Author Topic: Propane ribbon burner hot enough for cast iron?  (Read 2815 times)

Offline Jack3m

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Propane ribbon burner hot enough for cast iron?
« on: April 05, 2019, 04:38:58 PM »
Heading asks the main point.  I would like to be able to melt pig iron for casting.

Been learning about ribbon burners and they sound great, but cannot find what temperatures they are producing.  One manufacturer says they get 3100 F.  My current forge is fired with a Harbor Freight grass burner.  It will melt brass and bronze but even with full bottle not quite enough to melt scrap cast iron that I have hangin' 'round. 

Ribbon burners look pretty easy to build and not that expensive.
Jack of all trades, master of none

Offline ddmckee54

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Re: Propane ribbon burner hot enough for cast iron?
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2019, 10:17:42 PM »
Check these websites:
thehomefoundry.org
alloyavenue.com

Those are sites that are pretty much dedicated to home foundries.  I'm pretty sure that your HF burner won't cut the mustard, probably won't get hot enough even with a blower for additional air to the burner.  I believe that a combustion blower is also required for a ribbon burner isn't it?

Just don't call it a forge over there or they'll think you're a blacksmith, to them it's a furnace.

Don

Offline thehomefoundry

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Re: Propane ribbon burner hot enough for cast iron?
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2019, 01:54:47 PM »
As odd as this may sound, its not the burner. Its is the amount of fuel in the proper air fuel ratio. I would suggest using a reil type burner with a small blower such as a hair dryer.
 You need that little bit of extra air in order to hit iron melting temps....
http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php

Offline Baner

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Re: Propane ribbon burner hot enough for cast iron?
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2019, 02:27:15 PM »
Check out Luckygen1001 on YouTube. Plenty of good content on Cast Iron in the home foundry. He posts as Airmodel on this site but I'm not sure if he's still active.
 
[youtube1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l697pB9X5TI&t=224s[/youtube1]

Dave.

 

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