Melt Log

Melt Logs

Preface

This is a copy of an e-mail sent to me which describes a number of melts, including a 17 pound cast iron melt, using the new upscaled version of my "Reil" burner. It is self explanatory. If you wish to contact any of the guys in this communication please return to my Forge and Burner Design Page to the section about the "Monster Burner" and there are e-mail links there. Thank you.

Thius additional communication was received from Rupert just prior to me posting this log;

Hello Ron,

I ran a test heat yesterday (first time in the rain) to confirm my suspicions. The melt I did was aluminum as the feature was to test the burner which I did inside (due to the rain) with the doors open for ventilation. The ceiling gets too hot when the burner is run at the higher pressures. After consulting with Robert, we decided to change the text on Donald's web page to show the correction, which reflects the operating range of the burner.

Quote:

"The burner operated satisfactorily at fuel pressures from 10 psi and up to 25 psi. It was unstable at pressures below about 6-8 psi, and hasn't been tried above 25 psi yet."

End quote.

Rupert

Hello Ron,

Attached is a report submitted to our local email group by my friend Rupert

Wenig on a melt of iron in a Gingery gas fired crucible furnace, fired with

a modified Reil burner. The burner uses a 1-1/4" pipe for a burner tube,

and Rupert has spun a fitting for the bell, which allows him to adjust the

airflow in the burner. He has drilled the orfice #54.

_____________________________________________________________________

Hi Robert,

<snip unrelated stuff>

Instead of writing about it,I am attaching a copy of my foundry

log. I will try to be more elaberate if there is anything which

is not clear.

yvt

Rupert Wenig

RR.2, Box 1 Building an uniflow engine

Camrose, Alberta, Canada Bore 1.25"

T4V 2N1 Stroke 1.5"

rwenig@cable-lynx.net Flywheel dia. 7"

ICQ #32409359 Foundry Log

Date: 1 May, 1999

Pattern: 8" Lathe face plate

Metal: Cast iron- old auto exhaust manifolds broken up

Atmospheric conditions: Temp. +8 C, wind- slight

Bottle contents: about 1/3 full (100 lb. bottle)

I note propane quantity in bottle as it affects any possible freeze up

time. Some frost did show on the bottle during the last part of the heat. I

had thought of providing external warmth to the bottle but didn't.

Furnace settings used: propane pressure- 20 lb.

: air valve setting- about 3/4 open

Crucible used: #8 Starrbide

Amount of metal (cast iron) melted- 17 lb. wieghed after the pour was

completed and cooled.

Started the heat with a 5 min. warm up time at low flame to warm up the

crucible as it hadn't been used for a while then went to full heat and added

metal (1-2 lb.pieces) as the melt progressed. Things seemed slow at first

but the melting speed sure increased toward the end of the heat. Metal was

added according to the following time chart:

09:20 ignition time (crucible full of metal pieces)+ 1 crushed BBQ brickette

09:25 full heat

09:40 first sign of melting

09:55, 10:09, 10:14, 10:19, 10:23, 10:26

10:33 heat considered complete as the crucible appeared full but was fooled

by the grunge. I think I could have added a bit more metal.

Fuel consumption: about 10 lb.

Pour was a bit short of metal but left the casting in the green sand mold

to cool just in case the casting would be useable. It is. I removed it about

6 hrs later, then after another hour tried machine it. So far so good.

Rupert

___________________________________________________________________________

In a separate message to another member of our group, Rupert provided

details of his burner. The "D" mentioned by Rupert is the pipe diameter.

We have empirically worked out some relationships in these burners, which

seems to work for our purposes.

________________________________________________________________________

Hi Rod,

The burner pipe size is 1-1/4" black pipe 9D long. The coupling

(air inlet) is 1-1/4" by 2-1/2" (with air valve). The fuel

orifice (see my previous pictures for appearance) is spaced 1/2D

from the inlet end of the 1-1/4" pipe. There is no flame end

pipe. The burner is postioned tight into the furnace with about

1" of pipe on the tangent side inside the refractory.

The burner seems to operate satisfactory at fuel pressures from

15 lb and up to 25 lb. It is unstable at pressures below about 12

lb. I haven't tried it above 25 psi yet.

Other info in another message.

Rupert

_____________________________________________________________________

Rupert provided additional details about the orfice in his burner in yet

another message. We are using the Bordeaux modification to your burner.

Ruperts gas assembly consists of a 1/8" gas inlet tube into a 1/8" tee in

the center of the bell. The other end of the tee is supported by a capped

1/8" nipple. A brass plug is screwed into the tee, and is prepared as below:

_____________________________________________________________________

Hello Robert and All,

Sorry about not including the jet info. I'm not sure if the

procedure makes a difference but I'll include it.

If you remember from the pictures I sent awhile back, my jet is

made from a brass hex plug. I drilled in from the threaded end

with a 5/32 drill until I was about 1/8" from the top. Then I

drilled through with a #54 drill. All drilling done from the

threaded end. Then I used a taper reamer to clean the hole (not

to enlarge it). Last I used a small countersink to remove only

the sharp jagged edge from the orifice hole on the top side.

Rupert

_________________________________________________________________

Another member of our group (Bob MacDonald) has more or less copied Ruperts'

burner, and this is a report on his results, again in a Gingery furnace.

______________________________________________________________________

Hi Gang,

After reading about Rupert's success with his new burner, I decided to be a

copy cat. Assempled the pieces with two minor differences. I drilled the

oriface .050" as I didn't have a #54 and I didn't build the air valve.

Once everything was togather I put the burner tube in the furnace so the

end of the tube was at the wall mid point and light it. Well it didn't burn

worth a damn. Pushed the tube into the furnace untill the end of the tube

was almost even with the inner wall. The flame was now completly out of the

tube and it made such a sweet roar.

Foundry log follows

First heat

Air temp..........+10C

Wind..............Light

Metal.............Aluminum

Quantity..........2 Kilo

Propane pressure.. 20 Lb

Furnace...........Cold

Crucible..........Cold

Metal.............Cold

Start.............16:51

Pour..............17:01

Second heat

Air temp..........+10C

Wind..............Light

Metal.............Brass

Quantity..........6 Kilo

Propane pressure.. 20 Lb

Furnace...........Warm

Crucible..........Cold

Metal.............Cold

Start.............17:06

Pour..............17:25

I think 19 minutes to melt 6 Kilo of brass is very respectable.

Bob "Damn those chips are hot" MacDonald

So many projects, so little time.

Shop located in Sunny Spruce Grove, Alberta

____________________________________________________________

Yet another member of our group (Dale Gillespie) has built a mini crucible

furnace from two refractory lined 2 kg coffee cans. He assembled a mini

Reil burner by walking around a hardware store, screwing plumbing fittings

together until it looked right, keeping in mind the empirical relationships

we have established. I believe he used 1/2" pipe for the burner tube, but I

have only seen photos to date. He was able to make a melt of aluminum in 7

minutes from a cold start, and brought a casting he had made that afternoon

to our monthly meeting on Thursday night.

Hope you find this of interest. We hope to get photos and some of the above

details on our web site when time allows.

This is a fan letter - no response is required, nor is one expected.

Robert Grauman in Sunny Alberta

Edited With AOLpress

23 Nov 07