Building an Oil Fired Foundry Furnace - Part 11: Burner Design and Refractory Cure Out

[@StreuB1]

620am, at work, coffee in hand. Don't start till 7am......30min video by Keith......can't get a more perfect start to a morning than this.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Brian Streufert Thanks Brian!

[@joelandersson8504]

+Brian Streufert Well, I have a cup of coffee here, but after 27 min it's cold. Completely forgot it! Off to make some more...

[@Grunblau]

Hey Keith! Couple things I'd like to mention that I had to discover through trial and error over the last few months... When you really get going you'll find that your propane tank will freeze up or lose pressure due to icing. Simply place it in a tub of water and you'll be good to go! When the firing is over remove the burner from the furnace immediately and keep the air going a bit. This helps to cool the hago nozzle. There is an o-ring in there that relies on fuel/air for cooling. Also have plugs ready for the cool down. This will prevent shock to the refractory. When you place the furnace for your first melt, try to place it so you never need to step over any of your lines. It is like a breath of fresh air when you do this. The hago nozzle (at least the one I have) still benefits greatly from an elevated fuel source. It will pull the fuel, but the burn is better and the atomizing of the fuel is more complete with elevated fuel. Glad to see it is all coming together!

[@thomasutley]

I get Brian and Keith in one place...I love it when two of my favorite Makers cross paths!

[@VintageMachinery]

+Brian Oltrogge Thanks for the tips Brian - always better to learn from someone else trial and error!

[@f2535]

Brian and Keith, I don't know if this will help you in your situation or be cost effective. While operating a propane fired locomotive we had to add a propane vaporizer to avoid line freezing. The only two ways to avoid freezing is to increase the size of your tank, which you can only go so big until it becomes uneconomical for hobby/home/non commercial use, or add a vaporizer. I will say that with the vaporizer I have seen two Porter and one Crown locomotives operate all afternoon and evening with no freezing. But it could be worth a search to see what is out there.

[@larrytellinghusen1733]

f2535

[@larrytellinghusen1733]

f2535

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Great video. I bet that makes you feel a lot better now that the refractory is cured and no problems. Now you are ready to melt some metal. Thanks for sharing.

[@tristanprice1830]

That thing is going to melt aluminium cans like there is no tomorrow lol. Amazing job on the furnace and I can't wait to see it melt something. Thank you, Tristan

[@VintageMachinery]

+CNC Newbie It is getting closer all the time!

[@NOBOX7]

beautiful work keith

[@shopdave7489]

Good to see progress on the furnace. Even better to see no apparent problems with the steel frame work. I was curious as to whether or not the steel might out expand the refractory but apparently not. Look forward to completion of the project.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Shop Dave No problems were apparent!

[@mcpheonixx]

That furnace looks great, it's good to see it running finally. I would love to come out and see it in action sometime.

[@VintageMachinery]

+mcpheonixx Come on out any time!

[@tombellus8986]

Great furnace Keith, enjoyed the series will be waiting for the first melt thanks

[@VintageMachinery]

+Tom Bellus Thanks Tom!

[@johnleake708]

Keith I do really appreciate the time and effort you obviously spend on your videos. They are informative and well done. Thanks again John

[@VintageMachinery]

+John Leake Thanks John!

[@johnstrange6799]

Glad to see the cure out. Looking forward to the insulation, and first melt. - Thanks

[@VintageMachinery]

+John Strange The first melt is getting closer all the time! Once I do a bit more on the furnace, I need to make a few things to handle the hot crucibles...

[@German_MDS]

Hey Keith! Metric guy here :-) the Cº is for Celsius instead of Centigrade, common mistake. Thanks for sharing, and keep us posted on the shop building!

[@VintageMachinery]

+chevy250ss Good to know - I have always wondered about that...

[@JCSalomon]

“Celsius” is the standard term, but “centigrade” means the exact same thing. From Wikipedia: “Before being renamed to honour Anders Celsius in 1948, the unit was called _centigrade_.” For some reason, the older term has not entirely disappeared, especially in the USA.

[@harryconn3172]

I don't really know much about furnaces, and I find this very interesting. When you check the temperature, you should hold the gun closer to where you are checking. I say this because it checks the temperature over a certain radius and not at the exact point you point it. So you only get an average temperature of the whole furnace and not just the inside, when you are checking the inside temperature. Great videos, thank you for sharing.

[@markmossinghoff8185]

+Harry Conn The thermometer would melt if it came in contact with the hot exhaust escaping from that small hole in the top of the furnace! He was probably holding it as close as he safely could.

