new forge build

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RichSwinson

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Jan 7, 2016
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Hey guys I'm building my first forge using an old propane tank 20lbs I believe. My question is about the ceramic blanket. I'm only needing about 4 feet 2"x24"x48" and everywhere I've searched they only carry large rolls. 12.5 feet and longer. I'm trying to do this as inexpensive as I can while still doing it right. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Also will 1" work? And I'm still learning about posting threads so hopefully I'm in the right spot.
 
I find that the 1" thick stuff lays down nicer. Which if you want 2" then do 2 layers, makes it easier to use up extra length if you are required to buy X amount. I buy all my forge stuff from www.hightemptools.com
Top notch service every time I needed something.
Also the nice thing about using 2 layers of 1" is it alows you to over lap the joints making for a better insulated forge.
 
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JTknives said:
I find that the 1" thick stuff lays down nicer. Which if you want 2" then do 2 layers, makes it easier to use up extra length if you are required to buy X amount. I buy all my forge stuff from www.hightemptools.com
Top notch service every time I needed something.
Also the nice thing about using 2 layers of 1" is it alows you to over lap the joints making for a better insulated forge.
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That's exactly what I did, 2-1" layers and I second HTT. Great service and you can get not only your blanket, but your santanite and ITC-100 refractory coating there as well.
 
2x1" layer, and I will add Zoeller Forge as a recommendation- that's where I've gotten a fair amount in the past.
 
Thanks everyone. Hightemptools.com is great! After I line the tank is it absolutely necessary to use the refractory? And what do y'all suggest for the floor? Lastly will the blanket stay in place or is there a glue or fastener that's used? I can't find where its ever mentioned.
 
Is that different from the refractory cement? Or saturnite? I mean after I line the wool is that what I coat the wool with?
 
You coat the wool, if you use wool, with some type of refractory mortar. This can be Rutland 3000° mortar from Menards, Mizzou, Kastolite, Satanite, etc. This should be around 1/4" thick. ITC-100 is a final thin coating painted on with a brush. It's designed to reflect the infrared waves away from the bricks. This ITC-100 will save a few thousand BTU in the early run of a forge. Smaller, more efficient forges just use a bit more propane instead. Given the outrageous cost of ITC-100, I calculated that ITC-100 isn't worth it.
 
I have a pint of this stuff I got when I got all my forge stuff. You spray it on the wool and it sokes in and hardens it. Makes putting putting the refractory on the wool much easier.
 
I had some sub par service with zoller. I emailed him and he got back to me 1-2 months later. I find Wayne Coe and his plistex were much better
 
Wow. So it seems if I'm doing this right I use some refractory after I line the forge with the ceramic blanket. Will the blanket stay in place ? And someone mentioned using Rigidizer? Also does anyone know of any blacksmiths that live in my area? Lake city florida. 32025
 
I tried Plistex and didn't like it. I have used ITC-100 and found it not to be worth it. I like plain ol' Satanite, which works for hamons and as an anti-scale as well. If you are getting wool from HTT, you can get a 20 lb. bag of satanite from them, too. That will last you a good while, even with lining a forge blanket. If you designed and lined your forge well, and the burner is not too small, it should reach welding temps easily with just wool and satanite. IME, of course. YMMV.
 
Sounds great. Ill do just that. The burner I'm making is a from a David Hammer. He said it wasn't his design but he has a great video on how its done. For a small forge its suppose to work great. Ill post my results. What would you suggest for a good floor? Do I use some firebrick or just pack it with the wool and saturnite? Thanks again everyone for the tips. This site is the best!
 
RichSwinson said:
What would you suggest for a good floor? Do I use some firebrick or just pack it with the wool and saturnite?
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I layed firebrick on the floor of mine and then applied the Santanite.

IMG_0991-300x225.jpg
 
For a horizontal forge, NC Biker there has the way I've always done it. Works fine. I like a vertical forge these days. Both are very useful, and much better than no forge!
 
Yea its an old 20lbs propane tank. I'm using a video for reference. Don't know the fellows name except he sounds Australian. He goes over everything except right where the refractory and floor comes in. Looks like he just filled it in with wool and refractory but I may be mistaken. I'm really excited to make and use a gas forge. I've been using a coal forge I inherited from my great grandfather. The fire pot is from 1925. And the blower says Champion Pennsylvania from around the same time. The clinker breaker finally fell apart on the fire pot so I knew it was time for a change. Glad for the help everyone.
 
Ill be placing my order for the 1" inswool the saturnite and a 1" hard firebrick. I'm going with hightemptools as suggested. Definitely the best prices I've seen. For the saturnite will one pound work? Seems like shipping jumps up significantly when I added another pound. And NC BIKER did you hide the cut edges of the opening behind the wool? I meant to ask how long before mine would start to burn up
 
Rich, I think I used 5lb on my forge. I'm getting old, so my memory is not what it used to be. You might want to email Darren at HTT and ask him how much you need based on the size of your forge, he's a very helpful guy. Also, you will want to cover all your wool along the edges with Satanite as the wool has nasty ceramic fibers that you don't want to breath. Be sure to wear a respirator when you're working with it. The insulation wool I used came out to the edge of my opening so it was pretty easy to seal it up.
 
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Remember to weld on the burner guide tube and make the hole through the wool before the satanite is put on.

A good trick is to make the hole through the ins-wool with a shaped mandrel. Start by cutting a hole through the wool at the tube. The hole should be 1.25" larger than the burner tube hole through the shell. Turn a wooden dowel to fit snugly in the burner guide tube from the inside of the forge. It should have the part that fits in the burner tube about 2" long, and then flare out for 2" to be about 1/2" larger at the fat end. This will make a tapered hole through the refractory into the chamber. Coat the mandrel with a little grease (Vaseline) and stick it in the tube from the inside. Fill the void between the wool and the mandrel with satanite. Let sit for a day or two to dry. Put a coat of satanite on the chamber walls, taking care to keep the mandrel end from being covered with any more than a thin amount. The satanite will dry around the mandrel and make a perfectly round, tapered, and aligned hole with the burner. After the satanite has had a few days to get hard, gently tap out the mandrel from the burner tube side and finish lining the forge with a final smooth coat of satanite. Smooth out the transition from the flame hole to the chamber so there are no bumps or lips. This will allow a good flame with no turbulence. Once the chamber is lined and dry, fire to cure, and then apply ITC-100.
 
Just so you know, it's satanite, not saturnite. We'd need to know your forge dimensions to determine how much you need. I'd suggest picking up 5-10 lbs. of Mizzou or Kastolite instead of a hard brick for the bottom.
 
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