Forges: Why a Horiztal vs vertical?

A

Airborne Steel

Joined
Dec 5, 2004
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What are the benefits of one vs the other?

I have been using a 2 brick forge, but I am about to build a forge from a 10 gal air tank. I like to make medium/large blades, and would like to make hawks as well. (All I really make now is a mess):D

Thank you in advance.
 
Vertical forges are typically for smiths who do a lot of welding, as the flux just falls to the bottom and won't rot the liner.
 
Used both and gave away the horizontal forge. No cold spots anywhere in the vertical. On my forge anyway. Plus what Jeff says. Less maintenance when welding billets.
 
The benefit of horizontal is that you forge horizontally, not vertically, so you pull it out read to go.
 
One thing I've always wondered about vertical gas forges...What do you set your work on inside the forge?

-d
 
I have a "bridge" sorta thing made of firebrick. It's level with both doors. Needs replaced after a year, the heat and flux has prit near destroyed it. bruce
 
deker, if needed, I bridge the two doors with a piece of steel. with a handle welded on a billet there is no need. I have a little adjustable rack outside I balance the handle on.

Airborne Steel, the limitation on a cylindrical vertical forge is usually the length of billet you can put inside without having it hang outside the back door. In a 30lb propane tank with a double layer of insulating wool, there's room for about 8". Many damascus makers will end up making an oblong vertical forge by partially crushing a pipe or cutting&welding. i have poked around in mine with a thermocouple, and at the level of the doors the temp is very consistent in that entire plane. Many feel a domed top aids that evenness.

Usually the burner is slightly off the floor and the doors are about 3/4 of the way up. When I'm at 2300F for welding, steel will melt at the bottom.
 
No real problem with deciding. Make a forge that rotates on a pivot (sort of like a canon barrel).Use it in either position.One thing to remember is that a vertical forge (if it has an open bottom) needs safe clearance below and 360 degrees around it to avoid setting things (and you) on fire.A horizontal only needs to worry about front and back.
 
Airborne, Why such a large forge? Bad thing about big forges is they cost more money to make, burn more gas, and are only needed about 5% of the time. My favorite forge now is a horizontal one I made out of a 1 gallon propane bottle. You mentioned wanting one large enough to do hawks in. I can do hawks in this forge with no problem and blades up to 8" in lenght. There's a picture on my latest one flooting around here if I can find it.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391411
 
The benefit of horizontal is that you forge horizontally, not vertically, so you pull it out read to go.
Click to expand...

HUH?

My welding forge has a floor in it. It's 11" ID by 22" tall.

Most stable heat of any forge I have built.

The burner comes in well under the forge door I have outside shelf that I put my stock on. Since I do mainly billets with a welded handle the no shelf is not a problem. Bruce did a really nice one with a shelf.

http://www.forgemagic.com/bsgview.php?photo=548&cat=F&by=

Course I really like my travelin forge too and it's horizontal

http://www.forgemagic.com/bsgview.php?photo=472&cat=&by=Sweany
 
I like having a shelf inside . But shelf or no shelf, I burn my beard on a regular basis.
 
Raymond Richard said:
Airborne, Why such a large forge? Bad thing about big forges is they cost more money to make, burn more gas, and are only needed about 5% of the time. My favorite forge now is a horizontal one I made out of a 1 gallon propane bottle. You mentioned wanting one large enough to do hawks in. I can do hawks in this forge with no problem and blades up to 8" in lenght. There's a picture on my latest one flooting around here if I can find it.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391411
Click to expand...


You know, I think it's actually a 5 gallon tank, its about 18 " long and maybe 12 " in diam. I want to make it very efficient, and will use 3 1" layers of kaowool inside with itc 100. I plan on having a movable door in the backside in case I beed to let a blade hang out. I seem to want to do large blades, so I'm not going to fight it. I'll take a look at that 1gal tank forge, Maybe i'm way overestimating my needs.

Edited to add:
I just looked at your mini forge. I really like it. I believe I'm going to use that design for this one.
Now I wish I hadn't cut one end halfway off the air tank now. Actually, I'll still build a vertical out of it eventually once I can use a hammer properly and think I'm ready to try damascus. Thanks all.
 
I seem to remember hearing that any more than 2" of wool is overkill. Might check it ot and mebbe save yerself some material.
 
birdog4 said:
I seem to remember hearing that any more than 2" of wool is overkill. Might check it ot and mebbe save yerself some material.
Click to expand...

I love this place. You guys are saving me from myself. Thanks for the info.
 
I forge alot of damascus and I'm just using a very small forge. The interior of my forge is an 8 1/4" sphere. Very even heating and when I switched from a horizontal barrel my gas usage went down. 7-10 lb billet with no worries. I can melt steel in my forge easily if I turn it up all the way. I don't do that but I know I can.
Del
www.ealyknives.com
 
Hmm never heard that about gas usage better in a vert than a horz.

I have no doubts.
Heat rises. My vert has 3" kwool in the top just cause the scraps had to go somewhere.

Now how about the perennial Blown Vs. Venturi question??
:p :D :p :D
 
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