I got my new forge up and running and this thing is HOT! I have a time buring up gloves and such and the flames are just more than I can take. I have been trying to make some inprovements not only in my equipment, but my methods and thinking. I'm using a resperator and tinted face shield religeously now and trying to impliment more safety practices. I decided to put a flame shield on my handle this time when I'm up to welding heat. I love it. This is a real life saver for me. I just cut a hole in a 1/8 inch plate and slide it over the handle and tack it. Also the back part of the handle is hollow pipe to help dissipate heat. Lin
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/4832139385_e29ab27205_b.jpg)
Man, you are on a roll!
Won't be able to get you out of the shop now.
Wow! Lin, did you make your new forge, or purchase?
Steve
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Potomac Forge
Looks like a good one Lin,I use a squirrel cage fan to redirect flames ,just give me a holler if you want a pic.
Another thing that works well is (car racing, fire proof gloves) inside leather cloves
Now that is some serious dragons breath going on there! Add an asbestos suit and you might be safer. :eek:
Dang - that is some flame. I picture you in the full tin foil spacesuit looking thing like the guys doing volcano research. If you built it please tell us a little about that?
Bob Urban
That looks like something you could use to forge HOT!
Do Ya have to wait for cold winter days to fire that puppy up? :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
It's a 12 inch pipe about 18 inches on end with a top and removable bottom. The doors are about 2/3 up and the inlet for air and gass is 1/3 up 90 degrees to a line drawn through the front and back doors. It's insulated well with about 1 1/2 inside and 1 outside. I can work for 30 minutes or so at a time till I get a billet drawn out and then have to cool off. I have noticed that there are no mosquitoes in my shop lately. I was using it the other day and a dirt dauber flew in front of the door blast and just fell to the floor. Lin
Maybe there's no mosquitoes because of all the CO2?
Never really considered it before, Lin. I live along a river back in the woods and usually after a flooding period I have mosquitoes that make mowing the yard almost suicide - yet I don't seem to recall having this issue in the forge during the same time period? CO2?
I'm like Kevin, I use a fan. I stand a pedestal fan on the end of my forge bench and blow the heat sideways so it doesn't hit me in the face.
I've got those mud daubers, too, and get a dozen or so daily.
They don't seem to be very viscous, but can surely be annoying.
Lin what did you insulate with and where do you get it at? thanks Jason
JMR,
I used a layer of Blue ram and a layer of Kaowool inside and one kaowool outside. I got my wool from Uncle Al Lawrence., but the blue ram, I think was from a place in Atlanta, Ga but am not sure now. I did a search for Rammable refractory and settled on the place. It takes a 55 lb chunk to do my forge about 1 inch thick. Lin