Flame Shield?

[Lin Rhea]

I got my new forge up and running and this thing is HOT! I have a time buring up gloves and such and the flames are just more than I can take. I have been trying to make some inprovements not only in my equipment, but my methods and thinking. I'm using a resperator and tinted face shield religeously now and trying to impliment more safety practices. I decided to put a flame shield on my handle this time when I'm up to welding heat. I love it. This is a real life saver for me. I just cut a hole in a 1/8 inch plate and slide it over the handle and tack it. Also the back part of the handle is hollow pipe to help dissipate heat. Lin

 

[kbaknife]

Man, you are on a roll!
Won't be able to get you out of the shop now.

[Steve Nuckels]

Wow!  Lin, did you make your new forge, or purchase?  

Steve
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Potomac Forge

[Kevin Evans]

Looks like a good one Lin,I use a squirrel cage fan to redirect flames ,just give me a holler if you want a pic.
Another thing that works well is (car racing, fire proof gloves) inside leather cloves

[Ragnarok Forge]

Now that is some serious dragons breath going on there!  Add an asbestos suit and you might be safer.  :eek:

[Bobby Urban]

Dang - that is some flame.  I picture you in the full tin foil spacesuit looking thing like the guys doing volcano research.  If you built it please tell us a little about that?

Bob Urban

[Scott Roush]

That looks like something you could use to forge HOT!

[prarieboy]

Do Ya have to wait for cold winter days to fire that puppy up?          

[Lin Rhea]

It's a 12 inch pipe about 18 inches on end with a top and removable bottom. The doors are about 2/3 up and the inlet for air and gass is 1/3 up 90 degrees to a line drawn through the front and back doors. It's insulated well with about 1 1/2 inside and 1 outside. I can work for 30 minutes or so at a time till I get a billet drawn out and then have to cool off. I have noticed that there are no mosquitoes in my shop lately. I was using it the other day and a dirt dauber flew in front of the door blast and just fell to the floor. Lin

[kbaknife]

Maybe there's no mosquitoes because of all the CO2?
Never really considered it before, Lin. I live along a river back in the woods and usually after a flooding period I have mosquitoes that make mowing the yard almost suicide - yet I don't seem to recall having this issue in the forge during the same time period? CO2?
I'm like Kevin, I use a fan. I stand a pedestal fan on the end of my forge bench and blow the heat sideways so it doesn't hit me in the face.
I've got those mud daubers, too, and get a dozen or so daily.
They don't seem to be very viscous, but can surely be annoying.

[JMR]

Lin what did you insulate with and where do you get it at? thanks Jason

[Lin Rhea]

JMR,
 I used a layer of Blue ram and a layer of Kaowool inside and one kaowool outside. I got my wool from Uncle Al Lawrence., but the blue ram, I think was from a place in Atlanta, Ga but am not sure now. I did a search for Rammable refractory and settled on the place. It takes a 55 lb chunk to do my forge about 1 inch thick. Lin