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Dillion Grant

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Oct 10, 2016
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Hello everybody, first off I have been browsing this website for a long time now, but this is my first time posting anything, what I am trying to figure out is quite a few things so just stick with me please

First off can anybody tell me what the pros and cons are of a square body forge that has the burners going down vertically

And what are the pros and cons of a round/ cylinder forge that has the burner/burners set at an angel so that the flame swirls around the forge instead of being in just one spot on the forge.

what are the main importance differences of both of these forges when knife making is concerned.

How many burners is needed to be able to make Damascus or forge welding to be more sure fire instead of just a matter of luck.

And if I have multiple burners then is it better to have a single control set up so that all of the burners work together or is it better to have a multi control setup so that they work independently.



Please help me everybody.
 
A round/oval chamber will burn better and not have hot spots like a straight down square.rectangle forge will. Both will work for forging, but the round/oval will be better for HT. It is also a lot easier to build a round chamber than one with four corners.
 
Well, may I ask then see, I have been considering possibly making one but I didn't know if that would be the best idea since i have never built anythign like this, but my question is this, what forge shape would be the best for almost anythign cause I need a forge that can be used for

Regular forging
Forge welding Damascus
And I would kind of like to be able to use it for casting bronze and aluminum and other such metals to make my own guards


So can you give me some ideas please and thank u.

Dillion
 
Round shape, hands down. From someone who started with a square shape and then switched over, there are many benefits of doing the round style, especially how evenly it heats. I had major hot spots before with the square style with burners shooting down from the top, which wasn't so ideal for forging but much worse for heat treating.

I'd make it 4-6" in diameter and no larger. 6 inch will give you more even heat for HT, and you'll have more room to get a crucible in and out of there for casting too, but I'd err on the side of smaller interior if possible. Use a steel pipe as a muffle for heat treating. And for the length, I'd recommend 18" or shorter.

I think a lot of people overbuild their forges because it's fun to have a big fire machine that can really put out some BTU's. I'm guilty of it as well (twice!), and if I do HT a big sword anytime soon my 2 burner 24" forge will certainly come in handy, but if there's one thing I'd change on it, it would be to go smaller. Build the best forge possible for bladesmithing, don't try to pack in too many additional features. Most single burner forges can reach forge welding temps easily so you can do Damascus too. If it turns out you want to do a whole bunch of Damascus down the road, you can build a vertical forge later on.


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Well, may I ask this because I saw the sizes you were talking about assuming I made my own forge
Would the 4-6" diameter be for the interior and is that after I add the insulation? If so about how large should it be before I add insulation
 
There are lots of forge build tutorials and advice in Shop talk and the stickys. Use the search engine in the stickys to find them.

A good general use forge is made from a 16" piece of 8" pipe with 1" kaowool and satanite lining.


BTW, fill out your profile so we know a bit about you and where you live.
 
Dillion Grant said:
Well may I ask y'all, do you think using one of those twenty pound propane tanks would be a good idea?
Click to expand...
I made my forge out of a section of a 100 pound propane tank, and they are roughly the same diameter as the 20#. They are way to big of diameter for a basic forge. I had to cut the sides of mine, shrink the diameter with 2 ratchet straps, and reweld it together. In order to safely cut one open, you have to fill it with water and keep it full as you cut. Also, the smell of propane is from garlic oil that they add to the propane (propane doesn't have much of a smell on its own), and when you fill it with water, it all floats and comes out. That stuff is strong! I had neighbors almost a mile away complaining about the smell!
Yes, it can be done, but has to be one of the hardest possible ways to make one.
I can't stress it enough, if you do use a propane tank, you MUST keep it full of water as you cut! If you don't, we may never hear from you again.
 
Well the one I have has a diameter of approximately 11 1/2" and I was figuring that if I use around 2-3 inches of ceramic
Insulation then in my mind the diameter would be cut down to about 7 1/2- 5" would that still be to large if I'm only gonna be using one burner.
 
You need a 100k burner for a medium forge capable of welding. I consider a medium forge a 5-6" chamber 12" long. Contact a metal supply company and ask for a drop(usually 12"-18") of 8" pipe. It should cost you around $10-$15, depending on how nice they are. This will be easy to work with, and is the ideal size for an efficient forge capable of casting bronze.
 
Well, do y'all think that if I take the 20# propane tank
And cut holes that are 5" wide through the top and bottom
Then I put about 3 inches of ceramic insulation around the top and bottom, and two inches of ceramic insulation on the bottom, then I coat all of it with about 1/8" of ITC-100
Then I line the bottom of the forge with firebricks so I can forge weld and so that I have something to lay my work pieces on. Would that sound good to y'all?
 
That sounds good to me. I also recommend using firebricks for the doorway so you can change the size of the opening.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Take a look at this build. He is doing a WIP on it as he goes. The basic forge is a good propane tank build. The muffle and TC part is a secondary thing, but a good idea.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1474529-Forge-Muffle-And-Forge-Build-WIP
Click to expand...

Man, I feel like I've had a small rite of passage in my knife making journey. Stacey linking to one of my posts.

Good luck with your build. I'm having a blast building mine. Can't wait to get it fired up.
 
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