[@PeterWMeek]

It depends on the IR meter. They vary anywhere from about 6:1 (distance compared to size of measuring circle) to 50:1 (Raytek ST80 ProPlus for example). That tight measuring circle lets you get way back or measure larger areas from across the room. If you are trying to measure a small object, being able to restrict the measuring area to a limited area is important. The meter measures the average (roughly) temperature of everything within the circle. If you have a hot object that is half the diameter of your circle (at the distance you are measuring) then the hot object is going account for only 1/4 of the measurement; the other 3/4 of the measurement will be the background temperature. This is important to remember - the meter does NOT give you the temperature of the hottest thing in the circle but some combination (probably not the true average) of ALL the temperatures in the circle. I don't know what model Keith is using, but if we take a worst-likely case and assume his meter has a 6:1 ratio, then from 2 feet away, his measuring circle is going to be about 4 inches in diameter - easily small enough to aim through the hole in the furnace cap. From much further away the circle would be large enough to unavoidably include part of the (much cooler) cap, and thus give a cooler-than-actual temperature reading. If Keith's meter has a higher ratio, it will allow standing back further.

[@harryconn3172]

+Peter W. Meek Thank you for explaining it better

[@VintageMachinery]

+Harry Conn Yes, you are correct. The IR meter I have, actually has a laser dot in the center but also shows the radius that it is actually measuring so you can see what you are actually measuring. The temps are indeed averages of the area being shot, but that is good enough for me for what I am doing.

[@sandrammer]

Just watched the video of those guys making the Wright brothers' engine block, thanks for sending it my way! Loved it! I was on the edge of my seat the whole way and the 2 hour video felt like a 15 min. video. Really sent me back. The head molder was kind of cranky though. lol

[@VintageMachinery]

+sandrammer I thought you would enjoy that. I sure did as well. It is always so helpful to just look over somebody's shoulder doing stuff like this....

[@lyntonr6188]

Excellent work Keith .

[@VintageMachinery]

+Lynton Rodda Thank you!

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Excellent build throughout! The burner is impressive!

[@VintageMachinery]

+William Garrett Thank you!

[@mrfrog3350]

Thanks again Keith for making such great videos.Hope the shop is making good progress.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Mr Frog And thank you for taking your valuable time to watch!

[@RoelTyros]

Hello Keith, Great to see the progress of the furnace and the first time it really burns, or better say with the burner(s) in it. It didn't surprise me that there still comes moisture out of the refractory when you look to cement buildings. Sometimes it takes more than one year before the walls are dry but okay, temperatures are not high to dry them. Really looking forward to the first time melt but I am sure it works much better than that little furnace you used before. Great video as usual an many greetings from Roel !

[@VintageMachinery]

+RoelTyros A melt coming soon - I hope...

[@mattcurry29]

The furnace is great Keith! Can't wait for the first melt. Matt C.

[@VintageMachinery]

+mattcurry29 Thanks Matt, we are getting closer now for sure!

[@mrbluenun]

Hello Keith, Thank you for a really interesting explanation on your burner, hope everything goes well with the kind of slow heat build up in your foundry.

[@VintageMachinery]

+mrbluenun Everything appears to have worked just great!

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

Looks great Keith .. It's just about ready to roll !!

[@VintageMachinery]

+ShawnMrFixitlee Yep, getting real close now!

[@bradley3549]

Once you get your burner dialed in, make sure to take some measurements for the rest of us to copy! I really like that design and I think with those lines out the back trimmed up it will be my go-to design.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Bradley Weingartner My buddy Charles Marlin is supposed to be drawing everything up and will make those drawings available to everyone.

[@bradley3549]

+Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org Great to hear! For the most part I think it's easy to replicate given your description. The two variables I'm mostly interested in are the ideal distance from the oil nozzle to the end of the burner tube, and the distance from the propane jet to the end of the tube - based on your trial and error. Those distances may differ depending on fuel pressure, air pressure and blower flow I suppose so trial and error is probably inevitable for every build, hey?

[@MattsMotorz]

WOO HOO! First fire up! That burner design is awesome! I might have to steal that idea and make myself another burner. I don't have a set up for propane and it would be SO useful for aluminum since that is most of what I do. Also, I wish I followed the break in procedures for the refractory. When I did mine I just went straight to melting metal because I was so excited to get started. It actually turned out okay but I DID get a single crack going down on the inside of the furnace on the side where the fire first hits the wall. It's been totally fine though functionality wise.

[@VintageMachinery]

+MattsMotorz The refractory will crack at some point pretty much no matter what you do, but a proper cure in will help prevent it as long as possible.

