Just fired up my first forge last night.!

[boyntonstu]

I bought a non-working ceramic kiln for $25. Removed the electric heating coil and took all the bricks apart. Using the kiln's disk shapped cover upside down as the base, I created a 1/2 brick high (~ 2x2x6) elongated diamond shape out of 4 bricks with one end open for the burner and the other end closed for heat reflection. In the next layer of brick I left an opening at what I guessed was a 'sweet spot'. This opening is from side to side. The next layer goes across the top to cover it. The burner is a Harbor Freight $17.95 weed burner. It runs directly of the propane tank. (I also have a BBQ regulator that I might try.)

I placed a piece of reBar in the forge, fired it up, and in under 5 minutes had the center 4" section red hot.

I am thinking of using a piece of the kiln's SS band as a base to catch the flux and to protect the bricks below.

I can best describe the forge as a horizontal forge with a crosswise opening.

Photos to come.

BoyntonStu

 

[DaQo'tah Forge]

Hi,,,Im interested in knowing if the weed burner will give you a high enough heat.

I have been reading here on the forum and have seen how not many have been able to get a hot heat from the weed burner.

 

[Raymond Richard]

A weed burner will give you plenty of heat for regular forging, never did try it to do any welding. The Harbor Freight burner is a goodone and you can't beat the price. I used one for a burner for about a year. I found that once the forge got hot you could turn down the gas flow down and it would hold forging temps with no problems.