Trouble-shooting one brick forge

After some more experimenting with my regular plumbers torch, I wasn't able to get my little one-brick forge hot enough to work. I'll be purchasing a BernzOmatic JTH7 later today, I guess.

What I don't understand is why I wasn't able to get it to work at all. Wayne Goddard's book says he used it in the original version of the one brick forge with success. He was probably already quite experienced at that point and could overcome the problems with the setup.

I experimented with different angles and distances, as well as putting a brick over the back. I even tried firing the torch straight into the front just to see what would happen. The best I could do was to get a small spot on the wall of the brick glowing--maybe the size of a golfball. Shooting the torch straight into the front opening didn't create enough heat to get it to glow at all.

I do have three bricks currently, so I'll probably be building a two-brick version along the lines of the Son of a Two Brick Forge.

Thanks for the help, everyone.

Josh
 
I got my JTH7 this morning and after lunch I fired it up. You should have seen my eyes get big when I saw the flame and heard the little roar this thing makes. :) I was expecting it to be different but not such a significant difference.

The chamber on my one-brick forge is still not glowing like I think it should, but it heated a piece of 1095 to orange in just a minute or two. I think I can manage to heat-treat smallish blades in this thing if I keep them moving in and out of the flame.

Now I just have to finish that little neck knife I'm working on... :)

Thanks again for the help,
Josh
 
I heard one person suggest using mapp gas for more heat, if you try this let me know how it works.

This post came at the perfect time for me since my bricks are ordered and I will be making my one brick forge in early January. Then I will try making my first knife. ;)

It looks like Home Depot has the best price on the JTH7 torch at just under $30.00.
 
Yep, I got mine at Home Depot. I had looked there a couple of times originally but missed the JTH7. I was looking for a kit, and this is just the torch part. You get the gas canisters seperately.

I'm considering Mapp gas, but I'm not sure how this would help much. Right now my forge has a big hot spot in the middle, and using Mapp seems like it would just make that hot spot hotter. I guess it would radiate outward, too, but I'd still have to move the blade around a bit.

Two brick forge, here I come. :)

Josh
 
I am a newbie so I don't know if and why mapp gas would help, just heard it here, others here will help, I am sure. Did you find that the bricks do not get very hot on the outside?

I am thinking of putting my fire bricks on top of regular cement bricks if the exterior of the fire bricks are not to hot.
 
The exterior doesn't get too hot. Cement blocks should be fine, I think. I had mine on top of some metal that had an enamel finish, and it didn't affect the finish at all. (Not that I care; it's a hunk of junk metal from an old table saw.)

I'm a newbie, too, so I have the same questions as you about Mapp gas. :)

Josh
 
I did not go to maps gas and got on just fine, but I guess it is a matter of taste, you mentioned you got your steel t orange, I would think this is to hot for HT, try to heat it and see if a magnet still sticks to it, this will give you some reference for the color. Just looking at the color is too subjective. This will also give you some idea if you really need more heat. Also a blade is thin at the cutting edge and will heat much faster, and overheat much easier. For HT you want to heat to non magnetic and hold it there for a bit before quenching, if the forge is to hot the edge will continue to heat well past non magnetic. Yes for Ht I would move the torch around and get it off the blade so it does not produce that hot spot, this setups weakness it the hot spot, its is ofset by the cost and ease of building, you can get a taste of things without a big cash or tome outlay, but end up dealing with the hot spot. also try getting the blde off the bottom of the chambse a little with a small brick chip under it.
Cheers Ron.
 
I made this knife by forging it in my 2 brick forge as well as HT, and my 4X36 belt sander. It is not ideal and has its flaws, but hey the knife holds a edge well and i enjoyd making it. It is made from a 01 rod. I think if you stick to it you will learn to work out the bugs. I am really enjoying this thread as I can relate to your situation. Cheers Ron.


 
Orange might be too hot for a heat-treat--I have no idea. :) I did magnet test it and it was definitely non-magnetic. I had some trouble juggling everything this time around, including heating my oil up from 35 degrees F. (Didn't think to keep it inside instead of in the garage...)

I don't think I'll bother with the Mapp gas, because the propane heated the blade in just a couple of minutes. For heat treating, that seemed to be plenty, and the Mapp is four times more expensive than propane. Maybe I'd get four times more mileage out of it. I don't know.

I did have fun, though. :)

Josh
 
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