New to blacksmithing? Read this

Thanks Charley! I'm gonna keep it on the resource burner for now. I'm slow and already deep into a current project.

GA

Reply to
Greyangel
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Definitions are spot-on;) chances are what GA found is slag left over from copper mining/smelting operations in AZ and NM since the Southern Pacific used it for "ballast". It was heavy and rough and I figure the mines gave it to the railroad for free (or even paid them to take it?) just to keep it from piling up.

As far as the iron and metallic luster on the surface that's how the stuff looks. Like gold leaf it's a super thin layer of copper etc and sometimes a thick layer of iron that later rusts. It's not black as coal when new but almost, then later developes the carnival-glass(?) looking surface after it ages.

The "clinker" I'm familiar with is a yellow/tan/brown color and I guess mostly calcium/magnesium-carbonate left over from the coal?

SP was the last big outfit in the US to switch to diesel-electric but was early in the use of oil burners. I guess it had something to do with the oil fields in southern California and the lack of good coal fields? Coal for the coal fired electric plants around here tends to come from Colorado still.

An iron-rock, as soon as you pick the sucker up) will be obvious as anything. ;)

Alvin in AZ

Reply to
alvinj

I was thinking more along the lines of a boiler 'explosion', where the internal pressure ruptures a seam or other tensile failure. That's why I didn't write BANG. 55 gallon drums are pretty thin walled for a pressure vessel. Think about what's happening. the initial fire generates combustible gasses, which expand due to the applied heat, and the increased pressure forces them through the 'burner jets' underneath. These gasses are ignited, adding to the applied heat, increasing the pressure, which makes the flow rate through the 'jet' increase, which increases the btu output, which increases the applied heat, which increases the internal pressure, which is sooner or later constricted by the flow restriction of the jet as the flow rate through the orfice approaches mach

1... Whooomph! See Bernoulli's principle and sonic choking for the full math details.

Charly (just trying to keep y'all safe out there)

Reply to
Charly the Bastard

I follow you. I'm assuming the outflow pipe would have to be some minimum diameter and the burner "jets" having a combined minimum diameter as well so that "r" out is never greater than the internal pressure.

GA (still in one piece inspite of the dangers - for now)

Reply to
Greyangel

Whenever... I've cut holes in the walls and drilled holes in the concrete, I'm here to stay. It looks really nice with 304 SS hardware, that nickel white sets off the pattern in the cable..

Charly

Reply to
Charly the Bastard

Thank you

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Reply to
mcclenonalpha

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