[@jimpritz4169]

Great video. The burner looks like it is going to be a winner. I don't think I would be to concerned about the water. One of the bypoducts of propane burning is water.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Jim Pritz Not worried about it - part of the process of curing is to get all of the water out of things.

[@ChrisB257]

Great info Keith re your burner stuff. Great to see the inaugural heat up! Looking real good. You may want to create a tad more swirl.

[@VintageMachinery]

+ChrisB257 We will see how it goes!

[@terrylarotonda784]

Great job and explanation Keith as always. Thank you

[@VintageMachinery]

+Terry LaRotonda Thank you Terry!

[@sandrammer]

looking good! not surprised at the moisture being driven off by the burner as refractory is porous when dry like volcanic rock. once you make sure that you don't have any bubbles or blow outs on the inside of the lining, you need to make up a wash, using the refractory you used to make the lining, and coat the inside of the lining so that moisture can't return to the refractory when the lining cools and the expected small amount of condensation (especially in the humid Georgia summers) takes place. The wash will act as a sealant against moisture and because it will be made from the refractory you used to make the lining, it will bond well with the lining.

[@Blazer02LS]

+sandrammer I put a wash coat inside and out on mine. Figured that if moisture could cause an issue inside it could do the same outside as it heated up. Then wrapped it in ceramic and sealed the outer shell with high temp silicone.

[@sandrammer]

+Blazer02LS I would not have washed the outside because if the lining had absorbed moisture from the outside the heat building up from the inside would have driven the moisture towards the outside skin from the inside out and the outside wash might have prevented the free flow of expanding water vapor. If it worked for you great. Hope it keeps moisture out for the life of the furnace.

[@VintageMachinery]

+sandrammer Yeah, I need to get my hands on another bag of that stuff as I used it all up when I did my last pour....

[@Lakesidearmorer]

Its proving to be a great project. Can't wait to see you casting parts!

[@VintageMachinery]

+Lakesidearmorer I am looking forward to it!

[@shortribslongbow5312]

Beautiful job, knowing you will have good luck with it.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Shortribs Longbow Thanks!

[@juanrivero8]

Well done. That IR thermometer looks like a useful gadget. If you are even approximately at the manufacturer's schedule, you should be fine. Yes, diesel fuel very convenient and currently quite inexpensive. Good to know you can burn waste oil like myfordboy does.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Juan Rivero The IR thermometer does a good job I think. thanks!

[@vagecumap5616]

Hey Keith Burning Propane reaction is C3H8 + 5O2 = 3CO2 + 4H2O One unit of propane uses 5 units of oxygen to produce 3 units of carbon dioxide and 4 units of water. That is why you see so much water, especially at the start when the furnace walls are cold and the water condenses on them. Once the furnace is real hot the water (steam) will be so fine you will not see it but it may condense on the cooler outside.

[@VintageMachinery]

+vagecumap Very true, but there was still plenty of moisture boiling out of the refractory itself once it got hot enough to do so. My point was that there was a lot of moisture coming out of the refractory left over from the pour.

[@PaulTunnicliffeChannel]

Great work Keith. Almost to the point of doing the first melt and I,m really looking forward to it.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Paul Tunnicliffe Indeed - I just need some shop time. That has been a precious commodity the past few weeks...

[@MrSpinteractive]

Awesome job Keith! Can't wait to see what you do with it!

[@VintageMachinery]

+MrSpinteractive Thanks!

[@shadowfox929]

Looking good Keith. I'll bet you are getting pretty anxious to do the first melt. Maybe one of these times you could show the propane flame before you insert the pipe? Than and the regulator on the propane tank would be nice to see. At any rate, I really enjoyed this project so far. Keep them coming. Thanks.

[@VintageMachinery]

+David Calabretta Everybody wants to see the flame. Hard to see between not being able to get the camera that close due to the heat and the fact that it was in bright sunlight. I will see what I can do down the road.

[@bcbloc02]

Great to be one step closer to melting some metals. Maybe you could start casting chain hand wheels since no one else seems to anymore. lol Probably better returns on baby bullet vises though. :-)

[@VintageMachinery]

+bcbloc02 Baby bullets are something I would like to try. If you can come up with a pattern for the chain wheels, we can sure give it a try!

[@bcbloc02]

Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org I had to give it some thought and I need to look at my wheels to see but I think they would have to be done as a vertical split pattern. The most important part of the casting would be the chain pockets so the only way I think it could be done and come out decent would be to do the vertical pattern but you would have to pour into the split of the pattern so the iron went out from the hub. I imagine the guys that did it everyday thought nothing of it but it seems quite the challenge to me. The handwheel of my yale hoist would probably make a good pattern as I don't think a little shrinkage would hurt it. I thought I had figured a way to use it without destroying it but the screw threads inside are backwards from the direction I need.

