realised in my Opiate befuddled state, i never actually asked what I needed! Does anyone know where I can find a relatively cheap IR thermometer or similar that will read up to 3000+ degrees.

Anyway - here's the photos of what I WAS using...




And the blower that i'm about to make

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjqA4VQMpiM&ut=

[Trigga*happY]

[pxpx]

Can't see shit captain

[StN]

I think I can make out the end on propane output, but it isn't lit, so the rest is dark. Sort of looks like a slit in a circle - or something like that. Because it isn't lit, clealry the thermometer is not reading anything.

BigstackD seems to use one of those cheap and nasty IR ones from AliExpress like this. But I've not seen his go over 1000°C, and that one seems to tap out at 950°C.

[Trigga*happY]

hmmm dunno why some people can see it and others cant. i'll try to sort out a reliable image provider. I also setup my new burner over last week using the Venturi system. So an under 1mm aperture providing a roaring 1.5m flame. Looks cool lol