Forge Question?

[ryan9977]

hey everyone.....i'm going to be buying a forge soon to get my shop finally under way.....i do not have the equipment or experience to make one so i am going to buy one.....i wanted to get one form darren ellis because of all the compliments his stuff has recieved here....he seems to make a good product.....i was looking at http://home.comcast.net/~eellis2/EllisCustomKnifeworks/forges.html and saw the 8vt forge.....is this a good forge for a beginner......the few knives i have made were in a forge that looked real similar .....do i need to get anything besides a tank of propane....it seems like it comes with everything needed?....am i missing anything.....i'm slowly building my shop and have been doing alot of reading and research....thanks for any help guys.....ryan

 

[marekz]

with that set up you need to get the blower as well---99% positive--read the very bottom of the page on that site. from what i understand the forge your talking about can be utilized up to the highest levels of forging/damascus---anything. its suppose to be one of the best . that would be a wicked score for anyone. im jelous.lol

 

[ryan9977]

ok stupid question....what do u mean when u say blower....can u tell i have no idea what i'm talking about....ryan

 

[ryan9977]

ok a bump for any help from those knowledgable about forges.....ryan:thumbup:

 

[fitzo]

Ryan, a blower (forced air) burner is displayed in the 12VT foto on the linked page. It is essentially an electrical fan, so it needs a power source available. The other type of burner, a "venturi", is displayed at the top of that same page. It relies on the venturi principle to suck air in. Personally, I prefer the blower forge. While more costly, and site-limiting due to the power requirement, I find it easier to adjust and easier to get nice and hot for welding.

It appears that Darren's blower/burner package includes both the hose and regulator, so all you really have to add is the tank.

Hope that helps.

 

[ryan9977]

thanks mike....i don't think i have somewhere to plug in a blower but i'll look into it....so a venturi suks air from the atmosphere into the forge....so it self regulates?.....and a blower u can fore air into it?.....so for welding you would turn up the blower to make a hoter flame?.....is that how it works.....i just noticed you an add a venturi option on the forge i listed.....do u see any advantage to the bigger version i linked or the 6 inh one above it?.....does size matter in this case.....thanks for your help.....i wanna gte something ordered soon as they are backordered.....ryan

 

[fitzo]

The venturi is "self-regulating" in a sense, though one "tunes" the flame by how far the burner is inserted into the pipe/receptacle on the forge. Some people use venturi burners that have a flap across the top of the bell where air comes in to add a second degree of regulation. One then adjusts temps by pressure of the propane.

With the blower forge, one adjusts temps with both a mix of gas pressure and the amount of air throttled back with that 2" gate valve next to the blower. Some people go so far as to add a rheostat to adjust speed of the burner.

Both burners need attention to the type of atmosphere you create in the forge, so it is either neutral or reducing, lest you get it air rich and thus an oxidizing atmosphere. This will come with experience. Once you get your forge and play a bit, I'd recommend a visit to a hammer-in or bladesmith to get more instruction about adjusting your forge.

If you are only going to forge knives, the 6" interior will probably be enough, and consume less gas. It has the benefit that you don't have to heat more of a large blade than you are going to pound each heat, thereby reducing negative effects of excessive heating. You can always pass the blade in/through/out of the forge to heat the whole thing. On the other hand, if one is going to make damascus with power tools (press or hammer), the larger forge is a benefit for work efficiency.