This page chronicles my fabrication of the Ron Reil

Propane Burner.
A word on safety. This project is suitable for ADULTS
ONLY. Do not allow little children around when you are
constructing and testing any gas burner such as the type
described here. I know that I could never forgive myself
if anything happened to my child while indulging in this
hobby; you should feel the same way!
Step 1: needed in black-iron pipe. Instead I needed to
patronize a larger plumbing-supply store in the
nearby metropolitan area. I chose to use black iron
for this project as galvanized gives off toxic fumes
when heated. Here is a shopping list of what I
obtained.
QtyItem13/4" x 8" pipe nipple11-1/2" x 3/4" reducing
bell11" x 3-1/2" pipe nipple11-1/2" x Close pipe
nipple11/8" x 3-1/2" brass pipe nipple13/8" x 1/8" brass
reducing bell **13/8" Gas-Thread to Pipe-Thread adaptor
nipple (brass) **11/8" brass pipe end cap1#6-32 thread
tap4#6-32 set screws1Tube of liquid pipe dope** The brass
reducing bell and adaptor were needed in my case to
adapt the 1/8" jet tube to the 3/8" left-hand-thread gas
fitting on my hose. You may choose to replace these parts
with others suitable for your application.
Step 2: Drill out the jet hole in the brass nipple. For
starters, I am using a #60 drill bit for the jet. I may
increase that later on depending upon the heat and
flame stability I get.
Step 3: The next step involves drilling out 2 holes in the reducer bell
to accept the 1/8" pipe nipple mounted perpendicular to the flow
through the bell. In this case I started with a 13/32" drill but soon
found I needed to use a letter "Z" drill bit. The extra .007" was the
difference between the brass nipple fitting or not. I first measured
back from the large end of the bell enough to make sure the nipple

just cleared the thick part of the bell end and then center punched
a starter indentation using a spring-loaded punch.
Step 4: Once the cross holes are drilled the next step is to
drill out holes to be tapped for set screws that hold
the jet nipple in place. These two holes are drilled in
the lip of the large end of the reducer bell. Make sure
to center the holes (punching helps). I used #6-32
hex-key set screws. Use a #36 drill for this size hole. I
then deburred and made a slight countersink using a
#24 drill bit as shown here.
Step 5: Tap the holes for the set screws. I quickly realized
that I did not have a tap handle with a small enough
collar to hold the #6 tap. Crescent-wrench to the
rescue. Fortunately this set still has fairly tight jaws
so there was no slop to cause slipping on the end of
the tap. Plenty of machine oil and working the tap
both forwards and backwards make this part easy.
Slow and steady is the key to not breaking the tap.
Step 6: The "Reil" burner requires a flared end piece. The
flare is 1/8" over the outer 1-1/2" of the 1" pipe
nipple. I had the plumbing supply store cut the
threads off of both ends which left me with about a
2-3/4" length. The easiest way for me to create that
flare was to use an oxy-acetylene torch to heat half
the length of the pipe section. The bar clamped in
the vise is a section of 3/4" round bar stock. In the
lower right you can see the burner partially
assembled.

Step 7: Once the pipe is cherry-red it is time to start

making the flare. Off to the right side where you
cannot see, I am holding the "cool" end of the pipe
using 12" water-pump pliers. Bring the pipe section so
only the 1-1/2" section is on the round bar and
"gently" beat the pipe while holding the pipe at an
angle to the round bar. Continue working all around
the pipe to evenly create the flare. If you work quick
enough you can complete this with only one
additional re-heat with the torch.

SAFETY NOTE: Allow the pipe to gradually air

cool, DO NOT QUENCH! There is EXTREME
DANGER when quenching pipe, that it will
blow scalding water out the top and can
severely burn you or anyone unfortunate
enough to be near it! Find a safe place to
allow the pipe to cool, where other people
(esp. little fingers!) won't touch it.
Step 8: Once the flared pipe has been allowed to cool back
down to room temperature it is time to drill out some
holes for the set screws that will lock it into place on
the end of the burner. Following the same procedure
as above, drill and tap two holes for the set screws.
Space them angularly 120 degrees on the un-flared
end of the pipe, about 3/8" in from the end.
Step 9: Assemble the pieces into the burner. Make sure to
use a liquid pipe dope in a tube and not the teflon
tape variety. Leave the set screws finger-tight on
both the jet tube and the flared end for adjustment
later on.

