Ive been a licensed ironworker for 14 years and a furniture maker for about 4, and still, sometimes I ask myself "I wonder if I have enough knowledge, experience and intelligence to not kill myself doing this build". But then I watch these videos. If you're still alive, I think I'll be ok. I admire your bravery
bravery and luck goes really, really far. Besides, the real danger isn't taking risks, it's forgetting how dangerous mundane things are and letting your guard down.
Paul I'm going to still suggest you get a propane 40lb tank from an RV. You can find them pretty easily. And I'll tell you why you should get one. 1) Have to fill less often. 2) bigger tank means less likely to ice up. I'm pretty sure you live in the upper midwest where it doesn't warm up till May so this is an issue a good part of the year. 3) no need to take your barbecue tank off your grill. 4) Horizontal ones can't be knocked over
DON'T go to the RV place first. They have more incentive to mark up way too much. I'd start with Salvage Yard. Call up any one and tell them what you're looking for. Those tanks have no use to them so they'll be cheap. Propane distribution company. Tell them you're looking to buy a tank not rent. Should be cheaper than an RV place.
NPT - National Pipe TAPER. The taper is generally 1 inch in 20 inch or 3 degrees 50 minute angle minutes of arc..... There are many types of pipe threads, including imperial (US standard) and metric. I would suggest Stainless steel pipe and flair because of flame temperature. 1.) Stainless can handle a higher temperature, 2.) stainless does not conduct heat like other metals. And yes, I own a small machine shop and steel fabrication shop. I have been a novice engineer for 40 years, with some engineering schooling (didn't have the $100,000 or more for the full degree due to injuries in a car crash).
+Jeffrey Cole thanks for the tip! Stainless would be pretty awesome, I'll look into that. The normal black pipe I'm using gets quite crust and rusty over time. Did not know about the different heat conduction either.
First like! 😊 My burner has been in the works for weeks. Different setup and I haven't finished turning the nozzle! If you are interested I'm going to post up when it's done. Along with a few pics from making my furnace. Like your vids!
Also, I got all the pipes for my burner in SS and it cost £22, would of been cheaper if I had done cash! If you look around you can always find a cheaper option.
I think the propane squirting hole is called the jet. I have a hunch that the air intake holes might be called venturi and the size is critical for good performance. Nice video.
not for oxygen because the oxygren fittings are grease-free, no lubficants allowed with oxygen because if liquid oxygen hits grease it explodes, and with the high pressures oxygen tanks run at its nofun and gameds
I'm building two of these now. It's funny we bought almost the exact same stuff. Same pipe, same hose+regulator. I was checking youtube because I didn't realize I needed that flare fitting for the propane hose. No link in the description sadly, but at least I know what I'm missing. :) thanks!
+Jared Thomson problem resolved! The link is now in the description, but I have found the fitting at a normal hardware store that sold pluming stuff, so you might not even have to order it.
I was thinking about that. I can get steel trash cans at a store here, but they are REALLY big. I was thinking maybe double the size of the bucket foundry, but the trash cans are around 5 times the size of the bucket.
Thanks! i'm looking forward to it! I have a whole screen door's worth of extruded aluminum that is just one rain free day away from getting the propane treatment!
You're the greatest man! My coal furnace Blows....I'm going propane, just came back from the hardware store and will have fun making this tomorrow! Thanks Fun Master!
Paul, you don't need the flare when using it in the forge. A flare is only required when using it when not hooked up. Also if you want to add forced air either with a hair dryer or compressor the furnace will get just about hot enough to cast iron depending on how you build the new furnace
Nice modification of the original design based on the parts that were available to you. I can't wait to see how well it will perform but you still have to build a new furnace around your new propane burner and I'm interested to see how it all comes together!!!!
I'm looking forward to getting the new furnace too! I might give this a test run on the current furnace while I get all the materials for the new one. Still trying to figure out the design details on that...
man iv watched so many videos but the commentry and personality in your videos keeps you ammused and keeps the attention really enjoy learning from your videos. really appreciate the vids i plan on getting into this very soon hopefully sometime i will be able to suggest something to help you in the future as much as these have helped me
If you build one of these add water through gas line and look in 1" pipe and move gas line till water comes out the center. thats the best way to center the # 57 hole to the torch and it will burn better. I tried to run mine without the bell reducer and it started sputtering backfiring so it needs a flair on the end.
I have been looking for a decent design that does not involve welding and this fits the build. The fact you made me laugh several times during the video was just an awesome added bonus :D
you should fit a flame arrestor between the stainless hose and the valve that way if a flame were to work its way back you dont blow up your garage :). awesome videos man!
Thank you, I gonna to check my burner, because the flame is poor, yellow color. According with you, I need more holes for to get a better air/fuel ratio and so get a blue flame.
Hey! Do you know the BTU/hr of this? Or, have you tried running an entire 20lb tank empty? How long did that take? Also, would it be possible to make it portable by using a 14oz propane torch bottle? I know it wont last very long at all, but do those little bottles give enough pressure to get a flame as big as yours? Thanks!
I don’t know, but I do have a plan to figure it out eventually. I know where I can borrow a super accurate tank scale, I’m just waiting for warmer weather
hay Paul thanks for the video FYI Oxygen degrades the silicon or teflon components in the valve and any oil or hydrocarbons in the valve from manufacture can react with the oxygen plus heat I'm guessing we can all goes what happens next.
I wouldn't light the burner at your venturi holes. I know it's kind of cool and it acts like a pilot light, but now you are wasting fuel that is burning in your burner tube and not your foundry. Also the tube on the burner will start to get hotter than you want and flame being that close to the jet might cause a flashback under the right conditions. Just turn up the pressure and light at the flare. That being said, I did enjoy your video.
I found that site/design several years back when I first got into metal casting, but I never built the burner. I'm thinking about it now, but I'm wondering if it could be a hybrid forced air/naturally aspirated burner. A sleeve could be made and slipped over the burner pipe to cover the holes (and would help adjust the fuel/air mixture) and I could easily connect the output from an air mattress pump to the back of the burner tube...hmm
Oxygen is highly explosive under pressure. A greasy fingerprint in an oxygen rich environment + pressure = BOOM Special valves and lubricants for them are required. Like never grease or get grease on your Oxy/Acet. Valves right ?
