Forge Question

[Aiko555]

I am about to put together my first gas forge. It is a 20" section of 1/4" thick 10" steel pipe. Here's my question. I have a 10" cast iron skillet and cover and was thinking of using them to cover (not welded in - just supported behind by bricks) the ends of the forge to reach and maintain welding heat sooner & better. I also have a bunch of k-23 firebricks as the original plan for the ends. Do ya think the cast iron can take the heat? If I got a pretty good seal on the back and a loose "cover" on the front would I be looking for trouble? I am hoping to get an answer or two as I am planning on doing the kaowool & refractory this week.

Thanks,

PJG

 

[IronWolf]

I would not use cast iron as part of a forge, there might be impurities in it that could cause problems.

also remember that having a hole in each end is a good thing with a gas forge, you have to let out enough pressure, or the flame will start backing up in burner tube. I would recommend a minimum of a 2" hole in one end, and 1 1/2" in the other to make sure that enough gas and flame can escape. Fire bricks will work quite well for this.

If you want to get to welding easier and more efficiently, I would recommend coating the inside of your forge with ITC-100, it is very reflective so more of the heat is used instead of getting absorbed by the liner.