From: Rick Cook <rcook@BIX.com>
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Propane forge
Date: 29 May 1998 08:42:59 GMT

Mike Graham wrote:
> The heavy sulphur is not a
>problem at all; I don't even notice it

Well if your forge is set up properly, all the sulfur has burned out before
the coke gets near the actual fire bed.

(For the uninitiated: You pack wet coal around the perimeter of your fire
and the heat from the forge turns the water to steam and drives off the
impurities, leaving coke to actually burn in the fire. A properly managed
forge only emits sulfur smoke on startup and not much then.)

--RC

From: Robert Bastow <teenut@Nospamhotmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Hardening heat source question.
Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 12:04:53 GMT

Alan Rothenbush wrote:
>
> For hardening things like drill rod, what's the smallest and/or
> cheapest source of heat that will get things hot enough.
>
> (  I have a tiny shop and an angry wife, so both cost and size are
>    a factor. )
>
> Alan
>
> --
>
> Alan Rothenbush             |   The Spartans do not ask the number of the
> Academic Computing Services |   enemy, only where they are.
> Simon Fraser University     |
> Burnaby, B.C., Canada       |                           Agix of Sparta


A propane or Mapp gas torch will suffice for small jobs.

However, a "Coffee Can Forge" will give a dramatic increase to your firepower?

Take a regular sized coffee can and punch a hole about 3/4" diameter, halfway
down one side.

Line the can with a 1" layer of ceramic wool blanket (Dura Blanket)  Your local
heating or furnace company will give you a lifetime's supply of offcuts if you
say "Pretty Please!"

Stick the nozzle of your torch through the hole and fire it up.  I have reached
forge welding heat on a 1/2" square MS bar in just a few minutes! You can use it
horizontally for forging and heat treatment..or vertically for melting a ladle
of lead or aluminum.

I have a much larger version, 8" inside diameter x 18" long, that I use for
blade making and for damascus steel.  It has home made, "swirl" burner with a
forced air feed, that will crank up to over a million btu!

But my little coffee can forge gets the most use!!

teenut