Beginner Blacksmith Forge Help Please!

[Mason2777]

Ok so I planned on doing a gas firebrick forge but my question is if its firebrick do I have to get Plistix, Metrikote, and all that other stuff or can I just build it out of firebrick? also since im new I need help with gas burners I don't know how to make one or what I need it to do and all the dimensions of the forge are going to be (9" deep x 4" wide x 4" tall) or I was thinking about going (18" deep x 4" wide x 4" tall)

which would be best for a beginner?

 

Thanks Mason

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Mason, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in your header you might be pleasantly surpprised to find out how many IFI folk live within visiting distance.

 

If you buy 3,000f heavy fire brick it'll take all the heat you're going to develop. Welding flux WILL eat the brick but they're easilly replaced.

 

Making burners requires more precision than special skills or equipment. some burners require more and others less, depends on what you build. Check out the gas section of the forge section of IFI. If you need more help, let me know, I build a reasonably simple naturaly aspirated burner that works well.

 

You'll find one 3/4" (that's the burner tube dia) naturally aspirated burner that's well tuned will brind 300-350 cu/in to welding heat. Most guys use 300 cu/in to be sure.

 

Frosty the Lucky.

[Daniel.85]

Search forums, Search youtube, Search google. Take a few weeks to read up and familiarize yourself with everything and you will have all you need to complete your project.

[ThomasPowers]

Remember your 9" forge will forge 18" pieces easily and use a lot less gas! Putting a pass thrrough out the back will allow you to move quite long pieces through it.

 

(especially for blademaking you do NOT want more of the piece heated than you can forge at one go as you lose carbon, lose mass due to scaling and increase grain size on the areas heated but not beated.)

[hans138]

ya you found a good place here, ther is always going to be sombody on here, no matter how skilled you are.  that can give you some solid advice. im myself in about to build my on venturi burner. im going to mess with doing some small foundry work. mostly aluminium, brass and the like. one of my buddys has a 3-d printers and he makes these bad ass storm trooper helmets out of a fiberglass composite. we're going to move on to metals i cant wait to show you guys.... and of cousre pic your brains about a small foundry.

 

good luck to you mason

[itsme]

Heated but not beated. Makes me smile : )

 

If you are looking to buy a good burner, search "jf# burner propane" on ebay. I bought one for my little forge, and it works well.  Tig welded stainless steel nozzle, venturi style burner. Comes ready to burn

 

Frosty is right about the firebrick. It acts as a heatsink, but it can get you up and running quickly. I built a kaowool insulated box, and it devolops "beating heat" 4x faster than the brick, even though they are the same size. It also maintains the required heat at 4psi, so you can save a bunch on propane.

 

Djhammered has some great how to videos on youtube that show the entire process, and even if you go with a different design, are a great tutorial

 

I use firebrick for doors, and coating the exposed edges with Plistix seemed to help, but I could be imagining that.

 

Good luck with your project, you have found a place loaded with very knowledgable blackmiths!