Big Bill Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 Finally got my gas forge up + running! Have a standard 20# grill tank on it and have been considering a larger one but am looking for advice. The 20's are readily available & easily refilled, but don't last real long and can freeze up. Been thinking of either a 30, 40, or 100# size- I like the capacity of the 100, but have a few reservations and would like to hear others experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotshoein4 (Mark) Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 I run 20s and 40s. I'd rather a 100lb, but don't have a place for it. The nice thing about a bigger tank is, it won't freeze up as fast and you can usually draw out every little bit in the bigger tanks. I hate freeze ups. If they do freeze, grab a bin or muck bucket, put the tank in it, fill it with water and strap it down. It won't freeze that way. They will float so you have to strap them down. Water doesn't have to be hot either. Straight from the hose works fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 For me a BBQ tank will last a good long day on my forge and I have about 5 of them. As mainly a weekend warrior these days, they do me fine. I was recently given a full 100# tank and I have an old one of my own; but they are a pain to get filled as my current pickup has a cap and the propane place won't allow tanks to be laid down. Freeze up is location dependent; not usually much of a problem here on the border of the US and Mexico. Where BB is; who knows! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 Large tanks are fine to use, but not so fine to move around to get them filled. Smaller tanks can be ganged together, to slow draw rates and avoid freezing just as well as large tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zachary Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 I got tired of dragging 100# cylinders in and out of my shop and loading and unloading them so I set a 500 gallon tank and plumbed it into my shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammerMonkey Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 Just now, Zachary said: I got tired of dragging 100# cylinders in and out of my shop and loading and unloading them so I set a 500 gallon tank and plumbed it into my shop. Do you rent the 500 gallon tank, or did you buy it? Is the cost of delivered propane much different that what you previously paid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zachary Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 I bought the tank. It was costing me $50 to fill a cylinder and it holds about 24 gallons. I filled my 500 gallon tank for a $1.30 a gallon. A lot of times it’s cheaper than that if you fill around August. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotshoein4 (Mark) Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 10 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Freeze up is location dependent; not usually much of a problem here on the border of the US and Mexico. Where BB is; who knows! I dont know if I agree with that. It gets hot in northern Illinois in the summer and I've had them freeze on me. Propane will freeze the tank from the draw, not just weather dependant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horse Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 I use a hundred in Colorado and so far no issues with freeze ups. Smaller ones have been an issue. There I a 500 gallon outside that we use to heat the shop but teeing off of that heater line does not have adequate flow. Need a higher pressure regulator on the tank for the forge?????? Not sure how that works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Furnaces are usually set up for inches of water column pressures. 15 psi is 34 *FEET* of water column. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaudry Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 I have a 500 gallon tank that is plumbed into the shop that runs three different gas forges and a big oxy/ propane rosebud torch. The torch is supported by two 250 cubic ft. O2 tanks manifolded together. This gives me the best price and avoids the time and hassle of running to town to fill smaller tanks. The local gas company comes out and fills it about twice a year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 For using the propane forge at home, we have a 150 gallon tank that our gas supplier will fill when we get gas for our 500 gallon home tank. For taking the forge to meetings or hammer ins, we have a 30 pound and 20 pound tank for portability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasent Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 I have a 7 gal tank but my dad just gave me 2 25 gal tanks. The 7 will freeze up on me if its cold and low. We will see how the 25's do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Richter Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 Have 2x 7gal tanks, to change them if one is empty. Since I use them with the air forced burner on 14psi I have 1/4 less consumption in comparison with the pure Venturi burners. One tank is good for 1 to 1 1/2 day forging or melting pleasure. Add next to the regulator/reducer also a hose break valve and an flame extinguish valve to avoid back flash to the tank after the earlier chimney effect on the Venturi's. Now I close first the gas supply an than the needle valve for pressurised air. Till now I mention only some frozen air condensation on/till the gas level remains in the cylinder and never a frozen reducer valve. After my knowledge its only become annoying when the reducer freeze in or even critical if the (propane) cylinder or environment reach a temperature below -47F. This is the reason to use propane instead of another gas like butane or LPG. Please correct me if I’m wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fat pete Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 I have a 60# small enough to load on the pick up and take to get filled and it gives me about 40 hrs of forging time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 One of the reasons I'm tolerant of people's choices in heaters is that they can always be upgraded. So weed burners can be switched out for forge burners whenever someone decides they don't like a large fuel bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted November 24, 2017 Author Share Posted November 24, 2017 Had my decision made for me, Tractor Supply had their 100# tanks on sale for black Friday so I grabbed one. Price for gas fill works out cheaper too. I had been looking at one on CL, but it was almost at retail price & may have needed hydro-testing. Had the seller been a bit more flexible on price I might have got it, but I'm happy with what I have. Forging on... ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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