Found out my cheap forge burner was running way too rich from a chart in an old book

I was flipping through 'The Art of Blacksmithing' by Alex Bealer and saw a diagram about flame color and temperature. My forge flame was all orange and lazy, which the book said means too much fuel and not enough air. I adjusted the air intake on my burner and now it's a sharp blue cone that heats twice as fast. Anyone else have a simple adjustment that made a huge difference in their setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_webb2mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly that Bealer book is a lifesaver for stuff like this. Tbh I fought with my old forge for months before realizing the choke plate was barely open at all. Flipped it to about halfway and the difference was insane, went from a sad yellow glow to actually getting metal to move. Ngl it felt like unlocking a cheat code for free heat.

richard1375d ago

The Bealer book is good but that choke plate thing - halfway is usually too much for most forges. You want it more like a quarter open or less, depending on your burner setup. If you're running a standard Venturi burner, half open is starving it of air and you're losing efficiency. I run mine at about 20% open and it hits that nice neutral flame, no green scale or soot. Just something to check if you haven't already.

bethcarr2mo ago

Man, I spent a year just cranking the gas and wondering why my forge hated me.