DJW

Yea your right cold is cold my friend and with arthritis it's worse every year " I do know about the hands " but I still joke with a friend who lives down that used to live up here. But he gets his shots in with how good the bass fishing is down there . As for the other I'm good I have no problems with anything I can be kind of direct myself sometimes. I do appreciate all information , I may not choose to do it but I don't mind the education . My wife says Im hard headed & I won't deny it ! I've always been a " it great to do everything right but if you don't screw up once in awhile you can't learn from it ". Oh and here we don't usually get that much snow now "not like when I was a kid" and to be honest the atv plow is actually easier on me but it's only good to a certain point . Then I bring in the bucket lol. Gotta go so Take care .

No I never said I had a lot of cash to waste which is why I was trying to use what I had , but point taken on the length and gas. I don't plan on a power hammer anytime soon but I might build a power press in time. I didn't even think about the brick not holding the heat but again I'm trying to use what I have. I know there is a learning curve , this is different than the welding I have done all my life and still do " except for stick just sold that machine , I'm just Mig and Tig now ". I will use it till I get the forge up and running then switch over to the ceramic like I told Frosty . While I do have a decent pension I'm not into wasting money either . So thank you for the info Thomas I do really appreciate it . Dennis

Hahaha You really had me for a minute with SS melting I was dumbfounded I seen a lot of stuff but never that lol . I guess I just read it wrong obviously . Yea you people in Alaska laugh at us the same way we laugh at peole in Atlanta when they get snow . Down there 1/2 shuts down the state , here it takes about 6 inches for the schools to shut down " of course not many in school at this time" lol. No I don't shovel any more to many back surgeries along with a shoulder replacement " thats what you get from swinging a hammer & picking up heavy things for 45 years ". I have a bucket on my tractor and a Polaris 4 wheeler w/a plow that I use now . If it wasn't for deliveries and Dr appointment's I wouldn't bother at all my wife calls me the hermit & she's not wrong after running from job sight to job sight & answering to bosses for all those years I just want to stay home in my own shop , what can I say it's good to be king and do as I please for a change ! Again thanks my friend !

Thank you Frosty for the good information . I just assumed firebrick would work beings I've had pretty much the same ones in my wood stove for 30 years . I will probably go ahead and just use them since I alreay have them and just replace them with what you recommended . Wont be to hard since I am making the top of the forge removable figuring I would need to replace broken ones. Thats amazing I have never seen anything dissolve stainless and I've worked with it all my life but I do believe you and might try it just to see it happen lol . Obviously I have a lot to learn but that's ok I expected that it's like when I tought my apprentices to weld no body is perfict out of the blocks and I am no different. I haven't had a chance to get back to building the forge for a few days and now with this nor'easter blowing through I'll be busy trying to clear my driveway " it's 900 ' long" so my deliveries can get up it. But I plan on reading many of the posts on the forum to pick up some hints and learn more . I'm sure I will have more questions and I really appreciate your input and support my friend . Thank you along with the rest of the good people here.

Good question I honestly don't know they are the white wood stove bricks same as the ones in my stove except the stove has one inch and these are two inches thick. I went with the two inch to help hold the heat and to take up room in my box to save cutting and welding. As for why so long it's just the length it is but I can cut it down if need be. I probably will be twisting some balusters at some point to rebuild railings and a gate . But I want to start with blades ,it's always interested me . It's going to take time to learn I know, I have no visions of grandeur lol. It's my first forge build and if it doesn't work I will tear it down and do it again I have plentry of time like I said I'm retired which means every day is Saturday lol . But what I need to know is a good distance between burners so I can move along with the build. Unfortunately there are no forging stores around me to go measure a built forge or I would. I also read in a post on here about putting SS on the bottom to protect the brick so I will most likely do that ! Or if feasible I can make a SS insert with metal I have . I don't do anything half way or shody I'm kind of anal that way lol. I will gladly listen to any advice given . So thanks for your reply Thomas . Oh and my name is Dennis " it was already being used in the profiles ". Thanks again sir .

Hi another newbie here and I have a question hoping someone can give me a answer . I'm building my first forge and like many I'm using what I have. I have a 20 in 1/8 aluminum box that will be lining with 2 in fire bricks . I'm making it a 2 burner frosty style with 3/4 in pipe w/ a flare . I'm planning on citting the box down and rewelding it to size needed " I'm a retired welder/ sheetmetal worker" . My question is what is the best distance between burners for even heat and best length for the set up ? Right now my burnrs ar about 10 in center to center loosely put together ! I'm thinking it might be to far apart but I don't know for sure . I can weld anything with my welding machines but haven't done any forage work since high school which is what got me interested in metal working. Again I can make the box any size just a matter of cutting and welding. Please excuse me if I don't use the right words , but I would appreciate any help .