[@downunderwest2501]

Hi Keith, I put a "T" piece in my air line with two needle valves so I can start with propane and slowly change to air only when everything is burning hot. This way I don't need a separate propane nozzle. So I slowly feed less propane and more air until I'm burning on oil and air only. I then disconnect my propane by quick coupler and get the propane out of the way. Regards.

[@VintageMachinery]

+downunderwest Not a bad idea!

[@63256325N]

So far so good. You'll have to take into account the fact that you live in a humid area and it's going to absorb a certain amount of moisture depending upon the weather. Ever closer...thanks.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Duncan “DunMac” Mac Yep, getting closer!

[@1musicsearcher]

Very cool (lol). You've put in a lot of work to get this far. Let's melt sumpin' soon!

[@VintageMachinery]

+1musicsearcher Headed in that direction....

[@paulrjones3]

Very nice design and excellent explanation. Looking good. Thanks

[@VintageMachinery]

+Paul Jones Thanks Paul!

[@jameslucas6589]

Very cool. Being in Georgia, you are lucky to dry it out at 4000C. Everyday is 80-100% humidity. Gotta love the nice feel of eternal sweat and peeling your clothes off at the end of the day.

[@davidgrimble3649]

a lot of the moisture is probably the propane.It emits about 1 gallon of water an hour.Nice job on the furnace.

[@kg2nc]

Great video Keith I notice a drop of water come out on the left side at 25 :25 on the time scale. Thanks

[@VintageMachinery]

+Ruben There was lots of water that came out of the refractory. That was part of the curing process!

[@dr.froghopper6711]

Water is also a byproduct of combustion of propane. I would think that a tiny amount of water would increase the efficiency of the burn, if I understand the combustion properly. But I’m always open to being corrected. That’s how we learn!

[@mikeroegner1637]

I would suggest a complete teardown and inspection of the oil mixer/atomizer prior to your first oil burn. As far back as the propane nozzle was located, you have a very good chance that the combustion front made it back behind the oil burner. There's a pretty good chance of damage, especially to the O-ring seals in the oil burner. While I assume that the burner itself is made of something a bit more heat tolerant than common brass, the seals won't take that kind of heat.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Mike Roegner I did not show it on camera, but I actually removed the brass burner before the burn in as I was worried about damaging it.

[@mikeroegner1637]

+Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org That makes sense. I couldn't really see you risking it. Thanks for the update.

[@jankjensen222]

Hi Keith, Can´t wait for the comming videoes of you melting and casting metals :-) All the best from Denmark.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Jan K Jensen Thanks Jan!

[@charlesmarlin6632]

Just got a chance to watch this video :-) Well Done Keith!!

[@VintageMachinery]

+Charles Marlin Thanks!

[@peacockealot]

Hell yeah thumbs up for Doug at SVSeeker 👌

[@manwithouteyes]

I'm excited to see what this dragon can do. I'm looking to up my casting game from charcoal. Thanks for the ideas!

[@VintageMachinery]

+Justin Kendall Thanks - I am looking forward to my first melt!

[@Landrew0]

This is my favorite project so far. I really think the refractory cement is designed not to expand with temperature, so the expansion joint was a bit of overkill. I'd really like to see a temperature control thermostat. It would drive me crazy trying to keep a constant temperature by adjusting the fuel flow.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Landrew0 Thanks - I think a thermostat would be difficult to rig up on something like this but worth looking into...

[@Landrew0]

Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org I'm sure someone has rigged one up.

[@gparson41]

I built and use this same burner patterned after sv seeker. It works and burns great.

[@tedsykora1858]

Been waiting for this video. If you have a chance, it would be cool to see the burner run where we could see the flame and its adjustment. Maybe when running oil?

[@VintageMachinery]

+ted sykora I will try to do this sometime when there is less light - in the bright light I was in the other day, you really could not see it.

[@saragriffin9906]

Do you need a pump for the oil/diesel?

[@jwills8606]

Really good. I was able to get the burner adapter number from the video, but not the spray nozzle number. I am assuming that you are using the setup that suction feeds the oil. Thanks.

[@morrisgallo2361]

Looking great, get the metal ready. Three questions: 1. Won't the position of the propane nozzle behind the oil nozzle burn the O rings? 2. Is the end of the pipe tapered to follow contour of inner kiln surface or is it just squared off and projecting into kiln space? 3. Have you considered using oxygen instead of compressed air (or in addition to) to achieve higher temps quicker, and are there mechanisms to achieve this?

