gas forge buy or make??

[Steve Meyer]

I need a gas forge badly and soon. I've always used my coal forge, running it with Anthracite coal. The problem is I can no longer cost effectively get coal. I'm looking into buying a prebuilt Gas forge, or possibly just making it. Help would be great, I've listed some of the ones I've been looking at. I've seen some square ones and the like that were very nice, and I can weld. I've watched the knife makers for noobs basic forge building dvd as well. It was very helpful. I need to make sure whatever I get or make is hot enough to forge and forge weld. I'm still researching, I've just put out a couple of posts to hopefully help expedite the process so I can order a forge or parts today or tomorrow. I live in small town so if it can't be found at tractor supply it has to be ordered online. Thanks again for any advice anyone has.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Propane-For...AAAOSwlepZ4~nx

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Propane-For...cAAOSwI6RZ2P8T

In case I just build the body
https://www.ebay.com/itm/U-S-Made-ga...cAAOSw4YdY0O2r



On a side note. I have a 17/18" long by 10" tall air tank just sitting outside. Its big but I do some bigger stuff. Nothing that big yet but if it could work I would happily consider it over buying something, to use as a body.

[Ray Rogers]

You saw the DVD, you know you can build a forge of any size that will weld. Its very easy to get more than enough heat with forced air burners. Much cheaper to build than buy a forge. Stay away from the square ones ...

[Steve Meyer]

Yup saw the DVD. I hadn't even considered a forced air yet. Would a 0-30 psi regulator and a 1" or smaller nozzle be enough for a 8" round by 12" long forge? I just want a bit more room especially considering I need to make a couple of larger knives..

[Ray Rogers]

If you have a decent hardware store in town you probably won't have to order anything except the wool and Satanite . Everything I used came from the hardware store and in one example I built my own gate valve and blower so cost can be controlled, size can be controlled. Forges wear out and have to be rebuilt every year or so (unless you build a monstrosity like the huge forge I demo at the end of the video) so it makes sense to built your own, it's easier to maintain that way ...

[Ray Rogers]

Originally Posted by Steve Meyer

Yup saw the DVD. I hadn't even considered a forced air yet. Would a 0-30 psi regulator and a 1" or smaller nozzle be enough for a 8" round by 12" long forge? I just want a bit more room especially considering I need to make a couple of larger knives..

It should be. 0-30 is what we like no matter the size of the forge, 8 " isn't large, you'll have a 6" interior after 1" wool is added. A 1" forced air burner should be more than enough. The burners are simple to make so if you wanted to try a 3/4" and experiment it wouldn't be much trouble to do. My forge is much larger than that and it uses two 1" burners.....

[Steve Meyer]

Thank you I ordered satanite and kaowool 1". Probably easiest in my case to just build the forge out of the air tank I have. It isn't just huge but with the diameter Ill have room for some billets I believe. Also it will mean 1 less thing to buy. I may shorten it though and make two port holes in case I need a second burner. Though I doubt I will. I was just going to buy a atmo burner but Ill look more into the forced air burner. Until the DVD I didn't know they were a thing. At all.

[Ray Rogers]

Some atmospheric burners can do it but most are touchy and require tuning. Good ones are tricky to build. Changes in the atmosphere (weather) can affect them a little too. Forced air burners are dead simple to build from a few pipes and a blower, they are usually noisy but they always work as expected ...

[Steve Meyer]

Thanks for all the advice I've ordreed parts and settled on a plan just have to actually get to building it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzZmnY0in6k&t=59s the guy in the dvd has a part by part list on his website, and I will have to order the burner parts so wanted to check that his will meet standards. Or tweek his plan as needed.

He also has a forge designed out of a propane tank that should be ok when transfered to my air tank?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMMJNm2939s&t=238s

[jimmontg]

Ray, you forgot he needs to wear a efficient particle mask to mess with kao-wool. Tsk Tsk

[Steve Meyer]

So using it to blow my nose is a bad idea?

[Ray Rogers]

QUOTE: So using it to blow my nose is a bad idea?

Some would say that idea was contra-indicated ....

[dtec1]

good move building it I just caught this post now but I bought one similar to the links you put up when I first startmed making knives....lets just say with in 3 weeks I had rays video and built my own... I have a fe different forges now and have both venturi set up and forced air...in my opinion if you going to be doing big stuff like welding Damascus stuff like that the forced air burners are much more powerfull and the way to go if your going to just be heat treating or even small blades venturi will work...I have a pair of venturi burners made by chili forge that are better than the ones I made but still not as powerfull as the forced air burners I made so it all depends what you want to do and how big the forge is the bigger the space the more burner you need

[Steve Meyer]

Thanks I'm definitely going with a forced air burner. I'm going to use the air tank I have here to build it. It's 10' T by 17"L. I'm going to cut it down to 12" long and after fire bricks and wool should have 8"s of room to work with inside.