Majestic knifemaker forge used on it's side ??

[Ohio Rusty]

It is too cold currently to use my coal forge in the closed up barn. It would be way too smokey. I am considering getting one of the Majestic deluxe knife maker forges as the cost is OK and Majestic is pretty close to me .... easy to just pick up this weekend. I liked the option of the deluxe to have the option to  run just one or both of the burners. 

I have been reading the questions others have posted about their forges and quite a few say the one drawback to the forge is the gas tubes go straight down into the top of the forge and they get too hot above the heat. Would there be any issue with setting the forge on it's side running the forge on it's side so the gas tubes would be sticking out of the side ?? The flames wouldn't be directly shooting down of the metal either. Any thoughts about this ??

 

Ohio Rusty ><>

[VaughnT]

Oddly enough, I just received a Majestic deluxe model as an early Christmas present and putzied around with it for the last few days.

 

Tilting it over?  I guess that would work in a roundabout sort of way, but my honest impression is that I would never recommend someone buy this forge.  Even given their proximity to you, they are far more costly than you can build yourself.      

 

Mine is the three-burner farrier deluxe model.  To get a decent-size scroll into the heat, I have to open the entire side of the forge, and that lets a lot of heat out.  Opening that side door isn't easy and I've already lost one of the locking pins.  Remember, the outside of the shell gets so hot that water boils instantly.  Trying to maneuver the little pins while wrestling with the hot door proved rather trying, to say the least.

Diamondback Ironworks sells an "economy" model forge that has the burners entering at an angle, and the mouth of the forge is wider enough for scrolls and such.  Far cheaper than the Majestic, but only a little more expensive that if you bought all the stuff yourself and went the custom route.

 

If you go to ebay, you can buy a top-shelf, already built burner for $135.  High Temp Tools dot com also sells complete burners and all the other stuff needed to make a forge - it's a one stop shop.  You could quite easily make a custom design suited to your type of work for less than a Majestic costs.  It might take a week for all the stuff to arrive in the mail, but I'm confident you'll be happier with the end results.

 

I definitely wouldn't recommend Majestic.

[Rich Hale]

I have three gassers and all of them the burners are on top. They work fine. Wot does the maker say about turning the forge on its side?

 

And if you cannot open up the shop for a solid fuel forge you may not be able to use a CO producing gasser either. CO is a silent killer and claims lives every year. 

You must have air into shop and air out. 

[Ohio Rusty]

I'll see Jim (the owner/maker) on Saturday and ask him about turning the unit on it's side. The barn isn't tight ... It leaks air quite a bit .... just not enough to let out all the smoke from a coal forge if all the windows and doors are closed. (I don't have a chimney for the coal forge, just an open air forge). If I open both ends of the barn, all is clear. I want to run the box wood stove for warmth while forging. If I open the barn doors, out goes all the heat.

Ohio Rusty ><>

[VaughnT]

Having a Majestic forge, I would recommend that you install a good chimney on your coal forge.  I was trained on a coal-burner and prefer them over gas.  Majestic's however have too many short-comings to make them a good deal.  If this one wasn't gifted to me, I would never have purchased it on my own.

 

Caveat emptor.