[@VintageMachinery]

+Morris Gallo 1 - Yes, the propane will melt the O rings if you are not running air or oil through it to keep it cool. I actually removed the burner before my initial burn to protect it, but forgot to mention that in the video. 2 - The pipe is not contoured, just flush with the inside. 3 - Regular air should be plenty to get things hot enough. I have not planned on using oxygen.

[@glumpy10]

Have to say I still prefer my spray burner design over these nozzles. Mine just uses standard plumbing fittings you can buy anywhere for a fraction of the cost of these nozzles. I have no trouble lighting it straight up on either used Veg or engine oil or even a combo of both. From the endless posts on Forums I have read, These nozzle setups are anything but straight forward and trouble free. It seems a LOT of people have trouble getting them where they want and enough heat out of them. I think better still are the forced rather than compressed air designs. Again much simpler and can be built for a fraction of the cost and the output will leave these nozzle designs for dead. I have built and run a lot of them and can melt anything from ally to brick with great ease and without the need for a compressor banging away all the time. Good luck with it, will be interesting to see how you go with this setup. Are you planning on using Vegetable or used engine oil?

[@richhandler2621]

I checked out your channel- I couldn't find any plans or description of your burner.

[@NOBOX7]

do you ever blend fuel ? i've bin adding a little gas for light up or for extra hot burns

[@robertkutz]

keith looking good nice work.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Robert Kutz Thanks!

[@JasonVladimir]

Good show, thanks for sharing!

[@InverJaze]

The metal expansion Keith is only slight. Yet It would be enough to break any adhesion between refactory and the metal ring on the lid. Your so close to starting casting now. Once wrapped I wonder how high the temperature will go? Don't know if it will get to 1600C to melt steel and iron. Certainly be able to melt al-u-minium and bronze. Like your video's as always.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Jane Calder Keep in mind too that when I switch to oil, I will be generating a lot more BUT's than I am with propane, which will take the heat up considerably.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Jane Calder Keep in mind too that when I switch to oil, I will be generating a lot more BUT's than I am with propane, which will take the heat up considerably.

[@RandallMoore1955]

Looking good Keith, You bet

[@VintageMachinery]

+Randall Moore Thanks Randall!

[@oldblue3406]

I built a similar set up for heating my shop and i just run the LPG T-ed into the compressed air line going through the siphon nozzle. . Then as the stove warms up i crack the oil feed line and eventually i can shut off LPG. Your design would work well to preheat the oil on initial startup.

[@VintageMachinery]

+oldblue3406 I like that idea on running the LPG through the burner. I wonder how that might work....

[@oldblue3406]

+Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org i have ran lpg and used motor oil simultaneously with maybe 4-7psi air for hours. Works great. I use a ball valve to regulate the lpg but using a needle valve one could really fine tune his flame. I like how clean looking your set up is. Mine not so nice but it works.

[@bluegreenash]

You could fix the couplings on to the end cap of the burner, then have fittings tapped into the inside of the end cap to fit the internal feed tubes

[@bluegreenash]

Basically just turning the endcap into a manifold.

[@VintageMachinery]

+bluegreenash Yeah, I thought about that, but wanted to have the ability to easily adjust the position of the burners.

[@davidhoward2237]

Cant wait till you start making parts from 3d prints and finally getting your safe done. Ohh man and that bullet vice look very nice, just thinking what it look like it was before, The color is nice but should of been the way it came from the factory you know of course pink :)

[@VintageMachinery]

+David Howard I guess you need to get your eye checked, because that color is defiantly Masculine Pink! You must be color blind...

[@ElectricGears]

Next time you heat it up you could put a dial test indicator on one of those expansion joints.

[@VintageMachinery]

+ElectricGears With the outside of the furnace walls getting up to 500 degrees F, I don't think I want to put any of my indicators that close!

[@Bigrignohio]

Sounds like a simple arduino control could be used for controlling the burner. It certainly would make curing it easier!

[@VintageMachinery]

+Bigrignohio Lots of things to fine tune on this furnace!

[@andymandyandsheba4571]

its going to work well keith

[@VintageMachinery]

+Andy Coakes Thank you Andy!

[@ScottandTera]

looking great keith😆😆

[@VintageMachinery]

+Scott Tyndall Thanks!

[@daki222000]

I wonder if the propane flame doesn't distroy your oil burner, since it is so far back and fed with air also back from the oil burner assembly where it will (?) ignite. I imagine it could get the brass melted there in the pipe. (?). cheers.

