[TheForge] Converting a propane tank to a gas forge

Tue Jun 23 19:40:17 EDT 2009

Dear Paul;
Toss that garden crap the hell out of your way and things will be much 
better. An upside down canoe is waterproof..grin..pf

Paul N wrote:
> Thanks Roger (and others)
> I presently have been using the forge for "general" stuff, and only days 
> where I may have to put things away quickly (threat of rain) or if I 
> only have an hour or so available to me. But I prefer my smoky coal 
> beast, despite the having to move it.
> 
> But my "shop" is the area just outside my garden shed, so I have to move 
>   things in and out. I just moved my canoe out of there, so I can at 
> least  keep my vise and anvil "inside" for now. Maybe a new building 
> sometime soon.
> 
> Anyway, what I did when I made my forge was opt to NOT put a hinged door 
> on it (mistake #1), my (atmospheric) burners need to be closer together 
> to avoid a cold spot in between them. I''ll also add some sort of 
> door/gate that I can keep more heat INSIDE the forge. I fired it up 
> sunday ( 80 degree temps) and it was too much heat, too close to my 
> anvil. Even with the idler circuit, I had to take some breaks away from 
> it. (I'm still getting acquainted with using gas)
> 
> 
> Also, I need to add choke plates to my burners, as I'm getting excessive 
> scale. I'm also not getting enough heat to forge weld, but that may just 
> be an indication that I need to keep more heat inside, or tune the 
> burners further.
> 
> I'm also wondering if maybe a 20lb bottle might be a better choice. I've 
> found that for somethings, the big bottle heats too much material, and I 
> end up quenching to do things like a bar end upset. Or better yet, I'll 
> keep the 30lb forge, and just move the burners between a small/larger 
> forge if I need a longer heat.
> 
> thx,
> **paul
> 
> Roger Degner wrote:
>> Can not help with the valve as the only ones I have removed are 100# ones.
>> Some say to add dish soap to the water
>>
>> As for the forge are you building a knife forge or larger opening for
>> general blacksmithing.
>> This year at Batsons Knife symposium I watched Ken Swartzer make a Don Fogg
>> style upright knife forge.
>>
>> This only had two small openings to put the knife in and out the back if
>> necessary.  He said they once welded a long length of cable by putting the
>> forge next to the press.  Heat a piece to welding pull it out weld, heat the
>> next area and then slide it back and forth leaving it in the forge.
>>
>> He poured castible refractory in the bottom but left a hole for flux and
>> gunk to drip out then lined the side walls with Kaowool.  He stuck a piece
>> of wool on the top and placed a lose piece of steel on top of that.  He said
>> that was the insurance so when you open the gas then light the forge and it
>> goes boom it only rains kaowoll and not steel shrapnel.
>>
>> A couple of other things he preached is mount the blower outlet pipe so it
>> slides on and off the outer shell of the forge.  He welded a 1/2" round rod
>> bent into a 90 on the outer shell then had a collar that slipped on this to
>> hold the blower in place.  The advantage to this is you can have one blower
>> set up and 50 different sized forges.  Another thing he said was to have a
>> needle valve for gas adjustment.  According to him a ball valve is too gross
>> of adjustment.
>>
>> UMBA does have a DVD of this but it is not listed on the web site yet.  I
>> keep saying as soon as I finish the next DVD I will send in the new list but
>> then I keep signing up for class.  I have a 3 day with Kirsten Sikes on
>> chasing and reposse.  Just finished a 3 day with her husband Bill Fiorini on
>> Japanese stamping tech.  The new list now goes to RD151 and Salt7
>>
>> Roger R Degner
>>
>>
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> 
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