My gas forge two burners do not work well. Here at Spain we have propane bottles of 14 kg. In weather cold they freeze and the forge can't work because the bottle can't get enough gas propane. Any of you has a forge with one burner only? It work well? Can you welding with one burner only? Do you get the hot shoes for to forge them in the everyday work?
Thanks John. There in Irlanda do you have bottles like Spain or tanks in the rig like I saw in many pics of american shoers?
I use a cliff carrol two burner off a 19kg propane bottle and never have any problems for everyday use or forge welding. Touch wood!
Gambino, how cold has it been, temperature wise? I believe bottles freeze up because of flow /consumption ratio of the propane. If you give me that Info I will check with some gas tech. who may be able to find a solution. I have seen competetors place the bottle in a tub of water ,to keep the bottle warm by stealing the heat from the water, they will get freeze up because of quick consumption of gas . Then I have a friend who goes out to Utah to help his son a couple times a year, when he is burning brush he uses a flame gun attached to a 100 lbs. bottle of lp and will freeze it up,this guy is a real fire bug, he told me that to keep it from freezing he aims the gun at the tank to heat it up every 3 or 4 minutes ,as needed! NOT suggesting, only telling what i ve been told. I run a Valley single ,and have for years , no problems. Ray
A few years back I built a forge that put out 300,000BTU. Had to connect two 30lb bottles together on a manifold to keep it from freezing up in winter. From a cold start it would get a pair of size 4 SX8 shoes orange in 90 seconds.
The only disadvantage I ever encountered with a single burner is the shuffling you have to do if you are heating two shoes at once. But once you get used to it its not too bad. I made many a sliding plates out of a one burner, two at a time.
Gabino how old are your bottles ?? They do go bad. There should be a date on the bottle. I've had 2 bottles with expired dates on the that would freeze up when half empty so I stopped by a propane shop and the told me that they just get wore out
If it's propane, it does not freeze like what most people believe of fuel oil. propane goes from a gas back into a liquid form in cold temps and quits vaporizing. you have to warm it back up to take it from liquid to a gas to keep it flowing and heavy usage will also run you out of a burner working. how cold is it there Gabino and how big of a tank are you using, please?
If it's propane it does NOT go bad like gasoline, Zach. it's a sealed system. it can be there 30 years and it will not affect performace. Was in propane for 20 years . . . doesn't matter how old it is, it's how big the bottle is in relation to the draw on the bottle. find a new propane dealer.
I don't use that dealer just stopped in there shop I get mine filled at my local fuel. Station for $13
20,30 and 40 lb cylinders will collect gra doo in the bottom after yrs of usage It's a combination of moisture, impurities and the chemical added to make propane stink. Gra doo is some wickedly nasty stuff. When your cylinders get re certified that should all be cleaned out; it will restore the capacity of the cylinder.
Today is snowing. OºC. I believe too the problem is in the bottle,not the weather cold. In my old town home,I burned pigs and I put the torch against the bottle when I don't get gas enough,but in my rig the bottles are in the closet.I don't.
That is the exacting problem. One of burners don't work. It make " prr...pprrtrrr...pprttrrppttr..." like when the bottle is finishing,but the bottle can be full and he makes that too.
Have you checked the nipples/nozzles/orifices to make sure there isn't some small piece of debris blocking one side? I have had that problem, when changing the bottles some very small piece of debris end up in the line making one burner act like it's running out of gas.
