Hello everyone!
I like many people, am just dipping my toes into the waters of blacksmithing. I have spent the last few weeks on forums and youtube trying to figure out what kind of forge I wanted to build. I decided on propane, which lead me further down the rabbit hole. That rabbit hole lead me to burners and trying to figure out if Venturi or Forced Air was the right choice for me. I know that they both have their pros and cons but there are a few things that I haven't been able to find too much information on. So I am hoping that some more experienced smiths may be able to help me out here.
My first question is on fuel efficiency. Basically I am running on a fairly tight budget and I want to make an informed decision. I have seen people claiming that forced air burners are many times more efficient than Venturi burners. I have seen people that claim they are about the same. At the same time there are people that say it depends more on how well your forge is insulated. I have zero clue where the truth falls in this spectrum. I also realize that it is possible that the answer is that there is no right or wrong answer.
My second question is how weather affects the burners, and which one would perform better for my circumstances. I live in Missouri and our weather is very bipolar. It can either be really hot or more mild and damp. One thing that is almost always a constant is the humidity. I walked outside this morning and we were at 100% humidity. My forge setup will be outside in our backyard area so the humidity and moisture are just always going to be a factor.
Any help that you can give me would be much appreciated.
Rath