Testing: This next photo shows the test-rig that I used. I

did not have any propane-grade hose on hand, so I
used some extra acetylene hose that I had. This was
just for this test only as the hose is not chemically
suited for long-term use with propane. However 15
minutes or so won't hurt it. On the propane tank is an
adjustable regulator set with high-side and low-side
gauges. It's range is from 0 to +25 psi, although the
graduated portion of the scale on the gauge stops at
15 psi. You can see I added the 1-1/2" pipe nipple at
the intake end.
Here is an image of the burner right after it's first light. I
apparently did a pretty good job at lining up the jet
hole with the center of the tube. It produced a nice
neutral blue flame right off the bat.
Here I am adjusting the jet to shoot straight down the
burner tube. I had about a 20 degree angle from
where it was obvious the gas was hitting the side of
the burner tube on the top to where it was hitting on
the bottom. I split the angle and tightened down the
set screws. On a safety note, make sure to stay out
of the direct path of the intake end in case the jet
tube spins around on you. Notice I am off to the side
and my right arm is above the burner. Also at this
point you want to adjust the position of the flared
pipe on the end of the burner for the best flame
stability. (Somehow I did not end up with a picture of
this though.) To do this use long-handled water-pump
pliers and gently slide it in or out as necessary. When
the burner has cooled back down, tighten the set
screws on the flare.

Time for a test of the burner. Normally I would not

recommend doing this, but what the hell, this was
getting pretty exciting. When you've got your brothers
and father looking on to see if this contraption is
going to blow you up you have to prove yourself and
show this thing will work. This is an aluminum
transmission case out of an old washing machine.
Pretty quickly the case heated up enough for the
bearing unit to fall out of the center and onto the
ground.
Success! The propane burner gets more than hot enough to
melt the aluminum in open air. It is so hot in fact that
you cannot stand to be within 6 feet in front of it.
Even holding the transmission case off to the side I
was getting very uncomfortable. It took about 3
minutes to get the case to melt using about 15 psi of
gas pressure. The picture below shows the first drop
of molten aluminum that fell to the ground. Small
chunks held with the pliers melt in about 20 seconds.
http://metalcast.boorman.us/reil_9.html

I was
invited
to teach
a
seminar
on
furnace
building
for a
foundry
class at
El
Camino
College. I
took
pictures
during
the
seminar
and
combine
d it with
pics of
my own
furnace
to create
this
article
with the
intent of
using it
at other
seminars
. Thus it
is written

as a
"How To"
article,
meant to
be
combine
d with
the
seminar,
which
includes
discussio
ns on
safety
and
proper
use of
the
furnace.
The
furnace
we built
is a small
helium
tank
furnace,
capable
of
melting
30 lbs of
bronze in
about 40
minutes.
This is
exactly
the same

furnace I
use in
my own
studio.
The
features
of this
furnace
are:
Melts 30
lbs
of
bron
ze in
3040
min
utes
Uses a
part
y
heliu
m
tank
(the
sam
e
size
as a
5
gal
prop
ane
tank
)
Inexpens

ive
to
mak
e:
und
er
$15
0
Lightwei
ght
and
port
able
An easy
wee
kend
build

If you have
questions or
comments
please
contact me
at:
Dan@Rotblatt
Sculpture.co
m
I'd love to
hear from
you!

