Kisagod Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Greetings my fellow blacksmiths! I have been following this page for a couple years, THANK YOU ALL for all the insightful information. I am a budding blacksmith with high ambitions. I'm a 45 year old Army vet. Building my first forge as I type this (not literally), did I mention ambition? My first forge is a 4ft long 6 burner. It is going to be a monster, actually I am going to cut it down to 2 matching 2ft forges that can be used as one when the time comes. That is all for now, hope to add pics and gather info from this step forward. Wish me luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Welcome to the site. Wonder why you think you need such a large forge. Unless you have a really huge fast power hammer or hydraulic press (or team of strikers) you are going to have a lot of trouble beating on anything more than about 6-8" of stock length before losing enough heat to be counterproductive in my limited experience. Might be different if you are planning on scrolling or twisting rather long or heavy stock in one go, but I do think you are overbuilding somewhat. Are you planning on industrial scale forgings or very large architectural construction? As a beginner I would certainly recommend starting with a smaller forge (see Wayne Coe's, Tim Zoada's or Dave Hammer's designs for good examples) If you are just planning on eventually making swords then a smaller forge for most of your shaping operations is a better, more efficient, recommendation (say 8-10" in length). Of course you will need something larger for easy heat treatment (though it is certainly possible to heat treat longer swords in a small forge), but that does not need to get up to forge welding temperatures and I've personally seen a 55 gallon drum heat treatment forge (Don Fogg style) get up to 1550 deg. heat treatment with a single NA propane burner (can't remember if it was a 3/4" or 1" burner). In fact you could use the same burner for the smaller forge and the larger heat treatment tank, just by switching them out. However, making a overly large gas forge does seem to be a kind of right of passage, so don't let me hold you back on that. I do think you will do better not trying to have one forge ( or even two similar forges) that you expect to perform all operations. One of the key benefits of making your own gas forge is that you can configure it to the expected operation. A bladesmith needs a different forge than a farrier or a smith who makes architectural screens and gates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kisagod Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 All very true statements, I do plan on eventually making swords, and love the twisted metal gates and other ornamental iron work of that nature. I may have left out that I do have multiple burners and ball valves in mind as well as a fire block so as to be able to use just the first 6-10 inches for knives and smaller work. thank you for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Start small...I mean SMALL. Until you learn basic hammer control (which only comes from practice beating on hot steel) you will not make a decent blade. Get some mild steel stock, (1/2" round, 3/8" round, and 3/8" square are good sizes.) and make a fire poker. Make a lot of things with pieces of stock that are long enough to hold without tongs. Eventually, you will develop hammer control, and will be ready to make small blades. Once you have made so many knives that you want to puke, you might be ready to try your hand at making a sword. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Welcome aboard Kisagod, glad to have you. Don't take it personally, over building, seeking or building the "perfect" tools, equipment is normal for beginners in any craft. I believe most everybody here who's been at this a while has tools and equipment gathering dust in corners, under benches, etc. we built early on. No matter how large the blade you can only work so much in a heat, even with a forge press or power hammer. Heating more WILL degrade the stock and erode it through scale formation. It's better long term on all fronts to grow into larger equipment. Of course this is your dream, we're only offering our mistakes and experiences for you to learn from your call. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kisagod Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 Much appreciated Thank you all again for the advice, maybe I should explain that I am not completely new to steel work. I learn fast (regardless of being an old dog) and have hammered out a lot of round stock to flat, and flat to round. Then back again, just to learn how to hammer things out. I helped a friend craft a few knives a hundred years ago (read 25), and have always wanted to pick this up as a hobby/trade. Just needed to finish my duty to the military and finish raising my kids. Now I have grandkids and more time to work on what I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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