Propane Forge

A

AlaskanHunter

Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
306
Just melted down my "junkyard built" charcoal forge in my latest attempt at a damascus billet.:eek::mad: Since I already have been dissatisfied with the level of control I have with the flame, I'm wondering about going to propane. Propane users, what are the benefits and drawbacks to this type of forge? What model do you use, or do use a homebuilt? Can you give a rough guess as to how much propane you use per hour? Propane cost is probably the biggest reason I have not started using it yet. I'm paying approx. $250 per "hundred pounder" (I think it's 24 gallons?), so usage is a concern. I really like the idea of controlling the fuel/air mixture, but this wasn't really possible with my old forge.
Atlas, feel free to try to sell me on your forge.
 
Well, an Atlas can run all weekend, literally about 14 hours, on a 20 lbs. BBQ tank of propane. Use kerosene for flux and your bricks should last a long, long time. Or dry weld, that works also. Propane is much easier to control than coal. Start up time is a couple minutes. It's got a handle and is named after my youngest son.
 
After using the search tool for several hours yesterday, most guys seem to be building their own blower type forges. How does fuel consumption compare to a venturi type burner (I think that's what the Atlas Mini has)? The general consensus seems to be for a ceramic fiber blanket coated in satanite and ITC-100. What is the advantage in using that over soft refractory brick? I have a bunch of bentonite "fire clay" left over from my charcoal forge build. Is that an acceptable substitute for the satanite, or is it part of the meltdown problem with the old forge?
Most of the pictures I see of gas forges show the burner tube entering the chamber at an angle, but my searches have not given me any info on what that angle is, and why its important. I'm guessing its to help the flame to swirl in the chamber to heat more evenly?
What are the pros and cons associated with a vertical forge vs. a horizontal?
 
I'm a big fan of fire brick forges myself, although my current forge is a used chiliforge single burner that I picked up off eBay Canada (because they'd ship up here for a song compared to companies down south) which is ceramic wool insulated. It works, but it's far from my favorite. I've been tempted very strongly towards an atlas recently just because of the size savings (my garage is more than a bit on the small side...), and the savings in propane.

Port Alsworth huh? I've heard it's damned pretty over there...
 
Yeah I lived down in Haines for seven years before I moved up here. I felt that way down there. One of the prettiest places I've ever seen. Fairbanks? Not quite as much... :-\
 
Insulating firebrick is definitely better than wool and mortar. However, shape is a limiting factor with IFB. I can only do a forge with 5" round chamber out of bricks. No one else does a round chamber with bricks. I had to buy a very expensive hole saw to do it. However, my choice for everyday use would be the Atlas with a 2.5" chamber. It gets as hot as a Whisper dual burner, costs less than half, and uses a fraction of the propane. The burner is simple and just works with a very complete combustion of propane in the chamber. By having the gas enter at the front, it swirls to the back then off the back wall and out the front. Essentially, the propane passes through the chamber twice causing it to combust more completely with very little dragon's breath.
 
I have been very satisfied with my two burner Majestic Forge. Runs forever on a barbecue grill propane tank.
 
If you keep searching the home built blown forges, you can find dual fuel propane and waste oil

Motor oil, french fry oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, whatever you got.

It's easier to get some of that for free.
If you use frying oil, you have to fool with filtering out the food crumbs
 
12345678910 said:
If you keep searching the home built blown forges, you can find dual fuel propane and waste oil

Motor oil, french fry oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, whatever you got.

It's easier to get some of that for free.
If you use frying oil, you have to fool with filtering out the food crumbs
Click to expand...
"Free fuel" just isn't happening where I live... but diesel is way cheaper than propane, and packs more BTUs per gallon... Time for more research...
 
Last edited:
We have had a diamondback two burner gasser for a long time..Coal is still our primary for one of the reasons you mentioned, cost....Since I live in East,Ky I can get good high quality MET coal on the cheap...For the price of using the gasser one long welding day(and propane aint that high here) we could burn the coal forge all day for many,many days..I mean we have been buying coal for about $50-$60 a TON(though sadly its going up some)..That will fill a 40 pound Lp tank about 2 1/3 times and when your doing a lot of welding it don't last long..
Anyway back to the gasser..The one we have is strudy, has a side door and open on both ends.All three are essential for moderate to heavy blacksmith work..Not at all essential for bladesmith work though.Its not very gas efficient either but its not made to be.....Id suggest for bladesmithing you get a smaller, highly fuel efficient gasser with a floor you can protect or replace easy..if you use flux you will need to coat it or replace..Mizzou does a good job at protecting the floor as does bubble alumina..Or a sacrificial kiln shelf..Trust me, flux easts liners borax anyway..
 
