I am in the middle of building a stand for my forge, Wondering what the options are for mounting the tank?

I am considering mounting in below the forge, Forge is a 2 burner with the door at about chest height.

At first I had the tank away from the forge because it seemed 'Safer' but between the tripping hazard and unprotected hose on the floor it almost makes more sense to have it mounted on the unit. Tank is a 30LB but I will probably be going to 2 30lb tanks soon.

If anyone has any pics of there forge stand/propane tank set up, I'd like to take a look.

Well I converted an old gas grill cart. It has a place to hold a tank underneath it and if you face the open end of the forge towards the side that has sheet metal covering it you can get access from the "back" without putting your head through the dragon's breath zone. (and is protected from dropped/flipped/OOPSed hot steel.)

That sounds like a pretty good idea, I was trying to think of how one could protect the tank without enclosing it so much as to make a hazard of trapped gas.

Do you have a picture of cart?

Well when I search on gas grill cart there is one that looks like mine did when I first got it:  Metal side front, open back

I have a 100lb. 25gl. bottle for the shop forge. I stand it a few feet away to one side, the coolest side. It's close enough to reach the 1/4 turn ball valve in an emergency without reaching through a fire. This makes ir REALLY unlikely someone will walk between the tank and forge, it'd take a truly determied and fire proof idjit to trip on the hose. It's far enough away to be out of the dangerously hot zone. Being separate makes it much easier to move to clear work space or refill.

The new ribbon burner forge is on a cart and runs nicely with a 40lb. bottle. I'll probably make a carrier for it once I get it tweaked to my satisfaction. The back side of the ribbon burner forge is almost ambient cool so hoses and plastic coffee cups are safe almost touching. Once I decide just how I want the forge mounted on the cart I'll think about mounting the bottle. As is nobody walks behind the forge so the bottle has been fine.

Frosty The Lucky.

One of the big shops I visit here keeps the 100 lb cylinders outside, but adjacent to the forge, just on the other side of the wall. A piece of pipe runs thru the wall with a regulator and ball valve then a short flexible line to the burners. Not sure if this would be a problem in colder climates though.

Outside is where Federal safety codes, which are what local codes are derived from, says to place them.

5 hours ago, Mikey98118 said:

Outside is where Federal safety codes, which are what local codes are derived from, says to place them.

I am one of those people that detest the OSHA "safety nannies " yet this is sterling advice!  LPG Cylinders are bombs disguised as harmless BBQ attachments! The idea of having a proper BRICK wall between you and the potentially lethal bomb just makes sense. Bear in mind that a near empty cylinder is more dangerous that a full one.

Yup.  Outside.  As to the cold weather comment, even back when it used to get to -30deg. F.  here a 100 gallon tank had no problem delivering. If your bbq tank freezes up because it's outside get a bigger tank or wait for warmer weather or build a more efficient forge.  Here's an idea!  Coal!

Pictures on request happen less frequently here than in the past due to thousands of "lost" pics due to software upgrades. 

I remember years ago there was an extreme cold spell in Jackson Hole and my BIL was in the HVAC business. They bought up all the electric blankets in town to put over people's outdoor propane tanks so they could have heat.

We all want to get along with our cylinders, and putting them out in the cold seems a poor way to do that. But once the cold gas, or even still liquid, fuel flows into the much warmer shop vea the wall pipe, that same pipe starts allowing it to heat up in a hurry. What are radiators but pipe manifolds when you get right down to it. What is a twenty foot fuel pipe separated from a torch lead, but a further way to warm cold incoming fuel.

As to tripping hazards; look up. See that ceiling? Use hooks to to support the fuel hose; no tripping hazards up there, is there?

That should read " What is a twenty foot fuel hose, separated from a torch lead, but a further way to warm cold incoming fuel?"

Money versus excellence doesn't have to be the rule. Later is better than never. Gas fittings are all threaded, and easily rearranged. You can't usually buy a house or a car for cash, so we need credit. Some extra fuel hose, ball valves, etc. we can accumulate over time.

You will find that question answered in chapter Six: Fuilding a Fforge Cart. The solution is twenty-five feet of THE RIGHT gas hose, and some additional fittings built into the cart. Yes, I did read your question carefully, but the answer is that there is no LEGAL way to do have a fuel tank within twenty feet of hot work, unless it is on the other side of a wall.

And yes, I am a well known picky butt. But, picture yourself standing on the street looking at the blackened ruin of what was once your garage (been there; done that). We will skip over how the fire started, and the smirks on the firemen, your neighbors, passers by, yada, yada. The next thing coming up is a visit from your insurance adjuster. His job is to save his company money wherever he can. Break safety laws, and you just made his job very easy.

All of the sudden, those pesky safety rules you didn't care about become real important!!! Did I mention that this is the voice of sad experience? And what follows the insurance inspector? Explaining more bad news to your wife...

So, how come gas barbecues have five gallon fuel cylinders built in? Because hey are grandfathered in; otherwise, the practice would be outlawed. You may rest assured that such an arrangement on a forge is ILLEGAL Is that a crummy deal? Yes; it's also the way things are. Lots of guys won't tolerate female ways; the 'smartest' of them wise up after their fifth or sixth marriage. Then there are a few weak sister types that only need to tie the knot once.

Of course, the logical place to position a tank is underneath the forge. And I wouldn't be a bit surprised if some lazy guys who built my forge cart never bothered moving that tank when running the forge (naughty, naughty). It is only coincidence that the cart's top provides all the thermal protection that tank could possibly need. I would never consider breaking the law, but cannot control what others do. Have a nice day, and be smart, be legal.

Understand, that it's not my place to attempt to tell people what they should do; just to explain the obstacle course. Let not One Hang Low

My main forge is set up on a mechanics roll around tool box, the mouth is about 44" from the ground. The drawers have provided good storage for useful tools, and other valuable stuff. I have enough hose that I can move the forge around when needed. There is a ball valve shut off at the back of the forge, another one step away on the wall. I run off a 250 gal. tank.

Al

I made a cart out of an old projector stand from school. Forge sits about chest high with a shelf just below for tools. The bottom shelf will hold 2 bottles in tandem. I can roll it anywhere in the shop or outside if needed. Works really well.

Put the tanks in as safe a place and manner as you can but meeting code is problematical when you're running a home made gas burning appliance. I don't even know if the ones you get on a commercially made forge are  UL approved.

Frosty The Lucky.

on the cart about 2 feet below with shelves between. Works quite well. It's not top heavy at all. Maybe I can get better pic tonight.

Yes no different than a gas grill.

I used to have my tank on the cart under the forge. I've since moved the tank outside with rigid pipe through the wall and up to the ceiling and a drop hose to the forge. There is a shut off immediately after the pipe enters the shop. I feel much better now.