Not just under pressure. You are correct to think oil based products - oils, lubricants, seals, etc. - are very reactive to oxygen, and yes, sometimes just the oils from your hands. Not "like never grease or get grease", NEVER get grease or oil, or oil based seals near oxygen. Things burst into flames or explode. YES! Specially prepared valves, seals, and lubricants are needed for oxygen systems.
Interesting thing. I was Diabetic as a baby too adulthood. Ended up in the hospital at age 13. Night shift as Hosp, the nurses [[whom I became friends with as they were[[well a couple of them anyway]] hot. The break room was stuffed with Oxygen tanks and they sat around smoking and playing cards and such.
Oxygen itself isn't explosive, it's an accelerator as in it helps whatever fuel combust. More oxygen during combustion the faster it does so. If oxygen were leaking from said tanks and touched the lit smokes it'd merely accelerate the burn nothing more. The biggest danger is in the instance of oxy / acetylene, if you have leaks in that kind of setup it could very well become a massive explosion due to the mixture of fuel oxygen and the combustion from the torch! Which is why you typically wanna be further away from the actual tanks.
The reason that valve will not work for O2 is because there is a propylene lubricant on the valve controller. O2 and propylene don't play well with each other.
Correct, it's because oils and some elements are very volatile and are very reactive with oxygen. Never ever ever never - don't even think about it - using oils, valves or fittings, that are not oxygen approved with oxygen.The seals in the valves, and oils used to manufacture the valves can and will cause spontaneous violent flames or explode. NEVER EVER use oil based soaps to leak check oxygen systems. Use ONLY oxygen approved soaps to leak check oxygen systems. That's why you can't even think about it, because you brain could spontaneously burst into a blowtorch or explode!!!! I try to quit thinking because it gets me into too much trouble....... I do not like to guess. Too many bad things can happen when I guess. It also gets too expensive to just guess.
I recently built a similar burner and am having trouble with the amount of air blowing out the flame. I figure there is a definitive answer to why this is happening but I don’t know it. Can you think of a reason why my flame is going out when I give it the full amount of air? Thanks.
Propane isn't free... but I found it to be much cheaper than charcoal. It also rids you of the sparks and ash, and you no longer need to babysit your fire. If you have a Costco nearby they sell propane pretty darned cheap
Im so glad to see your channel growing and to see you pursuing your hobbies! You are have the most amazing videos (and personality). I CAN NOT WAIT for more copper and aluminum melting, and maybe even literally copper and aluminum melting (I think you should call the bronze "Copperum". Im both excited and disappointed that you have swapped to propane. It will allow you to do SO many (responsible mind you) casting projects. Im still stuck in the dark ages with Grant's mini foundry design for solely aluminum. Im using soup cans as crucibles... I bought a super cheap Chinese clay graphite one but it is too wide for charcoal to fit around. Anyway keep up the good work and videos. -John
Thanks! I can't wait for more copper melting either, too bad it's going to rain tomorrow here... I'm going to keep my bucket furnace and probably still use charcoal in it when melting aluminum. Charcoal is pretty cheap and i already have a couple bags of it. But once I get the better furnace built I want to start doing more copper alloys. There is a LOT of cool bronze/brass casting in the future I hope!
The valve probably isn't to be used with oxygen because the greater chance of the metal oxidizing. The atmosphere is roughly 20% oxygen, 100% oxygen would likely quintuple the oxidation rate and could cause failure within the valve. That's just my guess.
No, it's because oils and some elements are very volatile and are very reactive with oxygen. Never ever ever never - don't even think about it - using oils, valves or fittings, that are not oxygen approved with oxygen.The seals in the valves, and oils used to manufacture the valves can and will cause spontaneous violent flames or explode. NEVER EVER use oil based soaps to leak check oxygen systems. Use ONLY oxygen approved soaps to leak check oxygen systems. That's why you can't even think about it, because you brain could spontaneously burst into a blowtorch or explode!!!! I try to quit thinking because it gets me into too much trouble....... I do not like to guess. Too many bad things can happen when I guess. It also gets too expensive to just guess.
yup the various space programs have had huge issues with keeping oxygen lines and valves clean, even a finger print can cause combustion in the prresence of 100% oxygen.
Brass would be pushing it. Regular propane torches (I assume you mean weed burners) tend to be low on airflow, dont work well in a furnace without modification
I built the other style torch already but I'm not overly thrilled with it so I think I'll build yours too. Question: How are you able to get the air/gas mixture optimal without using a carb of some sort? Are those predrilled holes that precise that you never need adjustments?
This design doens't have a great way to adjust the mixture on the fly. The air can be adjusted by covering/opening more holes, but in a certain configuration it seems to work best at a specific pressure. You can see when i first turned it on at low pressure, it was a lazy, rich lame because it didn't have the suction to pull enough air in through the holes. This improved when i cranked up the pressure. As a result, in this configuration i can't run a small flame at low pressure. It just isn't possible.
I would think, if you needed additional airflow, and you have all that extra pipe at the back... perhaps you could modify an old hairdryer (possibly with a dimmer arrangement) to pump additional air if you wanted to run a smaller flame?
can you please give me the pipe fitting dimensions. I want to replicate the project and I need to know what to buy because I like the way you made it. f.y.i, I watched your video on tuning it and I think it might help if instead of using the hair dryer, you could just cover the holes you drilled and drill some more up front maybe. Idk if that will work but that's what I'm going to try.
I like your tutorial how to videos, the ones I have seen are simple. and my furnace is already equipped to burn coal, wood, paper briquettes, etc. But it is 25 miles one way for me to get a tank of propane. But cooking oil and motor oil is a lot easier for me to scrap up. living in the bush, some building materials can be a challenge to locate without a 50 mile round trip walk. So I would like to request a future video for myself and others who may be in a similar situation for an alternative style burner such as the oils? I built my furnace from an old 175 gallon used oil storage tank ( like the ones you might see at a minute oil change shop ) so I have a lot of room to heat. I am curious to see what you can come up with. most the ones I've seen are to complicated or difficult for me to find parts ECT. I am looking of a simple gravity fed no air compressor design. I love aluminum casting, and trying to learn brass, copper, and if my guess is correct about this river, possibly gold. Later for now. . . .
