Can't get forge up to temp....any ideas?

G

Gundisalv

Joined
Mar 17, 2020
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13
I have a home made forge. I upsized from a coffee can forge from last year to one 16" deep, 2 1/2" opening. I am using Map Gas as the heat source.
Outside temp today was 35 Farenheit. Bottles were so cold and I brought them inside to room temp to start the flame. Once going, I started the forge and waited 40 minutes to bring it up to temp, flames were reduced from normal size due to how cold it is.
I have to anneal my 1075 so trying to bring it up to critical temp and couldn't get the forge there. Had 2 different setups, fire bricks in front and back with space for ventilation / exhaust and front firebrick as a partial door and forced air through the rear. Neither trick worked. Any ideas to see if I can get this to work?

Thanks for your help in advance.....
 
I started with a homemade charcoal forge back in 1961. When I got a propane forge about 30 years later it was a NC Whisper Lowboy. IT still runs like a champ and I wouldn't get rid of it for less than $1000. I think the NC forges are some of the best for the money out there. The side door or fully opening ends are really valuable if you forge anything but a straight blade.

Someday I may convert it to a blown burner.
 
I've only been making knife shaped injects for about 9 months now and have come a long way.
I make it a hobby.... With a very limited budget and minimal hours after full time job of 55 hours a week and new family... Babies.

So just trying to see what my options and limitations are. Have only completed 6 knives completely... Lots of tries. If not good enough I pretty much repurpose it into something else or into the pale o' sighs.
Most recent was my 2nd best between a 1x30 discontinued belt sander and Nicholson Files.
So went from a coffee can forge to the small air compressor forge {all scrapped parts except for the handle and legs).
So besides trying and successfully speaking interest in the son... Hoping to make him and family something to hold onto in the later years.
 
You can build a good venturi burner for almost nothing if you have some plumbing parts. A blown burner can be built for not much more with some scrap hunting skills. harles at Atlas Knife and Tools sells finished burners for ridiculously cheap, with regulator and all included. Check him out:
http://www.atlasknife.com/shop/
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
You can build a good venturi burner for almost nothing if you have some plumbing parts. A blown burner can be built for not much more with some scrap hunting skills. harles at Atlas Knife and Tools sells finished burners for ridiculously cheap, with regulator and all included. Check him out:
http://www.atlasknife.com/shop/
Click to expand...
Just bought the Atlas Knife Forge with Thermocouple from Atlas. Thanks
 
Let us know how you like it. Any questions about using it or setup will be cheerfully answered by Charles at Atlas.
 
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