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Re: Ribbon burner - newbie questions
Posted By: Chris.oh In Response To: Ribbon burner - newbie questions (Romarrk)
Date: Thursday, 10 January 2013, at 2:27 a.m.
I can't help with sizing the blower, but I may be able to help with your starter.
Put your blower on it's own switch, turn it on when you are starting to work, and turn it off when you are done for the day.
Ribbon burners are not like some other torches, you light your gas/air mix all at once. The mixture is controlled by a needle valve on both the air and gas lines, and once you set it, you pretty much leave it alone (you may adjust between different types of glass, but we'll ignore that for now.)
I start my fires manually. I usually use one of those long grill lighters, or my spark coil. The coil is safer, but they will wear out eventually. You can use an old 6000v 30ma transformer with one leg hooked to your ceramic coated ignition electrode (salvaged from a furnace... talk to an hvac shop, they may just give you one) and bend the tip to where you need it. You can insulate it further with glass tube to control where it arcs. Put a simple momentary foot switch to start the arc, and lift your foot once it's lit. Keep your distance and don't get zapped, it's not pleasant.
We put together an automated starter in the first shop I worked at. As I recall, the "maintained action" foot switch would power a 5 second or so timer relay, which was connected to the transformer noted above. At the same time, it would also activate the gas solenoid. The blower is always on. You will have to manually adjust the brass valve at the base of your burner for different length of flame (less air/gas mix for 6", more for 16").
Hope this helps,
Chris> Hi all!
> I am setting ribbon burner, classic EGL 16'
> type in a small 'for fun' home neon shop.> Have couple of questions:
> First - what are you guys doing for
> automation? I mean, add gas solenoid, add
> blower relay, add gas ignitor, and you are
> set. But what about proper timing? Is it
> critical? I mean like - pedal pressed, open
> gas, start ignitor, wait X seconds, start
> blower, wait X seconds, stop ignitor. And,
> pedal released, stop blower, wait X seconds,
> close gas. Or what is right for it?
> Obviously do not want bangs and fireballs,
> this is not a heavy metal concert ;-) Burner
> will be feed with bottled propane. Already
> successfully set some other fires, but that
> thing's size makes me nervous...> Second, may be already beaten to death,
> but... I can buy inexpensive chinese 1/3 HP
> regen blower, single stage as usual. Specs
> are about 1000 cfh, but not at 2 psi usually
> in the books. MFG quoted about 0.11 bar,
> output closed. By your experience will it
> work at least for the first time, providing
> it feeds only this burner, thick short hose
> used etc?
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