I built an oil burner, I built mine off of the kwiky burner, but if I wanted something simple that just works, I would look at some of the burners from the guy called "oil burner" here on youtube. His drip style burners work really well and Ive seen a few running in person, and I have to say that they are much easier to use than the siphon ones and much cheaper to build.
yeah the channel "oil burner" is pretty good. I think Fair Weather Foundry uses an oil burner, but he uses a mix of air pressure and gravity feed. He elevates the oil tank above the burner, so gravity acts to force the oil through as well as the pressure. I think he says a foot of height is equivalent to a PSI or something like that? I probably won't be making an oil burner anytime soon, although I am curious how well cooking oil would work. The problem I have is neighbors. I'm in a dense neighborhood, and propane is odorless and smokeless so i can fly under the radar here. I want to try an oil burner at some point, but it might not be very soon.
I use a kwiky oil burner, which needs an air compressor but works really great for me. If you want drip style, just look up the user "oil burner" on youtube here. Both can be found on here and are fairly easy to make.
+Little King Cobras Den which link are you talking about? I can't see my reply to this comment from my phone for some reason. If you want designs for oil burners those atre probably at backyardmetalcasting.com, if you are looking for one in action check out RUclips channel fair weather foundry, there should be a link in the featured channels on my channel page.
It probably isn't good for oxygen because most likely there is some grease or a hydrocarbon compound in the valve which when comes in contact with oxygen normally equals fire.
Sorry to tell you this late but harbor freight sells a propane torch that just adds on to your propane tank for $20. on the bright side you get the satisfaction of making one for yourself!
they sell a propane weed burner, i believe. It can work as a foundry burner but needs some modifications to work properly in a furnace. Still pretty awesome, though.
many sources like lead free solder (which is often 99% tin), some of those old 'antique' stores that really just sell old junk, lots of the pewter objects will be mostly tin (some have lead in them, some dont so be careful) or if you want to just buy tin ingots try rotometals.com
If the back of your burner really doesn't need to be open, then you might want to put a T or an elbow to another nipple then a mounting flange. That would make putting a support foot (wood or metal) under it easy and you wouldn't have to use that precarious looking rock. You could add height adjustable feet and ballast to the foot to make it stable.
+Ron Yerke that’s a fantastic idea, thanks! I still have to come up with a new mounting system for the burner to use with the new brick furnace, I’ll see if I can work something out
I'd probably leave that valve open while you dream of things to burn if you do indeed plan on tack welding the pipes together. let all the propane get out. think I might look into making something like this. Could be useful.
I was going to add a similar comment Paul. I found with my hand held torch and braided hose that it would still contain some gas after disconnection from the gas cylinder, useful for a short term portable flame but dangerous otherwise.
Well this one with the remaining gas inside the line was a surprise to me as I usually turned off the supply at the tank and let the flame burn out, then I tried it by turning off and disconnecting the hose and torch and thanks to a ball valve there was still gas inside. Better to know about it than find out the really hard and dangerous way.
Good point! always better safe than sorry. I'll probably disconnect the black pipe stuff from the regulator hose and blow compressed air through it or something to make sure it's all propane free before tack welding. Or maybe i'll just use a set screw like the instructions said.
+Jamie Lappen got it on Amazon, but I have since found one at a larger hardware store. Sometimes NPT is called MIP or some other names, so it might be available locally just by another name
+KlixTrio all of it from menards, a competitor to Home Depot and lowes. It would also be available at many hardware stores, I think I saw all the parts at a local Ace hardware. The regulator I had to order, however.
+Ted Lesch the direction really shouldn't matter. The pressure shoots the propane down the pipe, and that pulls air in. Should work up, down, horizontally, all similarly.
There are a few good sources of tin. Rotometals.com sells ingots if you want to pay (it's not super cheap), lead free solder is usually mostly tin (and more expensive by pound than ingots), and often you can score an old tin plate or decorative thing at a thrift shop. I don't know of any super cheap source of tin, but even buying full price ingots isn't too bad. Bronze is mostly copper, so 1 pound of tin makes LOTS of bronze
It does a few things. Since it flares out, the fuel/air mix is forced to expand and slow down, this creates turbulence. The slow turbulent mixture then burns more completely right in the flare. This can prevent the burner from blowing itself out. This is especially important before the furnace heats up.
It went good but not as good as Pauls. I posted a video to my channel. It's going to be ok for my mini furnace but my video is a perfect example of what paul was talking about with the air/fuel mixture being off. It has enough blue flame to reach the temps I need but then it turns to yellow flame at the tip. I'm going to open the holes up to 1/2" and see if that fixes it.
ruclips.net/video/tadbrjz7jAU/видео.html Hey Paul,,I followed the steps you took and it seems like my air/fuel mixture is off some how. Should I open up the 3/8" holes a little bigger so I get all blue flame like yours? Any help is much appreciated man.
@@colsoncustoms8994 not a compressor, I use an air mattress pump. I've used a hair dryer in the past too but it didn't move enough air and the thing always ran a little rich when on full blast
So how has it been working out? I just built one-similar design except I used a mig tip for the gas opening inserted into the backend [[I know there is a joke in there for you.]], 4 set screws hold it in place and the back is sealed. My first design my nozzle with the tip was just behind the holes similar to yours but my flame was bright yellow-too much air. Lengthened the tip and now it is just in front of the holes-better flame but not quit there yet. Makes me want to go back to charcoal-sorta but not.
works great so far. It would work better if i could use a flare in the furnace, but when the furnace heats up i don't have problems anymore. Bright yellow is usually not enough air (running rich), but it can also be moisture in the air, impurities, lots of stuff.
Drilling the jet hole after assembling the elbow to get the clocking right is a good idea. Many eliminate the elbow entirely to avoid that issue. To avoid breaking Chinesium step drill bits you need this accessory i.imgur.com/eVsKgLt.jpg They work better in it than in pistol drills.
No doubt ! * Chinesium mill is 'familiar' with said drill bits XD ! ( Not to mention STABILITY ! ) . . . good thing he's not trying to drill a .010 hole in 4130 with a carbide drill ;) (( I've been eyeing H.F.'s mill / drill for some time . . . thinking that it could benefit having a slightly redesigned / modified head for better Z axis control .))
+georgewocosky I have another drill press for those really tiny bits. It is a lot smaller. i.imgur.com/GyiqYUk.jpg But yeah, I can't use those tiny carbide bits by hand at all. Well, I might get one hole a bit with them.
A drill press would have helped tremendously. It's on my list (along with a million other tools) when I get the money and space. That Gingery book has a drill press as one of the projects, but having a drill press to begin with would help make the other stuff. Not to mention how useful a drill press is with lots of other projects.
