First try at melting metal

[Rickabilly]

The heat gun just helps when firing up, run the heat for a while before starting with the fuel and you can forgo some of that nasty start up trouble that is common with some burners when cold. But the most important part is that you're not cooling the fire with cold air, if combustion adds 800 degrees to your airflow, and you start with an ambient 20, you've got 820, but start with 100 and you've got 900, and every little helps.

Re, the valve I used to use an old efi throttle body that cost nothing on a burner rig I built ten or more years ago, the sheet of tin in a hacksaw slot is what we used to call a slip plate, in the boiler house I worked in as an apprentice, of course the professional version was a bit more sophisticated

And one last thing, if anyone is going to try the anti oxidisation trick I posted, don't use coal, it has too many impurities and will give trouble,

A further tip when heat treating tool steel or any thing you don't want to oxidise heavily is to use plain flour with a little water, knead into a dough and cover the areas to be protected, dry it on low heat and then bring to full temperature, the flour will turn to carbon and as it encases the workpiece will protect it very well from oxygen damage

Regards
Rick