12345678910 said:
It's still possible to get used motor oil for free.
Click to expand...
I live in a fly in only village in "bush" AK. The "air taxi" companies heat their hangers with wast oil burners, and buy anything that will run through the heater as long as its cheaper than diesel - $3.70 a gallon
I don't intend to sound argumentative (though I probably do). Thank you for tipping me off to a cheaper fuel source. I had never heard or thought of oil as a potential forge fuel. Now I just have to convince the wife to let me spend more money on rebuilding the forge. :o
 
Lieblad said:
Fwiw,
Air oil forges are nasty buggers to use indoors. At least the oilforge we had. Fueloil & compressed air.
Sort of the same dirty levels as coal, but the soot is oily & gets on everything.
Click to expand...
Shouldn't be too big of a problem, I do all my forging outdoors. Have you ever forge welded in it? I'm kinda hooked on damascus after 3 relatively unsuccessful and my last attempt (successful, but destroyed my forge in the process). If I understand the process of using kerosene as a "flux", this should be able to produce a reducing flame conducive to forge welding, especially if your forge is producing soot. As I mentioned above, waste fuel isn't really worth the headache for saving a few cents per gallon of fuel, so I'll be running #1 or #2 heating oil through it.
 
Kerosene as flux has nothing to do with a reducing flame. The kerosene creates a fragile shell around the billet, protecting it from the atmosphere of the forge. It is used in place of borax and applied when the metal is still cool. It will burn off in the forge and leave the shell. The trick I've read is to not move the billet until it's fully heated and ready to take out of the forge. DON'T DIP A HOT BILLET IN KEROSENE!!! Or, if you do :(
 
Atlas Knife Company said:
Kerosene as flux has nothing to do with a reducing flame. The kerosene creates a fragile shell around the billet, protecting it from the atmosphere of the forge. It is used in place of borax and applied when the metal is still cool. It will burn off in the forge and leave the shell. The trick I've read is to not move the billet until it's fully heated and ready to take out of the forge.
Click to expand...
I was under the impression that it needed a near neutral or slightly reducing flame to prevent the thin layer of carbon from burning off. Am I wrong in that?
Atlas Knife Company said:
DON'T DIP A HOT BILLET IN KEROSENE!!! Or, if you do:(
Click to expand...
If I'm extremely lucky, I get scared badly. If I'm unlucky, well that's an hour medivac flight to the nearest hospital for 3rd degree burns (maybe needing skin grafts while I'm at it?) and the local volunteer fire dept. gets to practice their training. Very bad indeed!:eek:
 
AlaskanHunter said:
Just melted down my "junkyard built" charcoal forge in my latest attempt at a damascus billet.:eek::mad: Since I already have been dissatisfied with the level of control I have with the flame, I'm wondering about going to propane. Propane users, what are the benefits and drawbacks to this type of forge? What model do you use, or do use a homebuilt? Can you give a rough guess as to how much propane you use per hour? Propane cost is probably the biggest reason I have not started using it yet. I'm paying approx. $250 per "hundred pounder" (I think it's 24 gallons?), so usage is a concern. I really like the idea of controlling the fuel/air mixture, but this wasn't really possible with my old forge.
Atlas, feel free to try to sell me on your forge.
Click to expand...

Wow $250 for a 100lbs. I pay $30 for my 50lb, just over $2 a gallon.
 
After doing a ton or research, I think I'll be building a waste oil/ diesel fired forge. The burner will be based on the "brute" as found on backyardmetalcasting.com, but scaled down a bit. It'll be a horizontal forge that is very similar to the classic propane forges except for the heat source.
Should my burner tube enter at the same angle as the propane ones do (top back in line with the chamber roof and angled forward approx 15* IIRC)?
After reading the PID sticky, I was wondering if it would be possible to rig up one on this type of burner?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top