'Munchkin' machinery has definitely got it's place ;) * I tend to drool over Lorch's & Swiss instrumentation . . . yet beggars like me tend toward H.F. to make homemade devices :( One step at a time . . . Cute little press ! What breed is it ?
Harbor Freight has a nice & cheesy little drill press for less than 50 bucks if you buy it when they put out a 25% off coupon ~ * The newer iterations of their 8 inch 'unit' are rather lightly built , with an aluminum 'table' & pressed steel base . . . unlike a few years ago . . .when cast iron was used . *( They work fairly well as a lathe when laid on their side . . . I turned many hundreds of fishing lure bodies with them from scrap cedar & mahogany ! ) ** Not so hot for turning metal , however. . . though it could be used for aluminum , if properly 'jigged'. . .
i would like to try it some day, but anvils and stuff are really expensive. It seems like forges and foundry furnaces use the same kind of propane burners, though, so i won't have to make another one of these
for an anvil - if you have a scrapyard nearby that sells offcuts of rail-steel, you can make a perfectly serviceable one. there's a lot of ibles of things like that. and if you're going to start in blacksmithing, (and have the place to play with fire... which it's obvious that you do) it's not really all that expensive... IF you make your own tools. (which'll teach you a lot of techniques. it was tradition for an apprentice, when he first started being allowed to work a forge, to make his own hammer and tongs.) If you're looking for information about it, I highly highly highly suggest 'Practical Blacksmithing: The Original Classic in One Volume' by M.T Richardson 1061 pages of information from guys who did this all day long, and who paid their way through the world on the quality of their work.
Ive been a licensed ironworker for 14 years and a furniture maker for about 4, and still, sometimes I ask myself "I wonder if I have enough knowledge, experience and intelligence to not kill myself doing this build". But then I watch these videos. If you're still alive, I think I'll be ok. I admire your bravery
bravery and luck goes really, really far. Besides, the real danger isn't taking risks, it's forgetting how dangerous mundane things are and letting your guard down.
@@PaulsGarage I've done that before.
Tip if you don't have the rich mans drill bit set . I used a .35 welding tip from a mig welder. Cut it in half jb weld it in.
I love chinesium what a great word for the unique alloy that the chinese use . It is calibrated to break at exactly the wrong moment
Paul I'm going to still suggest you get a propane 40lb tank from an RV. You can find them pretty easily. And I'll tell you why you should get one.
1) Have to fill less often.
2) bigger tank means less likely to ice up. I'm pretty sure you live in the upper midwest where it doesn't warm up till May so this is an issue a good part of the year.
3) no need to take your barbecue tank off your grill.
4) Horizontal ones can't be knocked over
That's a fantastic idea! I know where to get those around here, my parents have an RV with those tanks. I hadnt' even considered that.
DON'T go to the RV place first. They have more incentive to mark up way too much. I'd start with
Salvage Yard. Call up any one and tell them what you're looking for. Those tanks have no use to them so they'll be cheap.
Propane distribution company. Tell them you're looking to buy a tank not rent. Should be cheaper than an RV place.
I have one but i cant get it recertified only downfall ive found
NPT - National Pipe TAPER. The taper is generally 1 inch in 20 inch or 3 degrees 50 minute angle minutes of arc..... There are many types of pipe threads, including imperial (US standard) and metric. I would suggest Stainless steel pipe and flair because of flame temperature. 1.) Stainless can handle a higher temperature, 2.) stainless does not conduct heat like other metals. And yes, I own a small machine shop and steel fabrication shop. I have been a novice engineer for 40 years, with some engineering schooling (didn't have the $100,000 or more for the full degree due to injuries in a car crash).
+Jeffrey Cole thanks for the tip! Stainless would be pretty awesome, I'll look into that. The normal black pipe I'm using gets quite crust and rusty over time. Did not know about the different heat conduction either.
First like! 😊
My burner has been in the works for weeks.
Different setup and I haven't finished turning the nozzle!
If you are interested I'm going to post up when it's done.
Along with a few pics from making my furnace.
Like your vids!
Maybe not the first like!
RUclips fooling me!
Also, I got all the pipes for my burner in SS and it cost £22, would of been cheaper if I had done cash!
If you look around you can always find a cheaper option.
Stainless would certainly look nicer than black pipe. Black pipe is cheap, readily available, and meant for gas, but it is ugly stuff for sure.
I think the propane squirting hole is called the jet. I have a hunch that the air intake holes might be called venturi and the size is critical for good performance. Nice video.
Yes! "Jet" is the word i was looking for there. thanks!
James Parlane or "ventury oriface" if you want to get technical ...I think. ;-)
-"why did you choose propane?"
-"because I have a propane grill."
-"oh yeah that makes sense"
Also, the flames are blue! how cool is that?
not for oxygen because the oxygren fittings are grease-free, no lubficants allowed with oxygen because if liquid oxygen hits grease it explodes, and with the high pressures oxygen tanks run at its nofun and gameds
+1ssssssw1¹q! ACA l
I'm building two of these now. It's funny we bought almost the exact same stuff. Same pipe, same hose+regulator.
I was checking youtube because I didn't realize I needed that flare fitting for the propane hose. No link in the description sadly, but at least I know what I'm missing. :) thanks!
+Jared Thomson problem resolved! The link is now in the description, but I have found the fitting at a normal hardware store that sold pluming stuff, so you might not even have to order it.
Thanks Paul :)
I did go ahead and order it, and it works great. Burner is up and running. \m/
That's basically the same thing (well, same but not quite) as a Bunsen Burner.
I'm a newcomer to your videos... like the style a lot!
you can make your foundry in a trash can to make it bigger, I did this and it works really well
I was thinking about that. I can get steel trash cans at a store here, but they are REALLY big. I was thinking maybe double the size of the bucket foundry, but the trash cans are around 5 times the size of the bucket.
welcome to the propane game man! enjoy all your free time and cleaner metals!
Thanks! i'm looking forward to it! I have a whole screen door's worth of extruded aluminum that is just one rain free day away from getting the propane treatment!
@@PaulsGarage x
You're the greatest man! My coal furnace Blows....I'm going propane, just came back from the hardware store and will have fun making this tomorrow! Thanks Fun Master!
