TinMan57

Thank you for the reply, which forge do you use?

I get that you don't want the flame bathing on the stock, I just can't quite get the stock hot enough (yet) to forge weld. It's rated at 400,000 BTU's but they don't give a temp rating of stock or any suggestions on how to get it hotter. We've had success by putting bricks in the back and directing the heat to the open side. I'm really looking for anyone who may have had success with a natural gas Johnson Forge and forge welding.

Thank you for the reply. No I've never tried with another forge, although our procedures are good. I think the forge does get hot enough it's just that the flame is quite a bit below the stock. We've got some sucker rod that checks out similar to 4340 on a LIBs scanner and I can try it. If the infrared scanners are that much I think I may just try to get a Chile forge to weld with.

Yup, we got it brand new. I don't have any experience with them other than this one though. Is the an infrared thermometer that reads hot enough to diagnose the burner and forge heat?

Really we're just going for proof of concept, ½" square stock usually. Eventually I want to make pattern Damascus tools. We are a community college and it's got 4 burner holes. Yes, but it doesn't mention forge welding. . .

It's natural gas fed by a 1 ¼" line. The lid is all the way down, and with fire bricks in the back so the flame is all directed to the front. The gas doesn't cost our program anything where propane would have to come out of our budget.

I have a Johnson Gas Forge #133 at work and we have been trying to forge weld with it without any success. I called Johnson and they didn't really have any answers or tips of note. Does anyone in this community have experience getting a Johnson Forge hot enough to forge weld? It seems as if it's hot enough, but with the burner so far below the surface I don't think the steel is getting all the heat the forge is putting out.