Due to my recent interest in metalworks, i've decided to make a
foundry, opting for a gas powered one as the fuel is easier to handle.
Does using butane instead of propane make any significant difference to
the heat output? I live in Australia, and i can't seem to find much
propane around, but LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), which is a mix of
butane and propane, is available at pretty much all gas stations. Can i
use LPG and still get the same power out of my foundry as a propane
powered one??

btw, if anyone is reading this and lives in Australia, could they point
me in a direction where i can get some fireclay, furnace bricks or
castable refractory cement?

Thanks

Wilson

Wilson wrote:
Due to my recent interest in metalworks, i've decided to make a
foundry, opting for a gas powered one as the fuel is easier to handle.
Does using butane instead of propane make any significant difference to
the heat output? I live in Australia, and i can't seem to find much
propane around, but LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), which is a mix of
butane and propane, is available at pretty much all gas stations. Can i
use LPG and still get the same power out of my foundry as a propane
powered one??

btw, if anyone is reading this and lives in Australia, could they point
me in a direction where i can get some fireclay, furnace bricks or
castable refractory cement?

Thanks

Wilson


You could distill it, but I don't know what you'd do with the leftovers
if you didn't burn them.. Actually, when you use the gas you'll be
distilling it and you'll find that there's more heat in the first that
you use than in the last that's left.

Anyway, hook 'er up and.. send pics.

John

"Wilson" wrote in message
ups.com...
Due to my recent interest in metalworks, i've decided to make a
foundry, opting for a gas powered one as the fuel is easier to handle.
Does using butane instead of propane make any significant difference to
the heat output? I live in Australia, and i can't seem to find much
propane around, but LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), which is a mix of
butane and propane, is available at pretty much all gas stations.

AFAIK, LPG is a variable mixture of methane, ethane, propane and butane,
depending on source, refining and alignment of the solar system (that is to
say...season).

Can i
use LPG and still get the same power out of my foundry as a propane
powered one??

As long as the pressure is good (30PSI, uh...2bar) and doesn't drop with
use (if it's already low, a basin of water (NOT hot water) will keep it from
cooling too much) it'll work. I mean, you can use anything from hydrogen
(if it were cheap enough to use, that is) to methane (natural gas) to long
chain oils and waxes, if you build the burner right.

Mixture may vary a bit if it is richer with butane by the end (which it
should be), being a denser gas and slightly heavier in carbon (C4H10 vs.
C3H8). But keeping an eye on mixture, that won't matter anyway.

Tim

--
"California is the breakfast state: fruits, nuts and flakes."
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

Wilson wrote:
Due to my recent interest in metalworks, i've decided to make a
foundry, opting for a gas powered one as the fuel is easier to handle.
Does using butane instead of propane make any significant difference to
the heat output? I live in Australia, and i can't seem to find much
propane around, but LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), which is a mix of
butane and propane, is available at pretty much all gas stations. Can i
use LPG and still get the same power out of my foundry as a propane
powered one??

I think that what we in the states call
propane is LPG, though I'm not positive.

I don't think there should be any problem.

btw, if anyone is reading this and lives in Australia, could they point
me in a direction where i can get some fireclay, furnace bricks or
castable refractory cement?

Thanks

Wilson

btw, if anyone is reading this and lives in Australia, could they point
me in a direction where i can get some fireclay, furnace bricks or
castable refractory cement?

Thanks

Wilson


Try this mob

http://www.pogc.com.au/

Regards

Tom

On 23 May 2005 05:32:09 -0700, "Wilson" wrote:

===Due to my recent interest in metalworks, i've decided to make a
===foundry, opting for a gas powered one as the fuel is easier to handle.
===Does using butane instead of propane make any significant difference to
===the heat output? I live in Australia, and i can't seem to find much
===propane around, but LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), which is a mix of
===butane and propane, is available at pretty much all gas stations. Can i
===use LPG and still get the same power out of my foundry as a propane
===powered one??
===
===btw, if anyone is reading this and lives in Australia, could they point
===me in a direction where i can get some fireclay, furnace bricks or
===castable refractory cement?
===
===Thanks
===
===Wilson


YOu should be fine with the run of the mill LPG thats sold in
austrailia. If you qwant to contact a local Aussie that knows his
stuff, and may even bve in your neighborhood, contact Cameron McKeown.
There is a link to his webiste and his email off my website if your
interested.........He will set you straight on what is what in your
area and where to get the materials you may need...

http://www.frugalmachinist.com

Regards


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!

~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o

Jim Stewart wrote:

Wilson wrote:

Due to my recent interest in metalworks, i've decided to make a
foundry, opting for a gas powered one as the fuel is easier to handle.
Does using butane instead of propane make any significant difference to
the heat output? I live in Australia, and i can't seem to find much
propane around, but LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), which is a mix of
butane and propane, is available at pretty much all gas stations. Can i
use LPG and still get the same power out of my foundry as a propane
powered one??


I think that what we in the states call
propane is LPG, though I'm not positive.

I don't think there should be any problem.

btw, if anyone is reading this and lives in Australia, could they point
me in a direction where i can get some fireclay, furnace bricks or
castable refractory cement?
Thanks

Wilson

Here in the states it is typically LPG - but in cold area - a custom mix or Propane
is used as Butane puddles in cold weather. Propane is a gas.

20 years ago, it was one or the other depending on the month and chance of cool spell.

Now, with supplies this and that and more junk fuel - we get LPG most likely.