Hope it goes well! just remember this design is rickety, use at your own risk... I did and i only burned myself a *little bit*
Paul, you don't need the flare when using it in the forge. A flare is only required when using it when not hooked up. Also if you want to add forced air either with a hair dryer or compressor the furnace will get just about hot enough to cast iron depending on how you build the new furnace
wow after I posted that you uploaded a new video. lol
kids these days and their dope pipes...
Also, now I have Warren G's Regulate stuck in my head. xD
And it's in my head too... thanks for that!
Nice modification of the original design based on the parts that were available to you. I can't wait to see how well it will perform but you still have to build a new furnace around your new propane burner and I'm interested to see how it all comes together!!!!
I'm looking forward to getting the new furnace too! I might give this a test run on the current furnace while I get all the materials for the new one. Still trying to figure out the design details on that...
Hello . the LPG gas (normally used in some areas of Italy) can melt small quantities of copper in a crucible like that of the goldsmiths?
man iv watched so many videos but the commentry and personality in your videos keeps you ammused and keeps the attention really enjoy learning from your videos. really appreciate the vids i plan on getting into this very soon hopefully sometime i will be able to suggest something to help you in the future as much as these have helped me
thanks! glad you like the videos :D
hi, you can make a heat recovery system and so connect high temp air to the burner intake
NPT stands for national pipe, tapered. There is such thing as NPS which is a straight thread and used for lamps and other things.
Ah right, that makes sense. I sometimes mix words in my head, thought the T was for thread :D
Great video though. I just scored some scrap brass and want so badly to join the metal melting club!
*breaks Chinesium step bit* "Well, that was unexpected..." Only on your end, dude. :D
you forgot the part where i was beating the chinesium bit to death :D
If you build one of these add water through gas line and look in 1" pipe and move gas line till water comes out the center. thats the best way to center the # 57 hole to the torch and it will burn better. I tried to run mine without the bell reducer and it started sputtering backfiring so it needs a flair on the end.
I have been looking for a decent design that does not involve welding and this fits the build. The fact you made me laugh several times during the video was just an awesome added bonus :D
Glad i could help out ;).
you should fit a flame arrestor between the stainless hose and the valve that way if a flame were to work its way back you dont blow up your garage :). awesome videos man!
not really needed since there is no oxygen like with a gas welding torch.
Rob B but theres always the chance it could happen, always better to waste a couple dollars rather than a couple million to have your face re built
yeah better safe than sorry, you make a good point. A couple bucks to eliminate a remote risk is easy to justify.
I went with a "B" fitting so I use the regulator and regular welding hoses for my glass blowing torch.
Thank you, I gonna to check my burner, because the flame is poor, yellow color. According with you, I need more holes for to get a better air/fuel ratio and so get a blue flame.
Hey! Do you know the BTU/hr of this? Or, have you tried running an entire 20lb tank empty? How long did that take? Also, would it be possible to make it portable by using a 14oz propane torch bottle? I know it wont last very long at all, but do those little bottles give enough pressure to get a flame as big as yours? Thanks!
I don’t know, but I do have a plan to figure it out eventually. I know where I can borrow a super accurate tank scale, I’m just waiting for warmer weather
I bought a propane torch at harbor freight for 20 bucks
hay Paul thanks for the video FYI Oxygen degrades the silicon or teflon components in the valve and any oil or hydrocarbons in the valve from manufacture can react with the oxygen plus heat I'm guessing we can all goes what happens next.
Love how you just had drill bits and stuff on your phone screen lol
+John Biggs my phone takes lots of abuse ;)
I wouldn't light the burner at your venturi holes. I know it's kind of cool and it acts like a pilot light, but now you are wasting fuel that is burning in your burner tube and not your foundry. Also the tube on the burner will start to get hotter than you want and flame being that close to the jet might cause a flashback under the right conditions. Just turn up the pressure and light at the flare. That being said, I did enjoy your video.
I found that site/design several years back when I first got into metal casting, but I never built the burner. I'm thinking about it now, but I'm wondering if it could be a hybrid forced air/naturally aspirated burner. A sleeve could be made and slipped over the burner pipe to cover the holes (and would help adjust the fuel/air mixture) and I could easily connect the output from an air mattress pump to the back of the burner tube...hmm
Hey Paul, I've used a .025" mig tip for my propane nozzle, maybe it would work for you too?
have you seen the backyard scientists propane burner it makes that one seem super complicated
+joe garrow I haven't but I'll check that out. Most burners are more complex than this but they have more tuning ability
Oxygen is highly explosive under pressure. A greasy fingerprint in an oxygen rich environment + pressure = BOOM
Special valves and lubricants for them are required. Like never grease or get grease on your Oxy/Acet. Valves right ?
Not just under pressure. You are correct to think oil based products - oils, lubricants, seals, etc. - are very reactive to oxygen, and yes, sometimes just the oils from your hands. Not "like never grease or get grease", NEVER get grease or oil, or oil based seals near oxygen. Things burst into flames or explode. YES! Specially prepared valves, seals, and lubricants are needed for oxygen systems.
Interesting thing. I was Diabetic as a baby too adulthood. Ended up in the hospital at age 13. Night shift as Hosp, the nurses [[whom I became friends with as they were[[well a couple of them anyway]] hot. The break room was stuffed with Oxygen tanks and they sat around smoking and playing cards and such.
Oxygen itself isn't explosive, it's an accelerator as in it helps whatever fuel combust. More oxygen during combustion the faster it does so. If oxygen were leaking from said tanks and touched the lit smokes it'd merely accelerate the burn nothing more.
The biggest danger is in the instance of oxy / acetylene, if you have leaks in that kind of setup it could very well become a massive explosion due to the mixture of fuel oxygen and the combustion from the torch! Which is why you typically wanna be further away from the actual tanks.
The reason that valve will not work for O2 is because there is a propylene lubricant on the valve controller. O2 and propylene don't play well with each other.
Correct, it's because oils and some elements are very volatile and are very reactive with oxygen. Never ever ever never - don't even think about it - using oils, valves or fittings, that are not oxygen approved with oxygen.The seals in the valves, and oils used to manufacture the valves can and will cause spontaneous violent flames or explode. NEVER EVER use oil based soaps to leak check oxygen systems. Use ONLY oxygen approved soaps to leak check oxygen systems. That's why you can't even think about it, because you brain could spontaneously burst into a blowtorch or explode!!!! I try to quit thinking because it gets me into too much trouble....... I do not like to guess. Too many bad things can happen when I guess. It also gets too expensive to just guess.
