List of the best simple burner plans

Discussion in 'Burners and their construction' started by Kurtis Kiesel, Jan 12, 2019.

  1. Kurtis Kiesel

    Kurtis Kiesel Silver

    I'm looking to make a burner, what is your favorite set of plans. I was planning on propane as my primary fuel and have the option to add waist oil later.

    Are any plans out there use compressed air instead of a blower?
     
  2. PatJ

    PatJ Silver

    I like the simplicity of this propane burner, and also the fact that a combustion air blower could be attached to it for a hotter burner.
    http://www.zoellerforge.com/zburner.html

    If you going to use this burner as a naturally-aspirated unit (ie: no combustion air blower), then a choke plate is needed to allow adjustment of the air that is drawn into the burner, such as is shown on this page under "choke plate".
    http://www.zoellerforge.com/zburner.html

    Here is another version of the burner:
    https://www.google.com/search?q=sidearm+burner&client=firefox-b-1-ab&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=ZtQTEhnpvlDTfM%3A%2CBAIIZ5z_9LVlLM%2C_&usg=AI4_-kRSZI1VobXP5dLq_TF-FNQVX_SnTQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjBzam12ejfAhURXKwKHZHuBEoQ9QEwDHoECAEQDA#imgrc=HaJbFO7WazDCUM:

    If you want to use oil, and have refractory and crucible rated for 3,000 F, then you can go with an oil burner.
    My preference is a Delavan siphon nozzle oil burner.
    The build is detailed in this video, except I do not use propane since it is not needed in order to operate with diesel, and I use diesel.


    I use a Y-shaped burner tube, not a tee, and I don't use PVC anywhere on the burner.
    What they don't tell you in the video is that you can operate one of these as a naturally-aspirated unit, without combustion air, and use only compressed air, which I recommend to be 30 psi.
    For addition heat with this burner, use a combustion air blower such as the output of a shop vac, or a leaf blower, with a remote PVC valve to control combustion air flow.
    In the naturally-aspirated mode, you may want to partially block the combustion air opening to tune the air flow, depending on your fuel flow (start at perhaps 1 gal/hr).

    An siphon-nozzle oil burner without a combustion air blower is a good way to melt aluminum if you don't want to deal with propane tanks and such.
    An siphon-nozzle oil burner with a combustion air blower will easily melt cast iron and anything else that is not rated for 3,000 F such as your furnace and crucible.

    Some here use drip-style oil burners, but I find the atomization provided by a siphon-nozzle burner to be superior to anything you can get with drip-styple burner, having tested both types with the same furnace. Good atomization is very important for starting an oil burner, and also important for maintaining a stable setting while operating.

    Edit:
    Another thing that they don't tell you in the video is that you can block the oil input to a siphon nozzle, and just put propane where the compressed air goes, and operate a siphon nozzle burner on propane this way, with only one propane connection to the pipe at the burner that would otherwise be used for compressed air.
    I have not run a siphon nozzle this way in a long time, but as I recall it will naturally aspirate, or it can also be used with combustion air. Photos below.
    Note that the burner tube below needs a Y on it to allow for combustion air.
    The photos were a quick test only.

    rIMG_4651.jpg

    rIMG_4665.jpg



    .
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2019
  3. For propane only I really like an air ejector burner, just a tube with holes close to the end, and the end plugged with a drilled plug with a MIG contact tip ($1.00) to inject propane just downstream of the holes.

    IMG_3743.JPG

    I lost foam cast an aluminum plug with a branch for a gauge and a set screw in the pipe to hold it in the pipe. The brass is the propane feed valve. The red is a loose ring to to limit air flow through the holes in the yellow section.

    There is really nothing to it if you have a foundry and a lathe.

    IMG_3638.JPG

    My choice for oil is a drip burner. I use a piece of brake line from the nozzle to the end of the burner tube and another nozzle for propane.

    IMG_3776.JPG

    Rather than buying a valve I made a knife damper (yellow) to limit air flow. My leaf blower conveniently fit in the tube I had.

    IMG_4817.JPG

    I'm using a right angle needle valve to adjust oil flow. I have a pressurized oil tank with 6 psi pushing oil, diesel, bad gasoline, and cooking oil through an oil filter. Any junk that will burn. The drip works fine after you get the furnace hot with propane. A siphon nozzle requires cleaner fuel than a drip. You can see the propane is off and the furnace is hot with no smoke. I haven't tried to melt cast iron but I got a crucible of copper too hot and melted a steel stir rod I stuck in it.:D

    The wheel was just convenient to support the propane line. If I run out of wheels to melt I'll build a support.:rolleyes:
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jan 12, 2019
  4. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    I used something similar for the last 8 years. Only now did I make myself a support.

    Looking good!
     
  5. Jason

    Jason Gold

    The Kwiky All fuel burner! Compressed air venturi setup. Yes you still need a blower! Burns, propane, diesel, waste oil, veggie oil, kerosene and dead baby seal oil if you filter it right!
    One of the best!
     
