Dom

5 hours ago, Frosty said:

Dom: You've painted yourself into the corner of fussing over endless details till you just aren't going to get it done. Do YOU want to spend the money for a forge built by someone else? Having other people do for you costs. In more than money.

Are you seriously asking US if it's a good option to buy and ship bricks across an international border? By now you SHOULD know what Mike and I think. Unfortunately you've convinced yourself building a forge is an insurmountable task.

I'm not self help guru, watch Doctor Phil or something. Buying a forge for 4x what you could build one for is up to you. If you're so sure you just can't do it yourself YOU have left YOURSELF no choice. 

Honest, a few hundred bucks one way or the other for a piece of equipment you're going to use for a couple decades is truly insignificant. However convincing yourself you just can NOT overcome such minor problems will last you a lifetime.

Blacksmiths are doers, not fretters. If you gotta fret over something fret about how far to draw a temper on a chisel or something usefull.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

Wow, just wow. Frosty, I do not know where this attack is coming from.

I simply answered a fellow countryman's request for how much it would cost to ship that particular forge since I already asked the seller.
The comment about the bricks was not that I suggested that you should ship a hundred pound of bricks across country. But it has to be accounted that if someone (anyone) is interested, the 12 fire bricks that are mentioned as included on that product's page are to be purchased separately thus AT EXTRA COST.

I can't count the numbers of threads and testimonials of people who bought a professionally made forge and that it was the best they ever had. Better than any they ever made themselves. Surely they must all be stupid like me.
There are also surely the same amount of people who had the exact opposite experience. Who couldn't be happier with the forge they've designed themselves, specifically for what they wanted to do and for way less money. More power to them.

I had already made my mind about not asking any more info on the subject of gas forges on this forum seeing how it exasperates other members. But this as just reached a new height. You're insinuation to go get psychological help is downright insulting.

Blacksmiths can be doers or fretters or whatever they want to be. As long as they are passionate about it, I don't give a dime about the rest.

Here's the reply I got when I asked more details about the forge's interior and shipping (everything in CAD of course).

Quote

My forges are a double layer of 2600 degree ceramic fibre . Over the bottom two thirds of the inside: is cast in place refractory concrete which is very flux resistant .  I have rigidizer for the blanket but don't apply it in advance. ( I would suggest you apply it when the forge has a place to sit) . I have ITC-100 but just provide it as a service (it's just over 139$ a pint cost)
I shipped a forge to Chateaugay Quebec ( without bricks ) for 170$ . The bricks might double that as they are 100lbs by themselves .

So it is still a good option but there is the added cost of the bricks, refractory coating and possibly the rigidizer (not a 100% sure if he meant that it comes with it but not applied or if it's an extra cost).

On 2017-04-23 at 10:59 AM, Joel OF said:

A few years ago when I was making my first pair of gates using flat bar I made this video on scrolling, which you may find helpful.

Thanks Joel for the video. It was very informative.

10 hours ago, Ricko13 said:

Hey Dom,

Can you keep me posted on the cost with delivery to Quebec? I'd be curious to see, since that looks like a very decent price for a forge. My one burner forge needs a big brother...

Cheers,

-R

Sure will Ricko13.

I've asked them various questions and will post all their answers here for posterity

56 minutes ago, WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith said:

Well, for less than $200.00 you can build your own, and have a better forge.

Have you read the attachment, Build a Gas Forge, at the Forge Supplies page on www.WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.com?

Let me know if I can help you.

Wayne

 

Thanks Wayne. I've heard nothing but good things about you and your business. If I ever go for building my own forge, I will be sure to let you know.

No sweat.

Using what I've learned here, I've been able to ask more specific questions from gas forge manufacturers and think more critically about their answers.
Just that is a tremendous help. I'll continue my research on my own.

Nice... OpenVMS

1 hour ago, Brian Hibbert said:

LOL!  You might be surprised at how many people could also give you a great argument on that topic here.  (I prefer a modified round robin scheme with quantum based time slicing,  priority levels, priority boosting, and non-boosted, non-quantum real time priority levels.  But it all depends and you should probably write your own to suit your specific needs. 8*)).

 

Geez... I wasn't trying to impress someone with some deep knowledge only known to me and a few select individuals.
It is just an example of something that I'm knowledgeable about and that not everyone might be. I also happen to like talking about operating system design and low level perfomance analysis.

Anyway, wrong forum.

Thanks VainEnd84 for the info, I'll give Front Step Forge a call during the week. I'll start rooting for the Oilers till the end of the series.  

Frosty, Mikey, I understand your intention and sorry if I came as someone who wants to be spoon fed all the answers to my questions.
You guys have such a deeper understanding on the subject than me and this being a public forum I did not see a reason not to benefit from that experience and ask
if someone saw something wrong (or good) with a particular forge model.

I understand that this might not be the kind of discussion which is the most interesting for you guys.
Maybe in a couple of years I'll be able to have a more informed discussion about advanced burner design with you.

Cheers!

I understand what your saying but propane is to me a whole new world if we're not talking about grilling steaks.
I have the opportunity through this forum to get the opinions and advice of a whole bunch of different people with a lot more experience than me on the subject.
People such as you who've written a reference on the subject and many others who just go by their own personal experience.
By aggregating all that knowledge I can take a better decision. It doesn't mean that it'll be the best, but at least I can say that it'll the most informed.