When drilling metal, it’s best to drill at a slow rpm.
I really really really love your videos paul, they make my day!
Thanks! I'm glad to hear that! :D
An interesting low budget approach. Thanks.
Dalavan burners are awesome. They burn waste oil you get for free.
I recently built a similar burner and am having trouble with the amount of air blowing out the flame. I figure there is a definitive answer to why this is happening but I don’t know it. Can you think of a reason why my flame is going out when I give it the full amount of air? Thanks.
I really want to see it in action with the furnace !
Me too! I wanted to give it a test run today, but it's raining :(
Propane isn't free... but I found it to be much cheaper than charcoal. It also rids you of the sparks and ash, and you no longer need to babysit your fire. If you have a Costco nearby they sell propane pretty darned cheap
+Learning the Hard Way I think you're right. Propane is so much easier, and I think I burned through just as many dollars in lump charcoal per melt.
haha ... happy burning .. I mean casting :D
all casting is happy casting :D
Im so glad to see your channel growing and to see you pursuing your hobbies! You are have the most amazing videos (and personality). I CAN NOT WAIT for more copper and aluminum melting, and maybe even literally copper and aluminum melting (I think you should call the bronze "Copperum". Im both excited and disappointed that you have swapped to propane. It will allow you to do SO many (responsible mind you) casting projects. Im still stuck in the dark ages with Grant's mini foundry design for solely aluminum. Im using soup cans as crucibles... I bought a super cheap Chinese clay graphite one but it is too wide for charcoal to fit around. Anyway keep up the good work and videos. -John
Thanks! I can't wait for more copper melting either, too bad it's going to rain tomorrow here... I'm going to keep my bucket furnace and probably still use charcoal in it when melting aluminum. Charcoal is pretty cheap and i already have a couple bags of it. But once I get the better furnace built I want to start doing more copper alloys. There is a LOT of cool bronze/brass casting in the future I hope!
Hey Paul. Don't forget to keep the propane tank warm so it doesn't freeze
Good point! this was just a test firing, but i'll have to keep it from freezing during longer use.
I appreciate your effort, it sure would be nice if you could give a total cost instead of hiding your receipt.
The valve probably isn't to be used with oxygen because the greater chance of the metal oxidizing. The atmosphere is roughly 20% oxygen, 100% oxygen would likely quintuple the oxidation rate and could cause failure within the valve. That's just my guess.
WeneDog0628 wut
He stated that the valve was marked as not to be used with 100% oxygen, I was replying specifically to that statement.
No, it's because oils and some elements are very volatile and are very reactive with oxygen. Never ever ever never - don't even think about it - using oils, valves or fittings, that are not oxygen approved with oxygen.The seals in the valves, and oils used to manufacture the valves can and will cause spontaneous violent flames or explode. NEVER EVER use oil based soaps to leak check oxygen systems. Use ONLY oxygen approved soaps to leak check oxygen systems. That's why you can't even think about it, because you brain could spontaneously burst into a blowtorch or explode!!!! I try to quit thinking because it gets me into too much trouble....... I do not like to guess. Too many bad things can happen when I guess. It also gets too expensive to just guess.
yup the various space programs have had huge issues with keeping oxygen lines and valves clean, even a finger print can cause combustion in the prresence of 100% oxygen.
Hehehe, having an emergency knob always is important! Great video! :-)
Thanks! Yes, emergency knobs can be very useful :P
"Fire hole"
"fire hole" is the super technical term.
if you ad a hair drier to the extra on the back, it makes it bun hotter.
+Matthew Bourgeois you must be psychic! I tried that last weekend, the video of it posts tomorrow actually.
Paul's Garage Dear God I apologise for that grammer, i hadn't had my coffee yet.
+Matthew Bourgeois lol I totally understand! My braid doesn't wake up until after at least 2 mugs of coffee
Could you use a regular propane torch to melt brass?
Brass would be pushing it. Regular propane torches (I assume you mean weed burners) tend to be low on airflow, dont work well in a furnace without modification
3/8 is smaller than 1/2” if 1/2 is your biggest you may have a 3/8 bit
KY Trapping Outdoors A fellow trapper huh? Let's cast us up some MB550 jaws. 😉
I built the other style torch already but I'm not overly thrilled with it so I think I'll build yours too. Question: How are you able to get the air/gas mixture optimal without using a carb of some sort? Are those predrilled holes that precise that you never need adjustments?
This design doens't have a great way to adjust the mixture on the fly. The air can be adjusted by covering/opening more holes, but in a certain configuration it seems to work best at a specific pressure. You can see when i first turned it on at low pressure, it was a lazy, rich lame because it didn't have the suction to pull enough air in through the holes. This improved when i cranked up the pressure. As a result, in this configuration i can't run a small flame at low pressure. It just isn't possible.
I would think, if you needed additional airflow, and you have all that extra pipe at the back... perhaps you could modify an old hairdryer (possibly with a dimmer arrangement) to pump additional air if you wanted to run a smaller flame?
can you please give me the pipe fitting dimensions. I want to replicate the project and I need to know what to buy because I like the way you made it.
f.y.i, I watched your video on tuning it and I think it might help if instead of using the hair dryer, you could just cover the holes you drilled and drill some more up front maybe. Idk if that will work but that's what I'm going to try.
hi paul i was just wondering if u would also post the parts list you used...it would be most helpful...
thanks in advance
I think its in the description
Paul in your opinion do you reckon a gas burner can melt down scrap lead from a car battery?
You did not install any jet, Just a small hole in then cross pipe. It works admittedly.
where we get 0 30 psi propane regulotor
You should make one with the new furnace
i want to make some bronze stuff for sure!
I used Lionel Oliver's refractory recipe to line my furnace that I mentioned on another video.
I like your tutorial how to videos, the ones I have seen are simple. and my furnace is already equipped to burn coal, wood, paper briquettes, etc. But it is 25 miles one way for me to get a tank of propane. But cooking oil and motor oil is a lot easier for me to scrap up. living in the bush, some building materials can be a challenge to locate without a 50 mile round trip walk. So I would like to request a future video for myself and others who may be in a similar situation for an alternative style burner such as the oils? I built my furnace from an old 175 gallon used oil storage tank ( like the ones you might see at a minute oil change shop ) so I have a lot of room to heat. I am curious to see what you can come up with. most the ones I've seen are to complicated or difficult for me to find parts ECT. I am looking of a simple gravity fed no air compressor design. I love aluminum casting, and trying to learn brass, copper, and if my guess is correct about this river, possibly gold. Later for now. . . .
