docfuller

Thanks for the welcome.  We also had (now illegal) straight line "running irons" with an appropriate line width but a lot of braised copper at the base to hold heat as described previously.

I agree that mild steel will work fine.  We have branding irons that my grandfather made that are at least 70 years old and we use a firepot that is a big propane orifice like a weedburner that draws it own air into a metal cylinder with venturi air draw.  Not very efficient but it gets hot and it will hold  two or three irons and it will keep up with 100 head of calves.