[@shauntucker5145]

I was wondering the same thing

[@jusb1066]

+Flip de boer the pipe is also aluminium, would melt before the brass?

[@markmossinghoff8185]

+Flip de boer I think the flame is only on the outlet side of the metal vanes for the air. The brass parts and the lines are not exposed to the fire.

[@shauntucker5145]

with air and propane in that tube.. i can guaretee that everything before after that propane nozzel is in the flame

[@markmossinghoff8185]

Go look at the nozzle on your gas grill or your furnace. There's no flame until the mixture exits the venturi. The same thing is happening with this burner.

[@titusdaniel]

I wonder if you should have the handle hook on the other side? Looks like it may be tough to swing the handle over the burner and get it under the hook. Any trouble yet? Thanks for the videos!

[@VintageMachinery]

+Dan Amy Humphreys I don't think it will be a problem.

[@steveskouson9620]

I was wondering if Doug Jackson would get a mention. (Sv Seeker.) Thanks, Keith! steve

[@松永昌芳]

It is wonderful. In Japan, few people make their own. If you know at least the dimensions of each part (especially the dimensions of the nozzle part), I would like to make it myself. From one of the Japanese craft lovers.

[@Patroand]

Very interesting process. Thanks

[@VintageMachinery]

+Robert Patoine Thanks!

[@Rich206L]

Good morning, Keith! Well, it's snowing up here in NY and watching this warmed me up! That burner setup is pretty neat. I was wondering if in the next related video, you could show how you mounted it to the furnace and keep it from moving around. Maybe even get a peek inside to see what the nozzle end looks like (maybe an action shot with the top open so we can see the flame action). I was curious why you didn't need to cut the nozzle end of the pipe to sort of conform with the circular interior. Also, how did you light this puppy? Great video and I can't wait for the next one. Cheers, Rich

[@VintageMachinery]

+Rich206L I will see what I can do Rich. As for close up camera shots of the flame in action, I have to be careful as this thing generates a lot of heat and I don't want to melt my camera!

[@tnrcboatracer1]

Great series but it ends at video 12 . Did you fire it with oil? Were you able to use for cast iron? One question about the burner; did tou consider adding an oil preheat coil around the inside of the tube downstream of the nozzle?

[@adamalterman6657]

Not sure if this is a factor; no one else commented on it: Is the seal on the needle valve compatible with the fuel(s) you will be using? You don't want to spring a leak of diesel near the furnace. If it is using the venturi effect to suck in fuel, then you might have to deal with "vapor lock."

[@VintageMachinery]

+Adam Alterman All I know is that others are using them without problem.

[@aliebrahimi6638]

Nice job,do you think can we burn cwf(coal water slurry) with this burner?

[@marceltimmers1290]

Hi mate. I love that burner and it's pipe. When well looked after, those things will last you a lifetime I think, it's so well made. About the furnace, did the manufacturer mention the chance of developing any cracks, or should it all stay quite nice? What would be the lifespan of the refractory?

[@VintageMachinery]

+Marcel Timmers The refractory will crack, that is pretty much a given. It is not a huge problem as long as it does not fail structurally. Things can be repaired somewhat by adding a wash of refractory on the inside.

[@mmnyako]

Hello Keith, a great fan of your channel, thank u for sharing. pls, a quick question, what is the size of the steel tubing line for the air and oil u use and where do I get them? Thanks

[@charlescompton4495]

Did you mark the supports to see how much they lifted? Just wondering, Greg. Well, I guess I should have watched further before asking; my bad as they say. That insulation is very important; we used it on firebrick structures, also. It saves the walls and keeps heat in, of course. Greg (again!)

[@VintageMachinery]

+Charles Compton No movement in the expansion joints up to at lest 1200 degrees F.

[@thomascoughlin8026]

Keith, Just getting started in aluminum casting. Some where I came across the info that extruded aluminum was not good for casting. In my search for an explanation, I have come up empty handed. I have both cast and extruded aluminum and was wondering if you knew if I could mix the 2 for a part that would not be susceptible to more than 50 lbs of pressure in either direction.

[@markshort9098]

If you haven't already found out already, cast aluminium has silicon in it and that changes the way the metal flows and crystalizes

[@nothinghere1996]

very nice. you have your own trains? 😮

[@witnessnz]

on the point of temp control, SV seeker just put together a PID themocouple valve controller doo-hicky that seems to control temperature well at least for propane

[@VintageMachinery]

+Piers Lehmann I will have to look into that!