  6. HT1

    HT1 Gold Banner Member

    http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/showthread.php?2304

    Moya All Day long , simple reliable, inexpensive, I run mine on Propane all the time with a Bucket Vacuum from Home Depot . Meting Brass, at least 50 Pours per year, No problems at all,
    I ran it once on Oil, WOW, Just wow LOTS of BTU's there. on Propane with a Bucket Vac in a 10 Inch Furnace, Im melting yellow Brass from start in 40-50 Minutes, (A16 CFrucible) . less then 20 minutes for following heats. I have abuild thread here or at alloys, I made three small changes, I used a saddle to attach the Propane inlet, I drilled an orafice into the Main Body for the Proane. 1/8 I think... smallest drill bit I had handy, and the Propane inlet has a 90 degree Elbow to keep everything in line rather then sticking up, cannot recommend it enough

    V/r HT1
     
  7. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Can't argue with that, my burner is pretty much the same setup as HT1's (and Rasper's) - a bucket shop vac blower on a small drip injector waste oil burner. I don't know whether to call mine a Moya burner or a Hot Shot, they both work pretty much the same and I had both in mind when I built mine. I managed to build it without having to weld anything, which was a big plus for me at the time.

    I use propane to preheat the furnace then once it's hot enough in there to vaporize the oil drips I switch to waste veg oil, or diesel when it's winter or I am out of wvo. I made a video a while ago that shows how all the parts fit together, from when the needle valve finally got clogged up a bit after about 2 years of weekend warrior level use by some tiny french fry crumbs in my fuel that got past the old t-shirt I filtered it with. Since I had to take it apart anyhow, I figured why not have a little fun with it in the hope someone else might find it helpful...



    I'm sure it could be built with fewer fittings but I was working out of my plumbing drawer and what I already had in there as much as possible, though I did have to go out and buy the needle valve for the oil line and a couple more bits as far as I can remember.

    I used OddDuck's trick from post #25 in the Moya thread that HT1 linked above - using the tube from the center of a cheap thrift shop table lamp for the oil drip tube - which really helped because it is quite rigid and straight unlike the coil of copper tubing I would have had to try using, and as mentioned in the video it had one end threaded for a long enough distance that connecting it to the oil line through the back of the burner was really easy.

    The whole setup works great, super simple to build and easy enough to light and keep lit...

    Jeff

    Edit - forgot to add the official Brute and Hot Shot links!

    The Brute:
    http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/oilburners09.html

    Hot Shot:
    https://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/oilburners10.html
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2019
  8. HT1

    HT1 Gold Banner Member

    Here is my build thread, not as detailed as the one above, but still very valuable... one thing, the oil tube, for some reason, I bought a Schedule 80 nipple from McMaster Carr, all the Parts from Mcmaster carr actually . just not sure why I did that, perhaps I was woried about life expectancy. But as I said above, I dont runn it on oil, just Propane and a Vaccum and Get very good results. My results have improved since I replaced the Lifd of My furnace and Installed A hemisphere under it. Took 5-10 minutes off my melt time. But loose the BBQ grills , I have a Pair of 40's now , they will still freeze, but normally not till im into my second heat



    http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/showthread.php?12550-HT1-s-Moya-Burner/page3
     
  9. OMM

    OMM Silver

    33F3F489-41A7-4BE9-ACEA-F9320AFF3055.jpeg 6CC4DBE4-1275-4527-A4D7-362731DBD74B.jpeg
    Good evening gentlemen. My first post.

    I found the Kwiky a very interesting small little build. I purchased a plug and T fitting, totalling $7. Everything else I had in stock. I am about to embark on building a small foundry on the cheap as possible. Maybe I'll start a new thread.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2019
  10. Jason

    Jason Gold

    DO IT!!! The kwiky is a little beast. Start a thread and if ya have any troubles, I'll try to help.. Be sure you get some needle valves for it. 1/4 turn ball valves dont work for mixture adjustment. I learned the hard way.
     
  11. OMM

    OMM Silver

    Jason, cheers...

    I do not like needle valves nor do I like ball valves for fine adjustment of thick fluids. I do like ball valves for on/off's. Needle valves are great for air/gasses.

    Any help, I would love.
     
  12. Jason

    Jason Gold

    I'm with ya... I tried 1/4turn ball valves for doing the job of both on/off and fine tuning. It made the kwiky too unstable. I'd go from rich (black and sooty) to lean (or a flame out) just by breathing on the knob. Cheap usable needle valve will still pass thick oil. You are shooting for about 1-1.5 gallons per hour fuel flow. Some of this will depend on the size of your furnace, When I first built mine, I went through some serious growing pains. With a little perseverance, it's a keeper now for me. Here is a link you should take a peek at of my pains..
    http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/showthread.php?11021-Kwik-Kwiky-question&highlight=kwiky

    There is tons of reading on the Kwiky on AA. We haven't added much here on THF yet. Hope you change that and do a build writeup.
    If ya watch the first few minutes of this, you'll see it's current setup with the many valves.
     

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