I built an oil burner, I built mine off of the kwiky burner, but if I wanted something simple that just works, I would look at some of the burners from the guy called "oil burner" here on youtube. His drip style burners work really well and Ive seen a few running in person, and I have to say that they are much easier to use than the siphon ones and much cheaper to build.
yeah the channel "oil burner" is pretty good. I think Fair Weather Foundry uses an oil burner, but he uses a mix of air pressure and gravity feed. He elevates the oil tank above the burner, so gravity acts to force the oil through as well as the pressure. I think he says a foot of height is equivalent to a PSI or something like that? I probably won't be making an oil burner anytime soon, although I am curious how well cooking oil would work. The problem I have is neighbors. I'm in a dense neighborhood, and propane is odorless and smokeless so i can fly under the radar here. I want to try an oil burner at some point, but it might not be very soon.
Would you mind sharing the link pleas? I keep looking and to just put oil burner or drip style oil burner, I get way too many choices.
I use a kwiky oil burner, which needs an air compressor but works really great for me. If you want drip style, just look up the user "oil burner" on youtube here. Both can be found on here and are fairly easy to make.
+Little King Cobras Den which link are you talking about? I can't see my reply to this comment from my phone for some reason. If you want designs for oil burners those atre probably at backyardmetalcasting.com, if you are looking for one in action check out RUclips channel fair weather foundry, there should be a link in the featured channels on my channel page.
It probably isn't good for oxygen because most likely there is some grease or a hydrocarbon compound in the valve which when comes in contact with oxygen normally equals fire.
huh, i hadn't thought of that. I like fire and all, but unwanted fire inside a valve sounds like a bad day.
Sorry to tell you this late but harbor freight sells a propane torch that just adds on to your propane tank for $20. on the bright side you get the satisfaction of making one for yourself!
+Ryan Sokol there wasn't a harbor freight near me when I made that :(. But there is now! Let the money savings begin lol
Ryan Sokol woah hold harbor freight sells one completely done like the one he built?
they sell a propane weed burner, i believe. It can work as a foundry burner but needs some modifications to work properly in a furnace. Still pretty awesome, though.
very nice job.
you should put the regulator on the tank and not the burner for more precise "burning"
it is on the tank, the hose connects the tank/regulator to the burner
You mentioned a place where you get tin. Where?
many sources like lead free solder (which is often 99% tin), some of those old 'antique' stores that really just sell old junk, lots of the pewter objects will be mostly tin (some have lead in them, some dont so be careful) or if you want to just buy tin ingots try rotometals.com
If the back of your burner really doesn't need to be open, then you might want to put a T or an elbow to another nipple then a mounting flange. That would make putting a support foot (wood or metal) under it easy and you wouldn't have to use that precarious looking rock. You could add height adjustable feet and ballast to the foot to make it stable.
+Ron Yerke that’s a fantastic idea, thanks! I still have to come up with a new mounting system for the burner to use with the new brick furnace, I’ll see if I can work something out
Dude, you are very funny! Thanks for video and humor
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed :)
ya, ya, Fire!
Hey man I’m just using the right drillbit for the job LOL
To use the right bit you must first HAVE the right bit ;)
yaaay propane burner!!!
Oil while drilling metal? No, why would I do that?
Very cool
I'd probably leave that valve open while you dream of things to burn if you do indeed plan on tack welding the pipes together. let all the propane get out.
think I might look into making something like this. Could be useful.
Good point! flammable, trapped gasses are not a great thing to have around a welder...
I was going to add a similar comment Paul. I found with my hand held torch and braided hose that it would still contain some gas after disconnection from the gas cylinder, useful for a short term portable flame but dangerous otherwise.
I'm usually the guy rolling his eyes at the safety people but sometimes stuff isn't as immediately obvious.
Well this one with the remaining gas inside the line was a surprise to me as I usually turned off the supply at the tank and let the flame burn out, then I tried it by turning off and disconnecting the hose and torch and thanks to a ball valve there was still gas inside. Better to know about it than find out the really hard and dangerous way.
Good point! always better safe than sorry. I'll probably disconnect the black pipe stuff from the regulator hose and blow compressed air through it or something to make sure it's all propane free before tack welding. Or maybe i'll just use a set screw like the instructions said.
"Not even going to make jokes here" is in fact a joke
mind-blown :D
How/where did you get all your copper?
I fix appliances for a living, we remove old copper lines that leak and replace with plastic that doesn’t corrode as quickly
Where did you buy the NPT to flare fitting?
+Jamie Lappen got it on Amazon, but I have since found one at a larger hardware store. Sometimes NPT is called MIP or some other names, so it might be available locally just by another name
Are you able to send me the amazon link please?
will an old milk can work as a forge ?
could use as ice on sidewalk remover.IF it doesn't work in your forge.LOL
+Mr Budd I don't know, it might work. Depends on the size of the milk can I guess and what you do with it.
What store did you get the stuff from? I cant find the a bell reducer
+KlixTrio all of it from menards, a competitor to Home Depot and lowes. It would also be available at many hardware stores, I think I saw all the parts at a local Ace hardware. The regulator I had to order, however.
Is the regulator on the gas line necessary to maintain PSI?
+AshesMardiGra yes. As the tank empties and/or cools, pressure will not stay constant. The regulator fixes that
Paul's Garage I currently get great pressure for 10 to 15 sec before goes to nearly nothing and flame goes out.
Thanks Paul. I really enjoy your channel! You inspire me to do awesomely stupid-dangerous things :-)
Thanks! i'm glad you enjoy! Don't be dangerous, though! Be safe :D Also have fun.
Haha that poor bit would have been fine if you let it do it's thing instead of forcing the lil bastard. :'< R.I.P. stepper bit~
can this work vertically?
+Ted Lesch the direction really shouldn't matter. The pressure shoots the propane down the pipe, and that pulls air in. Should work up, down, horizontally, all similarly.