[@WreckDiver99]

If people haven't watched SVSEEKER...go watch. Nothing like building a 60+ foot STEEL Sail boat in your back yard. Yea...pretty amazing. He just posted some casting videos this week...

[@bensmith4563]

I would be irate to have the mold I put so much effort in to fail like that

[@MrWreeve]

+ben smith Much less 8 times...

[@WreckDiver99]

I hear you. Watching the failures...it was scary to watch. He continues to claim "its about learning", but sometimes I wonder. I tried to point him over to "The King Of Random" as he does a ton of lost foam casting, and seems to have some really good luck doing it with his method. Still...doing more than I am! LOL.

[@jaratt85]

+WreckDiver99 except that the guy is a complete dick if you say anything he doesnt agree with/believe.. he jumped on me a couple times for having a difference of opinion on how to do things

[@MrWreeve]

+J.A.Ratt85 Also, TKOR's projects are mostly fluff. The simplest proof of concept type stuff imaginable. Nothing nearly as challenging as SVSEEKER's casting attempts.

[@staticfanatic6361]

Maybe you could show us the flame produce by the burner, interested to see what it looks like.

[@VintageMachinery]

+brian nelson I will try and do that - probably need to shoot that at night or in low light as it is hard to see in full sun!

[@chakathewolf]

What kind of O-ring is that on the nozzle? How does it survive the propane-only operation with no air / oil to keep it cool?

[@VintageMachinery]

+Chaka Wolf LOL - it survived this because I actually pulled it out before I fired it up! Yeah, I forgot to show or mention that - got in a hurry to get it lit up and running. Because I was not going to be running any air or oil through it to keep it cool, I decided to just take it out for this propane only burn....

[@ramosel]

Keith, what are you using for ignition? Are you proofing the flame?

[@chemech]

+ramosel I saw a Bernzomatic MAPP gas torch sitting next to the propane tank... personally, I'd prefer something with more "reach" to keep my body parts away from the flame - or use a gripping device to bring the torch flame into the path of the fuel-air mixture coming out of the burner...

[@VintageMachinery]

+ramosel Yes, I used a MAPP torch to light to propane. I actually lit the burner outside the furnace and then put it in the hole so I would not have to reach down in there so far.

[@StealthPumps]

What size crucible was the furnace built to handle? Awesome job BTW!👍

[@VintageMachinery]

+Gary S I can't remember off hand and I am not where I can look it up right now.

[@RoughAndWretchedRAW]

You do realize propane creates a ton of moisture also which explains the moisture dripping down the walls at the start. Burning for an extended period at low temp probably put in more moisture than it was driving out. Then because refractory is quite porous, as you ramped up the heat it pushed the humidity through the cement from the inside to the outside accounting for the steam. If you run a propane heater in a shop when it's cold outside 20 minutes and there is water pouring down the windows or concrete walls from condensation. Same will happen in a foundry. I wonder if a lot of refractory cement failure over time is due to the fact this moisture issue happens every single time a propane fueled foundry is lit until it's hot enough to finally drive the moisture out.

[@NOBOX7]

do you have any footage of this bad boy during bench testing ?

[@NOBOX7]

Hello sir , if you find yourself wanting a hotter faster burner please get in touch with me . I have developed several waste oil or unifuel burners that burn any fuel . They are high velocity burners able to easily crank out temps up to 3000 deg using a special Siphon nozzle i designed specifically for this purpose .

[@infoanorexic]

Have you gotten any crucibles for your hotter melts yet?

[@VintageMachinery]

+diggerop I have one, but that is something I need to get a variety of. I also need to build some tools to handle the hot crucibles once they come out of the furnace.

[@infoanorexic]

If you haven't seen it already, rlbob1 demonstrated a method for making your own that I thought was pretty slick. Not sure what temperature range that particular one was intended to handle, but I can't see why it wouldn't work for other compositions. Something to keep in mind if a custom size is needed or cost prohibitive.

[@saragriffin9906]

Does there need to be a pump for the oil/diesel?

[@stevenhardy2898]

It would be really convenient timing if you could melt and roll some copper ....for your rain gutters for your shop.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Steven Hardy If only I could afford the copper...

[@stevenhardy2898]

If only I had the time and ambition to build a furnace to melt my copper. :-)

[@stevenhardy2898]

What do you think your first casting project will be ?

[@PeterWMeek]

If the propane flame is enough to melt brass (I think you said), how does it not melt the brass oil burner assembly (which is out ahead of the propane nozzle)?

[@VintageMachinery]

+Peter W. Meek LOL - Yeah, I forgot to mention in the video that I removed the brass nozzle before the initial burn. Once I am using oil, the oil and air moving through the burner will keep it cool enough to not melt.

