I've seen several articles about making a small forge or metal melting furnace. Usually they use some kind of fan/blower and propane. While I think propane gives more heat than natural gas, would natural gas (used for furnace, stove, etc) work for one of these furnaces?
Natural gas burns a bit lower temp than propane, but you can achieve melting temps with a blower.
Propane doesn't really need a blower if the burner is designed right.
My propane blacksmith forge uses a venturi type burner, and does not require a fan. The downside of using natural gas is that it would require a fan, since the natual gas pressure is much lower than the propane pressure. I run my propane forge at 2 to 5 psi most of the time, using an adjustable pressure regulator.
Some web searching should find some info on natural gas use for a blacksmith forge, but figure on a fan with adjustable airflow. Unsure about safety issues, but make sure the shutoff valve is in easy reach. I tested my burner in open air before installing it in my forge.
Richard
Jim K wrote:
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