Building
a furnace
for the
Home
Foundry:
Capable fo
melting up
to 30 lbs of
Bronze

Introducti
on
This furnace is
able to melt 25
lbs of bronze in
about 30
minutes. It has
a maximum
capacity of 30
lb. of bronze or
10 lb. of
aluminum (a
#10 crucible
just fits). The
pictures here
are from a class
I did where we
built 3 furnaces.
Think of this as
a recipe for
building the
furnace, there

are many
variations you
may use
depending on
our skills, the
tools in your
shop and
availability of
materials. If you
follow certain
basic principles
the furnace will
work just fine.
Basic
Principles for
Building a
Furnace
1) A furnace
body is mainly
an enclosure to
hold the heat
that the burner
puts out. The
steel shell does
not hold in any
heat, it is the
refractory that
holds in the
heat (the lining
inside the
furnace shell).
The body could
be made of
screen and it
will work the

same, its only

purpose is to
hold the
refractory in
place.
2) The burner
should come in
at an angle (see
diagram #1) so
the flame forms
a vortex or
whirlwind
around the
crucible. This
distributes the
heat evenly and
does not
overheat the
side of the
crucible.

3) The refractory you use

must be able to take the
heat within the furnace.
Bronze is poured at
around 2100 degrees F,
but the furnace lining
(especially where the
flame is hitting it) gets
much hotter. The lining
on my furnace should
take 2700 degrees. You
cannot use plain
concrete or substitutes,

this can be dangerous.

2300F ceramic blanket
can be used, but expect
a shorter life.
4) Every place there is a
leak (i.e. flame shoots
our from a hole or gap in
the refractory) heat is
lost. The less holes there
are the better, but NOT
from the point of view of
melting the metal. The
amount of heat lost from
a small hole or two in the
furnace is nothing
compared to the amount
of BTU's (heat energy)
the burner puts out. The
danger is that a flame
shooting out the side will
catch something on fire
or worse, burn a hole in
the propane line.
Therefore, you should
make the lining fit well an easy thing to do,
especially with ceramic
fiber and castable
refractory.
5) There must be a hole
in the top of the furnace
to prevent back-pressure
from building up
(especially important
with a venturi burner).
This hole also allows

metal to be lowered into

the furnace with a pair of
tongs (not dropped!).
6) You must have a
burner able to generate
enough BTUs (heat
energy) to heat up the
furnace to the
temperature you want
faster then the furnace
looses heat to the
outside. In an ideal
world, a perfectly lined
furnace (one that lets no
heat out at all) could be
heated to 2000 degrees
F from a flame no bigger
then a candle. In reality
the flame must be a bit
bigger to do this. The
burner in this furnace
puts out between 135200,000 BTUs.
Thats the basics.
The steel body is made
from a party helium tank
(it is the same size as a 5
gal. propane tank but
helium is nonflammable).
The bottom and top are
lined with a castable
refractory, and the sides
are lined with Ins-wool or
any ceramic fiber blanket
that will take 2300F.
The burner is based on

Ron Reils EZ-burners the plans are on the

internet and highly
recommended reading.
They are updated
frequently and should be
looked at.
Tool and Part Lists
This list of tools and
parts is off the top of my
head, but should be
fairly complete. There is
always some latitude,
since many of the parts
can be made from scrap
laying about the shop.
TOOL LIST
MIG/TIG/oxy-acetylene
torch for welding.
Something to cut off the
top of the tank and
angle iron (oxyacetylene torch or
an angle grinder
with cut-off wheel
for the top and
angle iron, and a jig
saw with metal
cutting blades for
the smaller holes)
Hack Saw or angle
grinder with cut-off
wheel
Sharpie pen
Brick
PARTS LIST

The furnace body:

(1) A disposable helium
tank or empty freon
tank - the same size
as a 5 gal propane
tank (DO NOT use a
propane tank) [furnace body]
(1) About 5 of angle iron
1 to 1-1/2 wide [legs &burner
holder]
(1) About 1' of 1/4" rod,
rebar would do fine [hook]
(1) hinge (about 2-3) [lid hinge]
(1) 2" hose clamp - [to
attach burner to
burner holder]
15-20 roofing nails [welded to lit to hold
refractory]
(1) Bag castable
refractory (Greenlit45 (lighter, not as
strong), Mizzou
Castable)
40" x 10" Ceramic fiber
blanket (2700F
maximum
temperature
preferred, name
brands are Inswool
or Kaowool).
Burner