_"I know where to get a lot of tin.."_
Care to share with the rest of the class, please? :-)
There are a few good sources of tin. Rotometals.com sells ingots if you want to pay (it's not super cheap), lead free solder is usually mostly tin (and more expensive by pound than ingots), and often you can score an old tin plate or decorative thing at a thrift shop. I don't know of any super cheap source of tin, but even buying full price ingots isn't too bad. Bronze is mostly copper, so 1 pound of tin makes LOTS of bronze
Hey paul,,,what is the purpose of the flare at the end of the burner?
It does a few things. Since it flares out, the fuel/air mix is forced to expand and slow down, this creates turbulence. The slow turbulent mixture then burns more completely right in the flare. This can prevent the burner from blowing itself out. This is especially important before the furnace heats up.
Awesome thanks man!! I am building one now to play with this weekend.
Mountain Man Ent How'd it go?
It went good but not as good as Pauls. I posted a video to my channel. It's going to be ok for my mini furnace but my video is a perfect example of what paul was talking about with the air/fuel mixture being off. It has enough blue flame to reach the temps I need but then it turns to yellow flame at the tip. I'm going to open the holes up to 1/2" and see if that fixes it.
ruclips.net/video/tadbrjz7jAU/видео.html Hey Paul,,I followed the steps you took and it seems like my air/fuel mixture is off some how. Should I open up the 3/8" holes a little bigger so I get all blue flame like yours? Any help is much appreciated man.
How hot will propane get if using a burner like this?
Depends on too many factors to say for sure. I use forced air now and an insulated fire brick furnace and I have melted iron with it, so hot enough!
@@PaulsGarage Awesome, thanks for the reply. Running a compressor to the burner or something like that?
@@colsoncustoms8994 not a compressor, I use an air mattress pump. I've used a hair dryer in the past too but it didn't move enough air and the thing always ran a little rich when on full blast
@@PaulsGarage Okay cool, I use a bathroom exhaust fan for my open charcoal forge.
@@colsoncustoms8994 i never would have thought of that, that's a cool idea!
Hey great video man! You're hilarious
+Captain Shortguy thanks! Glad you enjoyed!
My grandfather was known to say..." I'd rather be lucky than good."
he must have been a smart, lucky man :D
damn this is old video but hopes someone can answer: 1 question. can we just make it straight? Why make that cross position?
Make what straight?
"lets never speak of this again..." 3. 2. 1. "Speaking of drilling holes..."
Does a standard BBQ regulator work on one of these?
+Ellis Waugh nope, the pressure is way too low
Paul's Garage can I get away with just using the ball shutoff?
So how has it been working out? I just built one-similar design except I used a mig tip for the gas opening inserted into the backend [[I know there is a joke in there for you.]], 4 set screws hold it in place and the back is sealed. My first design my nozzle with the tip was just behind the holes similar to yours but my flame was bright yellow-too much air. Lengthened the tip and now it is just in front of the holes-better flame but not quit there yet. Makes me want to go back to charcoal-sorta but not.
works great so far. It would work better if i could use a flare in the furnace, but when the furnace heats up i don't have problems anymore. Bright yellow is usually not enough air (running rich), but it can also be moisture in the air, impurities, lots of stuff.
Hmmm. I thought Yellow was too much air and blue without the inner cone was too little?
Oh and by the way, I have your goofy theme stuck in my head like an ear worm. lol
Drilling the jet hole after assembling the elbow to get the clocking right is a good idea. Many eliminate the elbow entirely to avoid that issue. To avoid breaking Chinesium step drill bits you need this accessory i.imgur.com/eVsKgLt.jpg They work better in it than in pistol drills.
No doubt ! * Chinesium mill is 'familiar' with said drill bits XD ! ( Not to mention STABILITY ! ) . . . good thing he's not trying to drill a .010 hole in 4130 with a carbide drill ;) (( I've been eyeing H.F.'s mill / drill for some time . . . thinking that it could benefit having a slightly redesigned / modified head for better Z axis control .))
+georgewocosky I have another drill press for those really tiny bits. It is a lot smaller. i.imgur.com/GyiqYUk.jpg But yeah, I can't use those tiny carbide bits by hand at all. Well, I might get one hole a bit with them.
A drill press would have helped tremendously. It's on my list (along with a million other tools) when I get the money and space. That Gingery book has a drill press as one of the projects, but having a drill press to begin with would help make the other stuff. Not to mention how useful a drill press is with lots of other projects.
'Munchkin' machinery has definitely got it's place ;) * I tend to drool over Lorch's & Swiss instrumentation . . . yet beggars like me tend toward H.F. to make homemade devices :( One step at a time . . .
Cute little press ! What breed is it ?
Harbor Freight has a nice & cheesy little drill press for less than 50 bucks if you buy it when they put out a 25% off coupon ~ * The newer iterations of their 8 inch 'unit' are rather lightly built , with an aluminum 'table' & pressed steel base . . . unlike a few years ago . . .when cast iron was used . *( They work fairly well as a lathe when laid on their side . . . I turned many hundreds of fishing lure bodies with them from scrap cedar & mahogany ! ) ** Not so hot for turning metal , however. . . though it could be used for aluminum , if properly 'jigged'. . .
well you really dont need that valve x3 just dont crank the propane gas thing all the way open. just turn it 1/4 of the total revolution open owo
Don't you have to wear a tie for this kind of job?
Haha yeah probably
one day, would you like to forge things, like swords and other things? Keep up the great vids!
i would like to try it some day, but anvils and stuff are really expensive. It seems like forges and foundry furnaces use the same kind of propane burners, though, so i won't have to make another one of these
for an anvil - if you have a scrapyard nearby that sells offcuts of rail-steel, you can make a perfectly serviceable one. there's a lot of ibles of things like that. and if you're going to start in blacksmithing, (and have the place to play with fire... which it's obvious that you do) it's not really all that expensive... IF you make your own tools. (which'll teach you a lot of techniques. it was tradition for an apprentice, when he first started being allowed to work a forge, to make his own hammer and tongs.) If you're looking for information about it, I highly highly highly suggest 'Practical Blacksmithing: The Original Classic in One Volume' by M.T Richardson
1061 pages of information from guys who did this all day long, and who paid their way through the world on the quality of their work.
I bet someone is making jokes about what you say in this video. LOL
Plus also i subscribed to your channel.
biggest reason not to use teflon ... It's FORBIDDEN TO USE FOR GAS
Arthur Dickinson wrong. you have made a stupid comment. code requires teflon on all gas/lp fittings