Atlas mini-forge - size limits and mods

daizee

daizee

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Dec 30, 2009
Messages
11,065
Hi All,

I have an Atlas mini-forge, which I love. It has been great for heat-treating modest sized knives in 1084. But I'm edging into the 7-8" range for kitchen cutlery and outdoor knives. I'd like to be able to heat treat 1084 pieces in the little forge instead of waiting for the periodic opportunities to use my friend's kiln (which I do for all other steel types).

What are the largest blades you're able to realistically heat-treat in this little one-burner forge? Length vs. mass? I've done a couple 7" stick tang pieces, and while the edges are hard all the way, the spine near the tip is softer, which definitely means I'm pushing the limits. These were fairly massy, so maybe thinner FFG blades would be more reasonable.

Are there any good strategies for modifying for longer pieces or techniques for heating long pieces without burning them to a crisp?

Obviously I'm looking at 2-burner forges too... ;)
 
I've done a 9" and 13.5" in my mini. The 9 wasn't bad, had to work the 13.5" (back and forth to maintain temp). I was getting ready to ask Charles at Atlas if it would be worthwhile or possible to install a thermocouple on mine. Short of that, I'm waiting for his Graham to become available again and I hope to do some serious mods to that. I know the mini has limitations, but I'm amazed by what it can do.
 
I always kept the tip out the back and also "pump" the blade in and out to get an even heat.

For thicker stock, I would hold the blade by the tip to heat the tang and ricasso and some of the blade first and then turn it around once the rest of it came up to color. I've upgraded to a bigger atlas since, but I really pushed the limit on the mini I had. I was literally scraping the sides on one and it still made an amazing blade. I was trying for hamon so I didn't need it to be through hardened which may have been a little trickier considering it was 1/4" stock.
I've done kitchen knives and medium sized knives in it, but I opted for the next size up when it was for sale.

Rick Marchand had a good idea about cutting a slot vertically in the back for the larger blades, but I never tried it since I got the bigger forge.
 
Do you guys have the now-standard 30K burner on your minis? I have its predecessor sans regulator since I bought my mini fairly early.
 
DanF said:
Yes
Click to expand...

Ah, thank you. That helps me calibrate your earlier reply against my own experience. It occurred to me that I might be able to simply upgrade the burner instead of assuming I had outgrown the forge. I haven't seen (and have searched for) a comparison of the original vs. the 30K burner.
 
Maybe a shout-out to Charles at Atlas would help with that information for you. Wish I could be of more help to you, but I've only had mine a few months and don't have a clue regarding the earlier models. A burner would certainly be less expensive if you did not need to upgrade at this time.
 
Yep, I PM'd Charles. This thread is to help set my expectations. :thumbsup:
 
Got the new burner and cooked a pair of blades last night.
Holy Moly, what an upgrade! :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Now THAT's customer service. Credit received. Thanks, Charles!! :-D
 
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