Johnson Gas Soldering Furnace

[Michael J. Spangler]

hey guys. i said i would update you once i got it running.

i got the new tips and picked up a regulator, then cannibalized a few things in the shop to get it all set up.

it's nice to have the pilots, so i can kill it off, or work with one or two burners without having to relight the whole deal. i think i'll tune the pilots a bit, they run ok, but when the burners go on they tend to flare up a bit. that might just be how runs who knows. it kicks out some BTU's for sure though.

i didn't actually melt the lead, because i was cooking it indoors in my shop and it was smoking a bit, seeing as everything was pretty dusty from sitting around. the paint makes it look like it had barley been used, mainly just neglected in someone's shop.

maybe this week when it warms up a bit i'll be able to run it and see how well i can control the heat with it.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll105/MJSpangler/a59780f9.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll105/MJSpangler/76259776.jpg

thanks for looking

[Southern Son]

Thanks for posting that, I have never seen anything like that. I have seen some of the Waage plumbers pots on the net, but that is something really different. I take it that the pipes or whatever being soldered can be put throught the door next to the brick to pre heat it before soldering?

[Michael J. Spangler]

there are doors on both sides, so you can pass right through, if you needed to heat the middle of two pipes to sweat it loose.
they also make a little half door for the front that you can rest your soldering irons on.

it's a pretty cool little piece, and even if it sucks for any type of casting i can use it for a lot of other heating jobs in the shop.

[cajun shooter]

I purchased a solder pot heater from a plumber about three years ago and tried mixing my alloy. It would only reach a temperature that turned it to slush and not hot enough to cast with.
I hope you have much better luck. Take Care David

[Michael J. Spangler]

I hope it works out ok. It's rated at 39,000 BTUs. I know I'm losing heat out of that big opening though. Either way it's a great little tool.

I make custom knives so I can find uses for it

Spanglercustomknives.com

[MGySgt]

Just make a heat sheld for the front and you will have plenty of heat to melt WW's!

[Michael J. Spangler]

i used a soft fire brick for the front, it worked ok, but you can't block it off completely.
i'm going to cut it down to leave some ventilation and see how it works then.

do any of you guys cast using a gas furnace like this?
i know the electric furnaces are what everyone seems to be using

[MGySgt]

do any of you guys cast using a gas furnace like this?

Not anymore I don't - use to use a Coleman stove and quart cast iron pots. I still have the 2 pots I used. One was for WW and one for pure lead - painted the handels different colors.

Real easy to change the alloy too - just turn the cold pot over and you would have about 30-40 pound chunk. If you wanted to go back to that alloy - just set it back in your cold pot!