Gas forge

R

running bird

Joined
Sep 29, 2015
Messages
498
Dose anyone know a good affordable gas or electronic forge? Preferably something where I can set a specific temperature, do they even make forges like that? My budget is under $500, any help would be great thanks.
 
Check out the Atlas Knife Company. I think he has 2 different forges @ $300 - $400. You would need to hook up a thermocouple and manually regulate the gas flow to control the temperature. Several have built their own gas forges with temperature regulation, but it would involve some work.
 
Stacy built one up here not long ago. Use the search button and see if that helps a bit on the do it yourself side.
Frank
 
How are diamondback forges? I was looking a their 2 burner knife making forge and was wondering if that is any good, how efficient is it? How expensive is a thermometer cost for a forge? Any recommendations on one?
 
For knifemaking, I'll put an Atlas Mini against a Diamondback 2-burner any day. I've got thermocouples, also, if you feel the need for one. They're mostly used by beginners to learn what temps the corresponding colors are. This is helpful for learning HT for advanced steel like O1 and 1095. Once you've used the forge a while, you probably won't use the TC much anymore.

I'm not sure that many on here actually believe Diamondback's hype that a square forge is better than round for knifemaking. Square might be slightly better than round for forging with a horizontal forge, but most would agree that a round vertical forge is best for welding. As for efficiency, I don't think there's anything less efficient than a square forge for knifemaking.
 
The thermocouple and associated meter @ $50 with connectors and wire. You should contact the company directly regarding the best setup for temperature control - ie the best place for the thermocouple to get an accurate temperature reading.
 
Thanks so much for the help, I guess the atlas forge seams to be the best way to go, is the graham forge from atlas any good, sometimes I make bigger blades and I'm starting to practice with making swords too so I want something that will be big enough or at least be open on both sides to fit longer stocks of steel
 
I made mine, still really a work in progress. Cost me about $60, the helium tank was left over from my daughter's birthday party, the refractory is cheap kitty litter ($4), diatemecous earth and perlite, which I already had for pool filters and gardening and such. The burner is a frosty style tee burner. Local hardware had those pieces parts.
I don't have a good pics of the burner bit diagrams for frosty burner are all over
 
Atlas Knife Company said:
For knifemaking, I'll put an Atlas Mini against a Diamondback 2-burner any day. I've got thermocouples, also, if you feel the need for one. They're mostly used by beginners to learn what temps the corresponding colors are. This is helpful for learning HT for advanced steel like O1 and 1095. Once you've used the forge a while, you probably won't use the TC much anymore.

I'm not sure that many on here actually believe Diamondback's hype that a square forge is better than round for knifemaking. Square might be slightly better than round for forging with a horizontal forge, but most would agree that a round vertical forge is best for welding. As for efficiency, I don't think there's anything less efficient than a square forge for knifemaking.
Click to expand...

That's a sweet little forge your building and at a good price. What's it's inside dimensions?
 
Im by no means an expert on forges but by building mu own i learned quite a bit. I used a 30# propane tank as the body, cut a hole as the main working port, cut 2 holes for burners. I can't remember the specifics on how i made the burners but it wasn't terribly complicated. Lots of online material explaining exactly how to do it. The valves and connecting pipes were pretty easy to assemble. I cut and welded 2 angled pieces with 4 set screws each so I could remove the burners if I need to. They were angled so the gasses would circulate within the forge. I attached a valve to each burner so i can turn them on/off individually. Then cut a piece of inswool i can roll up and shove in the back to reduce internal volume. I used 2 inch inswool and a satanite coating with a fire brick floor. Whole thing ran about 300 bucks and was pretty fun to make.
1d404648b34fae72c8b14a2a877854fa.jpg


The bottom of another propane tank with a working port cut, lined with inswool, and attached with a modified hinge and it had a door.
212ca8f727a68bdf4d5742f9c43a3937.jpg
 
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