Most economical setup for bending 16 gauge steel tubing?

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I need to be able to heat 16 gauge mild steel tubing so that it is easy to form.Right now I'm using a teeny oxygen and mapp craftsman torch. I set things up for "cutting" (1/2" blue flame) for maximum temperature and then go in circles on the edge of the tubing I want to heat up for about 30 seconds, onces it gets red, I form it, and then repeat this process for about 8 minutes until its shaped how I want. I get barely one tube formed with a single $10 oxygen bottle. Ideally, I'd heat the entire end of the tube up to bright orange in 30 seconds, form it once, and be done. Is that possible?The tubing diameters I am working with are 1.5" OD and 2.375" OD, both 16 gauge, mild steel.I have a tig welder and plasma cutter so I don't need to be able to cut or weld with whatever new toy you guys tell me to buy, just heat.Whats the most economical setup, and gases, to heat this thin metal up very quickly?
Reply:A simple propane fired forge would do what you want to do easily. Take a look at this one. There's links on the site as to how to build the burner as well if you want, or you can buy burners from various sources as well.http://zoellerforge.com/firebrickforge.htmlI'm about 90% of the way thru building one right now. I've got all the parts and machine work done, I just have to find some time to toss them all together and do a write up when I do.If you don't want to go gas, there are several plans online for doing a simple drake drum coal or charcoal forge as well. The biggest thing would be getting a blower. You can scrounge almost all the parts for one easily. I'm still looking for a larger truck drum to build one with. Again time is the biggest hold back. I've got a 55 gal + drum of coal coming from one job, so when that job goes it will probably kick start my coal forge again..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWA simple propane fired forge would do what you want to do easily. Take a look at this one. There's links on the site as to how to build the burner as well if you want, or you can buy burners from various sources as well.http://zoellerforge.com/firebrickforge.htmlI'm about 90% of the way thru building one right now. I've got all the parts and machine work done, I just have to find some time to toss them all together and do a write up when I do.If you don't want to go gas, there are several plans online for doing a simple drake drum coal or charcoal forge as well. The biggest thing would be getting a blower. You can scrounge almost all the parts for one easily. I'm still looking for a larger truck drum to build one with. Again time is the biggest hold back. I've got a 55 gal + drum of coal coming from one job, so when that job goes it will probably kick start my coal forge again.
Reply:I can buy quite a bit of propane ( 20 lb cylinders) for what just the acetylene would cost to do something like this. If I just needed one or two. I'd just fire up the OA rig with the rosebud for simplicity and be done with it. If I had a bunch to do, I'd set up the forge.I'm building the gas forge simply because I want to do more work with bending and forming hot metal. It's the cheapest way to do these sorts of things, especially if you want to do a bunch. I can work on one while the next few are heating up. I've already got most of the parts, mig tips, propane reg and hose, most of the pipe parts on hand and so on, so it was just a question of buying the 1 1/4" x 3/4" x 1 1/4" Ward T's plus the 1/8" sched 80 pipe plus a few odd ball fittings if I can't dig them up out of the misc parts bin or salvage pipe pile. I'll do the coal forge simply because I'm getting a bunch of free coal and have wanted to do some stuff "old school" for quite a while..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:What shape are you forming the ends in to?Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1What shape are you forming the ends in to?
Reply:Originally Posted by acannellExhaust ports and turbo port, so basically rectangles with 0.5" radius corners.
Reply:.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:i had been considering getting a HF ice melting / weeed burning torch to make a small forge/ kiln for melting down some aluminum scrap to try sand casting a few small pieces.  Do you think it wouldd be hot enough to melt aluminum? Would you mind hitting an empty beer can to see if it takes care of it?Another suggestion for your ovaled ports I was going to make is to get a carbon and use it with your tig/stick welder. search here for carbon arc torchmiller syncrowave 250hobart handler 140home made 400 amp engine driven in progress...
Reply:I was just reading an article a couple weeks ago that mentioned a weed burner isn't hot enough to use in a furnace. I'm not sure I book marked it or not. I think the issue might have to do with the way the torch is designed and how it will draw when used in a furnace as opposed to an open air use. I know the output drops if I get it inside the large lead pot I run to cast weights. If I want to use the big torch, I have to keep it back a ways or it doesn't seem to draw right. It might work for beer cans on it's own, but heavier scrap may be too much especially in a crucible.Check out the link above. Most of the furnace designs I've been looking at are using a burner design like that or one of the REIL burners. Not all that hard to throw together. I think I might have maybe $25 in parts in mine all together. My challenge right now is finding an inexpensive castable refractory cement. I've looked at several options using pearlite and high temp furnace cement as well as using fire clay and making it up myself. Not sure yet what way I want to go. I want something decent sized since I want to try and do this once. I'll post up more over Christmas if I get the free time to throw the burner together.I also picked up a book that tells how you can use coal or charcoal rather than gas for a small furnace..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWA simple propane fired forge would do what you want to do easily. Take a look at this one. There's links on the site as to how to build the burner as well if you want, or you can buy burners from various sources as well.http://zoellerforge.com/firebrickforge.htmlI'm about 90% of the way thru building one right now. I've got all the parts and machine work done, I just have to find some time to toss them all together and do a write up when I do.If you don't want to go gas, there are several plans online for doing a simple drake drum coal or charcoal forge as well. The biggest thing would be getting a blower. You can scrounge almost all the parts for one easily. I'm still looking for a larger truck drum to build one with. Again time is the biggest hold back. I've got a 55 gal + drum of coal coming from one job, so when that job goes it will probably kick start my coal forge again.
Reply:Originally Posted by jdchmiel Do you think it wouldd be hot enough to melt aluminum? Would you mind hitting an empty beer can to see if it takes care of it?