(1) 3/4 x 8 pipe nipple

(1) 1-1/2 x 3/4 reducer
(1) 1/8 nipple with pipe
cap
(1) 1 x 5 pipe nipple
(1) #60 drill
(2) 3/16 bolts with a
Drill and tap for that
thread size
(1) propane hose with
1/4 fittings on
either side
(1) Propane Regulator (030 lb. pressure)
(1) Propane fitting for
attaching the
regulator to the tank

Cutting the
Shell
1. Using a
cutting torch, cut
a hole in the top
of the helium
tank about 4
1/2 in diameter
(the exact size is
not crucial).
2. Cut off the top
of the tank just
below the curve
of the lid.

Two views of
the helium
tank cut off
around the
rim. On the
right you can
see the hole
cut in the
center of the
top. Note the
placement of
the legs, hole
for the burner,
and hinge.
Attaching
the Legs
1. On a flat
surface, place
the bottom of
the tank on a
brick and weld
the 4 legs onto
the bottom/side
of the shell.
Before welding
sand off the
paint where the
welds will be
using an angle
grinder and
sanding disc.

A side view of
the bottom
half of the
furnace
showing the
legs welded in
place.
Burner
Attachment
1. An oval hole
is then cut in
the side of the
shell about 4
above the very
bottom of the
shell. This can
be done when
cutting off the
top since an
oxy-acetylene
torch is best for
this. The hole
should be about
1 tall and 2
wide - better
too big then too
small. Test it's
size with a 3/4"
pipe, view the
plans above and
diagram #1 for
positioning.

2. A 4 long
piece of angle
iron is welded to
the edge of the
hole. It should
be angled as
shown in
"diagram #1" at
the top of the
page. The
burner will be
attached with a
hose clamp to
the angle iron.

Here's a
view of
the hole
cut with
an oxyacetyle
ne
torch.
The
hole
should
be set
about
1"
above
the
curve of

A 4"
piece of
angle
iron has
been
welded
to the
side of
the
hole.
The
hole
has
been
cleaned
up with
a

the
bottom
of the
tank.

grinder.

A top view
showing the
angle of the
burner. Look
at Diagram
#1 at the top
of the page to
see how the
burner should
be set.
Preparing
the Lid
1. Weld a
number of
roofing nails
onto the inside
of the top to
hold the
refractory. A
hinge was
welded to one
side and the
loop/latch to the
other (a detail
of making the

loop is shown in
below).

A closeup
showing
the
roofing
nails
welded
in
place.
The
loop is
also
shown
to the
right
side.

A view
of the
lid with
hinge,
hook,
and
nails. It
is ready
for the
refracto
ry to be
poured
in.

A close-up of
the loops
ready to be
welded to the
front of the
lid. You only
need one.

Pouring the
Lid & Bottom
of the forge
1. Castable
refractory is
used to line the
bottom and top
of the shell. It
should take at
least 2600F
and should be
about 2-1/2" to
3 thick on the
bottom.
2. Make a
cardboard ring
the size of the
hole in the lid
and tape it into
place with duct
tape. Also make
a 2" thick ring
of cardboard
and set on a
piece of wood.
This is to make
a base block to
put the crucible
on.
3. Mix enough
castable for the
lid and bottom,
plus a little
extra.
4. Fill the lid

with refractory
cement.
5. Pour the
bottom of the
furnace up to
where the curve
of the tank ends
- this should be
about 1" below
the burner hole
in the side
6. Use any extra
to make a base
block.
In Los Angeles,
refractory can
be purchased
through:
Harbison Walker
Refractories
7831 Paramount
Blvd., Pico
Rivera, CA
90660
(562) 942-2151
Independent
Foundry Supply
Co
6463 Canning
St, Los Angeles,
CA 90040
(323) 725-1051
Harbison Walker
should have
outlets in all the

