GMoore Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 I have a two burner gas forge (home built) and a large coal forge (home built), but am becoming interested in blade smithing (knives/swords/axes). I'm looking for suggestions on a gas forge for same (three burner?). I'm prepared to spend $500 to $650. Suggestions? Recommendations? References (names, addresses, etc.)? Thanks much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 One of our members has a 36" plus blade in his shop, forged in his coal forge and heat rested in a 3 or 4 burner home built gasser. The sword itself is only forged about 6" at a time, you only need the length for your hardening operation. Under stand that this is a blade for a real sword, not a wall hanger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 If you have pass throughs length ways the 2 burner should work fine. You will need to draw the blade back and forth through the chamber to heat treat but that's no bid deal. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Which leads to the question of what would make a good axe forge; probably a "D" forge, or an oval forge, to get a wider floor area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Gasser guys, lol coal forge works real well for axes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 But Charles they have only been using solid fuel forges for a couple of thousand years to make axes...it probably won't catch on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 I know, I know! Dang kids these days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMoore Posted August 5, 2017 Author Share Posted August 5, 2017 I know I can use my coal forge. I know I can use my two-burner gas forge. But, everybody else says three-burner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 "Every one else" is the line my youngest used when she wanted to do somthing stupid. All kidding aside, a longer gasser is only going to be used for heattreatment, forging will be done in a smaller forge. Hearing more steel than you need not only wastes fuel but it increases the chances of decarburization, grain growth and material loss. Might I ask what is the longest blade you have made? With a two burner your still happily with in the short sword range, and like most things, daggers before short swords, shirt swords befor long swords and long swords before great swords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 If everybody else jumped off a bridge would you? Heating more stock than you can work in the heat increases crystallization and decarburization of the steel for no good reason. A Whisper Moma is about the right size to forge ax heads in. A D shape or Vaulted forge would work very well if access allows. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMoore Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 O.K., you've got me. Yes, I could use my coal forge, but I don't want to. Yes, I could use my two-burner gas forge, but I don't want to. Or, I could use a three-burner gas forge. Why? Seems like when I watch knife and sword makers, they are being made on three-burner forges. Wasting heat? I can turn off one or two of the burners - making big into small. But, I can't make small into big. I'll ask again. Recommendations on three-burner forges? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Bit more to it than that, unless you sculpt a plug to reduce the volume you are still trying to heat the whole forge. Jerry has a veritable volume forge, but it's a brick pile forge. Perhaps I was unclear, I suggest building a one burner forge to forge the blades and then build your 3-5 burner monster to heat treat. You get practice on a one burner, if you screw up its less material waste. I bet you will build a good forge first time but it's nice to have the practice before building a bigger one. This keeps to the KISS model, and gives you an effecent set up with gas. In the end you will have 4 forges, but hey he who dies with the most toys wins. Ps, thanks for taking a bit of ribbing in good humor, not everyone dose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Just now, Charles R. Stevens said: Perhaps I was unclear, I suggest building a one burner forge to forge the blades and then build your 3-5 burner monster to heat treat. Actually one of the best sword het treating forges I've seen is the 55 gal drum "Don Fogg" style vertical forge with a single burner. Since you don't really want to get up to forging temperatures you need much less burner. Line the drum with 1" of frax blanket. Make a lid with a hole in it for the vent and sword. Modulate the heat by moving the burner closer and further away from the burner port and opening or closing the vent hole some (get a pyrometer for accuracy). Advantages: large volume relative to the sword heats very evenly for the full length. Can use same burner for your small forging chamber and forge the sword efficiently (as noted by others). Unless you have some fairly sizable machinery (at least a press, power hammer or rolling mill, you are unlikely to need to heat more than 6" of the sword blank at a time. vertical orientation doesn't lead to sword bending from gravity during heat treatment Feel free to ignore this advice and buy a 3-burner Majestic, NC Tool Whisper, or Chile forge. You will likely be happy with any of them, but I don't think any hit your price point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMoore Posted August 12, 2017 Author Share Posted August 12, 2017 Majestic and NC Tool Whisper do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMoore Posted August 28, 2017 Author Share Posted August 28, 2017 And, my "pen Name" (I wrote for a newspaper) was The Occasional Curmudgeon so I was well past being in training. And, I just wish I were a kid. I just turned 75! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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