Martin

--
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

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On 23 May 2005 05:32:09 -0700, "Wilson" wrote:

Due to my recent interest in metalworks, i've decided to make a
foundry, opting for a gas powered one as the fuel is easier to handle.
Does using butane instead of propane make any significant difference to
the heat output? I live in Australia, and i can't seem to find much
propane around, but LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), which is a mix of
butane and propane, is available at pretty much all gas stations. Can i
use LPG and still get the same power out of my foundry as a propane
powered one??

btw, if anyone is reading this and lives in Australia, could they point
me in a direction where i can get some fireclay, furnace bricks or
castable refractory cement?

Thanks

Wilson

You've made the decision to use a fuel gas, and that's fine. Most of
the home foundries I've seen in this country use propane.

But, just for fun I'll tell about the best, closest-to-professional
home foundry I've ever seen. The guy did everything right, having a
dry sand floor and a fume hood and exhaust fan over his furnace. When
doing their pours, both he and his helper would dress up in insulated
suits and face shields, the kind used in industry. He had a variety
of crucibles he could pick from, depending upon the job at hand.

I was surprised how quickly the large crucible of scrap metal heated
up and melted, so I asked what kind of heat source he had. (It wasn't
readily apparent, being hidden from view.)

I was surprised to learn that he used an ordinary home heating oil
furnace. I seem to recall that he burned Diesel fuel in it.

I took a series of pictures during the demonstration in which he cast
a medium-sized bronze bell. It was a clone of an old-fashioned
cast-iron dinner bell. If anyone is interested, I can post the
pictures on my Web site.

Regards,

Orrin

"Orrin Iseminger" wrote in message
...
snip----

I was surprised to learn that he used an ordinary home heating oil
furnace. I seem to recall that he burned Diesel fuel in it.

I took a series of pictures during the demonstration in which he cast
a medium-sized bronze bell. It was a clone of an old-fashioned
cast-iron dinner bell. If anyone is interested, I can post the
pictures on my Web site.

Regards,

Orrin


Orrin,

My plan is exactly that--an oil fired melting furnace. I already have a
large tank, used for heating. Lines to fuel the melting furnace were
installed before the floor was poured.

I'd be interested in seeing pictures if it's not too inconvenient. I
wouldn't care if you simply sent them to me if you don't wish to post them.

By the way, #2 off road diesel and #2 fuel oil are one and the same critter.
Dyed red, of course, but all from the same tank.

Thanks!

Harold

On Wed, 25 May 2005 00:47:14 -0700, "Harold and Susan Vordos"
wrote:


"Orrin Iseminger" wrote in message
.. .
snip----

I was surprised to learn that he used an ordinary home heating oil
furnace. I seem to recall that he burned Diesel fuel in it.

I took a series of pictures during the demonstration in which he cast
a medium-sized bronze bell. It was a clone of an old-fashioned
cast-iron dinner bell. If anyone is interested, I can post the
pictures on my Web site.

Regards,

Orrin


Orrin,

My plan is exactly that--an oil fired melting furnace. I already have a
large tank, used for heating. Lines to fuel the melting furnace were
installed before the floor was poured.

I'd be interested in seeing pictures if it's not too inconvenient. I
wouldn't care if you simply sent them to me if you don't wish to post them.

By the way, #2 off road diesel and #2 fuel oil are one and the same critter.
Dyed red, of course, but all from the same tank.

Thanks!

Harold

Harold --

Since you are the only respondent, rather than post the pictures on my
site, it would be easier for me to send all the pics to you on CD.

If that'd be all right with you, e-mail your snail-mail address to me
at and I'll send them to you.

I think you would have enjoyed this fellow's foundry
demonstration/tour. He doesn't make many mistakes.

Besides the foundry, the guy had many other gee-whiz things to see.
It was a memorable day!

Life can be full of surprises. Here's an ordinary Joe Citizen who is
rather quiet and unassuming. Beneath the surface one discovers a man
of many extraordinary talents.

Regards,

Orrin

any chance thatI could get in on those pictures to?


"Orrin Iseminger" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 25 May 2005 00:47:14 -0700, "Harold and Susan Vordos"
wrote:


"Orrin Iseminger" wrote in message
. ..
snip----

I was surprised to learn that he used an ordinary home heating oil
furnace. I seem to recall that he burned Diesel fuel in it.

I took a series of pictures during the demonstration in which he cast
a medium-sized bronze bell. It was a clone of an old-fashioned
cast-iron dinner bell. If anyone is interested, I can post the
pictures on my Web site.

Regards,

Orrin


Orrin,

My plan is exactly that--an oil fired melting furnace. I already have a
large tank, used for heating. Lines to fuel the melting furnace were
installed before the floor was poured.

I'd be interested in seeing pictures if it's not too inconvenient. I
wouldn't care if you simply sent them to me if you don't wish to post
them.

By the way, #2 off road diesel and #2 fuel oil are one and the same
critter.
Dyed red, of course, but all from the same tank.

Thanks!

Harold

Harold --

Since you are the only respondent, rather than post the pictures on my
site, it would be easier for me to send all the pics to you on CD.

If that'd be all right with you, e-mail your snail-mail address to me
at and I'll send them to you.

I think you would have enjoyed this fellow's foundry
demonstration/tour. He doesn't make many mistakes.

Besides the foundry, the guy had many other gee-whiz things to see.
It was a memorable day!

Life can be full of surprises. Here's an ordinary Joe Citizen who is
rather quiet and unassuming. Beneath the surface one discovers a man
of many extraordinary talents.

Regards,

Orrin

On Wed, 25 May 2005 16:22:18 GMT, "Michael"
wrote:

any chance thatI could get in on those pictures to?


Sure, just send your snail mail address to me:

Yours will be the last freebie. From here on out I'll need a token
payment.

Orrin