[@davidhaxton5050]

Keith What size crucible are you going to use? it looks like your your going to be able to pour a lot of metal!

[@VintageMachinery]

+David Haxton I can't remember what size I have out in the shop, but the truth is I can use a range of sizes up to a maximum size that will fit the furnace. Once I get going, I will probably have several different size crucibles that I will use for different jobs.

[@leeh.4453]

Interesting vid. In my 9th grade welding shop class, we had to mark anything hot and grey with soapstone -- "Hot". But I reckon you Georgia boys don't need any such coddling. " 'Ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech, and a hell of an engineer'." (My mom was from Hot Springs. She sang that song to me from as early as I can recall.)Tangents? Moi?

[@VintageMachinery]

+Lee Humes I often write "HOT" on tings with a soap stone when I am at the museum and go off and leave something that is hot. As for GA Tech, I myself am a University of Georgia Bulldog, so we don't sing that song much at my house. My kids were taught "Glory, Glory to Old Georgia" from the time they were barely old enough to talk!

[@danielhigh2731]

Kieth, when you shut that down and it cools how is the humidity going to effect it for the next time you fire it up?

[@VintageMachinery]

+Daniel High There is no doubt that it will adsorb a little moisture, but it should not go too deep into the refractory and will not be near the problem it is to dry out as the first firing.

[@stevesus3295]

Initial firing - moisture forming on the inside was water from combustion. Efficient burning of propane + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water. Doesn't code state that pressurized gases call for flared-end fittings? Compression is OK for low pressure water 60 PSI and lower.

[@VintageMachinery]

+SteveS us Probably some was from combustion, but there is no doubt that there was a lot of water that baked out of the refractory as well - some of it it was coming off as steam on the outside! As for fitting, I got very frustrated trying to find some flare fittings the day I was putting it all together - everybody in town was out of them. I finally just used the compression fittings, but I am planning to replace them.

[@luckygen1001]

Hey keith are you going to pour iron castings with this furnace?

[@VintageMachinery]

+luckygen1001 I hope to!

[@jusb1066]

I assume USA is similar to the UK with two types of diesel? red for non road use, boats, tractors generators, and clear for any vehicle that uses the roads? red being lesser taxed and cheaper , and large fines if caught using it on a road vehicle?

[@Blazer02LS]

+jusb1066 Yep, Used to be Red diesel for road use and clear for home. That changed in 96/97 and they flipped it. Now any off road fuel is red and the on road is clear. The feds finally figured out that it was easy to add the clear off road fuel to the dyed fuel and not be able to detect it. Was a PIA because that dye really sticks around. Lot's of folks had the entire fuel system purged to eliminate any trace. These days if you get caught with red fuel in a road vehicle the fines can get real steep...

[@swarfrat311]

Keith, You've got quite a pizza oven there! (I'll have a medium combination with anchovies, please!) Do you think it will get hot enough to melt steel? Thanks for the video! I can hardly wait for the first time you actually melt some metal in it. It's amazing that there still was some moisture trapped inside the refractory. I would have assumed it had all evaporated. Learn something new every day! Have a good one! Dave

[@VintageMachinery]

+Swarf Rat Probably not hot enough to melt steel. Besides, I think that steel requires some special things that you cannot do like regular cast iron.

[@swarfrat311]

Yeah . . . with steel, don't you add stuff to keep it from reacting with the oxygen in the air?

[@Keith_Ward]

Did you happen to keep track of the volume of propane used during the 6 hour burn? Might be good to know the consumption rate for real melts later on.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Keith Ward I used about a whole tank of LP gas. The small portable kind like you use with a grill. In fact, when the pressure started getting low, I just stopped the burn and started letting it cool down. But, the first few hours, I was not running it full open - at first, the valve was just barely cracked, so at foundry heat, it would probably not run that long.

[@Keith_Ward]

+Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org Certainly those smaller tanks are easier to manage than 100 lb tank. Maybe a couple of tanks, some of the magnetic level indicators, and a manifold will keep you from running out suddenly. I'm sure you have a plan though.

[@KPearce57]

Good on ya, the oil nozzle looks about the same as an oil fired furnace.

[@topshelftek5409]

Hey Keith - When I was running my gas forge, instead of running propane, I ran a product called Propolene. Which, I believe, is a mix of Propane and Acetylene and it burns something like 600F hotter than propane by itself and it ran in the forge extremely well. You might check it out.

[@VintageMachinery]

+Top Shelf Tek I will look into it...