major cities they are a

worldwide
manufacturer.
Look up
refractories on
the internet, or
in a phone book
for local
dealers.
Inswool can be
purchased by
the linear foot
from the
following
websites by the
linear foot (it
comes 24"
wide). Also look
on eBay - don't
pay more then
$6-8 per 2 cubic
feet. I haven't
purchased
through the
following, but
the prices seem
good.
5 foot lengths
(10 square
feet), about
$3/sq foot.
Enough to line
2-3 furnaces.
http://mywebpa
ges.comcast.net

/eellis2/EllisCust
omKnifeworks/in
swool.html
By the foot for
$8 a linear foot
(2 sq ft).
http://www.anvil
fire.com/sales/k
_index.htm

A piece
of
cardboa
rd is
bent
into a
circle
and
taped in
place
with
duct
tape.
Castabl
e is
poured
into the
top and
smooth
ed.

Here
the
bottom
is
poured.
In this
furnace
I made
an
integral
base
block,
but I
recomm
end
making
it
separat
e so it's
easy to

replace.
Hinge, Lid
Rest and Lid
Ring
1. When the
cement is dry,
place the lid on
the body and
weld the hinge
to the body.
2. The loop has
a bar which will
stick down
along the body.
Weld two small
bars to the body
on either side of
the bar. This will
align the lid
when it is
closed, while
the loop can be
used to lift the
lid with a hook.
2. Cut a small
piece of angle
iron (about 4
long) and weld
it to the shell so
the top rests on
it when open.
Cut a disc of
scrap sheet
metal and weld

it to the top of
the angle iron
rest (this helps
prevent the
angle iron from
denting the top
and eventually
cracking the
refractory).

On the left
side of the
furnace is the
lid rest welded
below the
hinge.
Lining the
Shell
1. Cut a piece of
1" ceramic fiber
blanket about
9" (measure the
inside height of
the furnace) by
about 40". Make
sure it is long
enough to fit
tightly inside
the furnace
body. Use a
sharp knife or
matte knife to

cut it.

The
dark
ring
shows
the
Ceramic
Blanket
lining.

This
shot
shows
the
Ceramic
Blanket
lining.
In this
case I
think I
used 2"
blanket
(the
inside
measur
es 11/2", 1"
is
sufficien
t and
leaves
more
room
for a
crucible
.

The Burner

I used the Ron

Reil Burner
shown below
with the
Bordeaux
modification.
Instead of a
short flared pipe
shown at the
end of the
burner in the
plans, I used a
6 long pipe
that is attached
permanently to
the furnace with
a hose clamp to
the angle iron
that is welded
to the shell. The
end of this pipe
is flared. The
burner is held in
the flared
nozzle using a
setscrew. Once
the burner is set
the right
amount into the
6" flared end,
mark the burner
pipe or put a
hose clamp
around it to act
as a stop. A #60
drill, taps, etc.

can be
purchased at
OSH (Orchard
Supply
Warehouse).
Ron Reils
website is:
http://ronreil.ab
ana.org/design1
.shtml
The Reil EZ
burner is shown
below. Click on
the schematic
for a larger
view:
A very good
pictoral
description of
building this
burner is
available on
Brian Boorman's
website at:
http://metalcast
.boorman.us/reil
_1.html
<div><a
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Resource
s/burner.j
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target='_
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img

src="../R
esources
/burnera.
jpeg"
border=
0
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Click on
this
schema
tic for a
larger
view.

The
burner.
Simple
constru
ction,
and
very
efficient
. In this
burner I
have a
compre
ssed air
quick

connect
-I
wouldn'
t
recomm
end one
so close
to the
burner
since
these
are
known
to
leak...

Yup, it
melts
bronze.
That's a
#10
crucible
in there.
I've
done
dozens
of pours
over 20

Here's
the
finished
product.

lbs, and
many
smaller
pours
out of
this
furnace.