beginner forge help........

ryan9977

ryan9977

Joined
Feb 16, 2006
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hi everyone....i am thinking about ordering the following forge from darren elllis

Ellis 6-HT Forge

6" diameter x 13" Long Horizontal Tube Forge with Venturi Burner


is this a good forge for a beginner....i am not gonna be making any swords or anything... should i consider any other options....i don't have all the skills to make my one forge so i figured i would buy one....what is involved in installing the lining?......thanks for any help.....i really appreciate it.....ryan
 
Hi Ryan,
I purchased a 8" horizontal from Darren 2 years ago. He includes step by step info on how to set it up. I am very pleased with it. As far as the lining goes if you plan to use any flux for Damascus tell Darren, he also has a protective coating for the bottom of the forge.
If you want to call me Send me a PM.
 
thanks dave.....i appreciate it.....i am not the most mechanically inclined person so i was wondering how hard it would be....i have no plans now for damascus as i'm a beginner....is it something i could add later....i guess i would reline the forge bottom?.....is a horizontal forge alot better?.....i'm not sure i understand the differences....ryan
 
Ryan, I'm sure Darren would help you out to make the best choice for your needs. Once you have one, and learn the ins and outs of how it works, you'll be a lot more confident should you need to modify it or build a new one down the road.

Vertical vs horizontal... When you're forge welding with a flux, it becomes molten and drips into the forge. With a horizontal forge, it pretty much has to drip onto the "floor." If you just have a ceramic insulation (kaowoo, inswool, etc) in the forge, the molten flux will drip on it and eat through it like water on cotton candy. There ARE solutions to this.... but a vertical forge avoids it all together.

You can have a vertical forge lined with ceramic insulation on the sides/top, and then have something more durable on the bottom (I have kitty litter in mine which is just clay, I used to have castable refractory).

Darren sells a bubble alumina coating for ceramic insulation that helps resist flux. I bought some, but was waiting to reline my forge to use it (which I'll be doing here real shortly).

Also, with a vertical forge, your flame is never directly on the work...and IMO is a more even heat. However, a horizontal will give you a longer chamber, and if made properly should give a nice even heat as well. :)

Ryan, I'm happy to hear you're moving ahead with this, we already know you're going to love it! :)
 
thanks nick....sounds like some people probably just prefer one to another.....i'm probably gonan go with a horizontal only because he limited experience i have with forging was done on one.....it sounds like there are pros and cons to each.....i am lucky enough to have a friend who is knowledgable about stuff like this too so i won't blow anything up!:D.....thanks for the advice....i really appreciate it....i am actually gonna try and build my own grinder also...till then it's good old fashioned elbow grease.....thanks again....ryan
 
After the last time I had "the" flux burrow a valley in the floor of my forge I filled that valley with buble alumina! I get tired of fixing flux damage as I started spending more time trying to fix my two forges vs forging.

It is my fault since I used way toooo much flux!
 
I forge mostly in a vertical Fogg style forge, I have been welding in it for the last 2+ years. I find that I have to reline it about every 6 months as there is no way to avoid poking the far side lining when reaching down into the hot area. It is also a niusance welding up things that aren't pre-tacked. I went up to Indian George's last summer and used a horizontal forge, now I'm building one for myself. for welding the ability to park things on the flat bottom is a big help. for forging I prefer the vertical, for welding the horizontal
YMMV

-Page
 
would there be any problems using this forge when i have more experience down the road making larger blades?.....ryan
 
ryan9977 said:
would there be any problems using this forge when i have more experience down the road making larger blades?.....ryan
Click to expand...

If your concerned about the forge being to small you can always buy some of those forge extender pills. :D I always use a small forge that has a back opening. I just got done forging 3 large blade, the largest blade being 13". I used my 1 gallon propane bottle forge. On a good day I can heat up about 8" of steel inside it. The smaller forges also get better mileage.
 
thanks fo rthe info ray....i didn't think it'd be a problem but thought i'd ask the experts first.....i'll definately keep everyone updated....i just sent off an email to mr ellis about ordering one up....now i gotta find a cheap propane bottle....ryan
 
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