Subject: Re: What is this "oil burner can thing?"

From: [email-masked] (Jonathan M. Elson)
Date: 19 May 1996 05:02:37 GMT

Anthony EPucillo ([email-masked]) wrote:
:     Last month, I bought a couple of objects at an aviation event, for a 
: dollar or two each, labelled "burner cans.".  They are 12 or 15" long, 
: kind of cone-shaped with a rectangular opening at the small end maybe 3" 
: by 4", and maybe 6" by 9" opening at the other end.  In the big end, 
: there's what looks like a burner nozzle (round, a couple of tiers of 
: pinholes) with metal "fuel" lines running to it.  These lines pass out of 
: the  "horn" at about midpoint between big and small end and attach to 
: fuel-type pressure fittings outside the can.  
:      The whole thing is covered with soot, but seems to be a pot-metal or
: _maybe_ aluminum alloy.  I don't know whether this is a device to spew
: smoke from an aerobatic (or agri-spray?) airplane (the "big end" 
: obviously bolts up to something) or maybe  to spew smoke in an orange 
: grove on cold nights (bought them at Lakeland at the big Sun&Fun airshow, 
: so either is a real possibility).

These are combustion chambers from a jet engine.  they are most likely pure
titanium!  They are also probably worth a LOT more than what you spent for
them.  Pot metal or aluminum would melt in .1 second inside a jet engine.
Temperatures run from 600 degrees C in old engines to about 690 C in the
newer ones.

You could probably use them for a foundry - I don't know what temperature
you're trying to get to.  The Titanium is usually plated with something
to keep it from burning, and this may eventually wear off.  It also fatigues,
which is why the entire 'hot section' of a jet engine must be scrapped
after so many hours and starts.  The expensive titanium parts are usually
recycled, due to their intrinsic metal value.  the fuel nozzles are probably
WAY too big for your intended use.  You might be able to use them by plugging
some of the holes.  The airflow through these burners was way more than you
will want for your forge, so the fuel flow would probably be too much, too.

---

From: Anthony EPucillo <[email-masked]>
Date: 20 May 1996 02:25:27 GMT

Well, whaddya know.  I knew they were too good a deal to pass up.  
As you say, this sounds like it would fire a blast furnace or a smelter 
rather than a small aluminum/bronze foundry.  I may yet give it a try, 
though.    I think I can block out a row or two of nozzle-orifices (kind 
of two rows inside a third, larger row.  It's worht doing, even if just 
to have the only jet-powered metal foundry in town.  I may try powering 
it with a small shop-vac.  

     Imagine what that's going to sound like!

     If all else fails, I'll think of something to do with all that 
titanium.  At $1 apiece (really -- I think that's what I paid; somebody's 
wife obviously told him not to bring them home again) they are such a 
great find that I have to use them or at least keep them until _I_ get an 
ultimatum.

     Now if I can just figure out what to do with that DC-3 gear actuator 
cylinder... lift my workshop door??