I'm not looking for someone who tells me what to do. But I value your opinion and Frosty's and Glenn's and the opinion of all those gracious enough
to help beginners along the way.

If you ever want to know what is the best task scheduling algorithm for a monolithic operating system kernel or what multi-threading model is the most efficient in certain circumstances, I could give you my opinion or I could tell you that it all depends and go write your own operating system.

Both methods works, but sometimes it is useful to be given pointers by people more knowledgeable than us.

Thank you for all the advice you've given me.

While asking questions about other models in another thread, another member suggested I take a look at Front Step Forge's Blacksmith Gas Forge.  link removed

From what I've learned from Mikey and Frosty (and don't hesitate to correct me if I got it wrong), the burner design doesn't seem bad as they are straight and the placement is not straight down but on the side. It looks pretty roomy and the price is definitely good at 765$ CAD with hose, regulator and fittings. FSF measured it going to 2450F which was the limit before the destruction of their type k thermocouple.

However, the only thing that limits the openings are the 12 fire bricks that come with it. And there is no information on the lining

All in all, I'm still leaning for a Chile or a Diamondback but the FSF gas forge is cheaper and seems to have some better features than some other brand (mighty forge, NC Tool Co).

Any comments, advice, suggestions or correction are welcome.

You're totally right Frosty.

I guess it would help if I just stopped dithering about which gas forge to get, buy one and forge something.

Hi Mikey, thanks again for taking the time to your advices.

I'm not completely following you. I get that you believe the best option is to build one myself but which videos are you talking about?

Is it you, Blacksmith-450 that got the anvil I originally posted about from Baie d'Urfe?

Well, for a reputable company, I find it sad if they BS me when asked the question directly.
If it is the case, I'm not sure I want to give them my money.

Ah you're killing me... I really overpaid my Brooks.
Another rookie mistake, should've waited for a cheaper opportunity.

Thanks for the link, I'll definitely check them out.

Stacie at Chile Forge as confirmed that the forge is rigidified with colloidal silica when it is built. So I should not need to treat it further.

So a Chile Forge Tabasco + protective shelf + stand would come at 1260$ USD shipped to Canada before import duty taxes.

In comparison, a NC Whisper Low Boy with Open end ports and the NC Tool Forge Stand would come in after converting to USD (for the sake of comparison) at 841$ before taxes and can be picked up locally.

11 hours ago, Frosty said:

$2.00 Ca/lb is a pretty good price. Buck up dom, just because Soderfors cast anvils in that pattern doesn't mean that particular one is a Soderfors. Still . . . What a shop anvil!

Frosty The Lucky.

Yep I called the guy during the week and said I'd pass to take a look during the weekend. When I called on the saturday he told me someone was going to come and see it and call him after. When I called back, it was too late. Call that inexperience, I guess I should have jumped on the first opportunity to go and see it.

Still, now I have my Brooks, which I paid more for less weight, but it is a very nice anvil and I like that I know which manufacturer made it.

The horn transition is definitely different on multiple angles.

Good for the new owner if he got a 300 lbs Sodefors for 600$ CAD.
Though I should be happy for the guy, a small part of me wish it isn't a Sodefors since I missed the deal

OK thanks.

I have four steel rims that used to be on a leased Mazda 3. They've stayed in my garage, as I thought I would resell them down the line.
I never did and now the wife says to do something with them or throw them away.

Is the steel usable to forge something, if cut into smaller pieces?

2 hours ago, Mikey98118 said:

If you're talking about Diamondback forges, I looked on their site, and they have better burners in a better forge design; it brings up heavy stock to yellow-white heat in short order. However, if you buy this forge, I would suggest that you read closely on this sight about finish coatings for ceramic fiber products, to keep it properly maintained, and buy one of the the forge lined with ceramic board; not ceramic wool.

Thanks Mikey once again for your help. Yes, Diamondback forges were those I was talking about and I will do some more reading.
But what comes to mind is what makes Chile's ceramic blanket less maintenance prone than the Diamondback's?

Thanks again guys for the advice, I've asked for a quote including shipping for a Chile Tabasco, protective shelf and stand to see how much the whole shebang would cost me.

While on the subject, any opinion on Diamond Ironwork's forges? They are quite a bit cheaper and their burners aren't bent.

Thanks Mikey, Frosty and Ricko.

I'm not much of a builder myself and would prefer to buy a professionally assembled forge than trying my luck at building one.
Who knows, in a couple of years that may change but for now let's say I'd like to start with a reference model.

So Mikey does not recommend FM forges as they are an old design. And Frosty says that Mighty Forges seem to be cut from the same mold.
I did not completely understand why the old design is so bad but from what I gather only Chile Forge while their straight but inclined burners are to be truly
recommended. I guess that NC Tool Co isn't much better than ForgeMaster or Mighty then?

Thank you for your help, once more.

Thanks for the tip Irondragon.

Being in Canada I have less options without having to pay horrible shipping fees.
But the NC Whisper Lowboy is available locally and there's Mighty Forge (a Canadian company) which I don't know much about.

Did something ever came out of this?

I'm interested in the same model and originally thought that ForgeMaster made great products. Now not so sure.