Hunter1994 Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 Hello everyone i wanna start making knifes and try blacksmithing and was wondering if my basement would be safe for me to use a propane forge something like a small one like a devils forge if anyones heard of them its a pretty big area and i do have a door i can open to ventilate it but i need some professional advise on it i don't wanna harm myself or my family thanks I added a photo of the forge i was going to purcase or something similar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 NO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 Welcome to IFI... have you read this, it will help you get the best out of the forum. READ THIS FIRST Under no circumstances is it safe to use an unvented propane forge in a basement. Read up on CO (carbon monoxide) it will infiltrate the whole house putting everyone in danger from CO poisoning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 NO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 The NOs have it for a number of reasons. First of all, in case of fire you only have one way out. Secondly, it is underneath your house; in case of fire, good by house. Finally, its a wonderful space to be snuffed from all of those heavier than air fumes in!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Not just NO but ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FLIPPING MIND NO! There's nothing acceptible let alone safe about using a propane forge in a basement. Worse still, the picture of the forge you post is showing non-propane rated hose, quick couple fittings and valves. A propane leak in the basement can urn your whole house into a bomb. Don't sweat the forge fittings so long as it's a distance from the house. Reverse the hose so the 1/4 turn valve is next to the reguator so you can shut it off quickly without having to reach into a fire and it's okay for a while. You'll want to replace everything between the regulator and burner with proper propane rated components. I'm glad you asked, smart move. Now is the time to find out what you were thinking is potentially a deadly mistake. No harm no foul yes? There's a learning curve, we've all had to climb it and still are. Nobody's born knowing this stuff. Stick with us we'll get you up to speed. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxwellB Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Frosty, I purchased the two-burner model of that brand. The hose is stamped as being rated for propane. I think because it's a European manufacturer, it looks different. Not sure how similar this is to US standards, but I would think it'd be fairly universal because propane is universal, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 unfortunately, safeguards on imports have no legal teeth. Some of it will be good, and more of it won't be. Frosty is right; consider any foreign hose as a consumable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepinJoe Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 As Mike said it is dangerous to operate a propane forge in an enclosed space like a basement due to the dangerous gases produced during combustion of the propane gas. The main combustion products formed when gas burns are: Carbon dioxide (CO2), a non-toxic gas formed during complete combustion of carbon based fuels. Carbon monoxide (CO), a toxic gas formed if combustion is incomplete. Nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas. Water vapor. Once combustion pollutants are in the house outside air must be provided to dilute and remove the contaminants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 And note once the CO2 content of the local air goes up then the next time it runs through the forge the CO content SPIKES! Why having the burner to the top of the forge can cause problems as the hot exhaust gases rise up through the opening they can get sucked back through the burner causing more CO production than burning with "unused" air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casapa Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Just to add to Frosty's post. LPG is flammable and heavier than air so that it will settle and may accumulate in low spots such drains and basements. Here it could present a fire or explosion or suffocation hazard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey98118 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Thomas, I've always been slow to make up my mind and even slower to change it. I have never had any problems with top mounted burners, but have seen lots of others that do. Unfortunately, there are guys who seem to think that just looking at a forge provide most of the information needed to build it. And so, I will avoid top mounted burners from now on, so as not to provide more "photos without reasons" for all the see/do enthusiasts in the world. In another twenty years, perhaps we can make a dent in the problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 Last time we were asked our opinion of Devil Forges the hose and fittings were not propane rated. The current pic shows hose that says it's rated for propane and butane. I don't know how reliable this is, in the USA it'd be criminal with the potential to lose the business, all assets and freedom to lie. Depending on how badly things went wrong of course. I'm not dissing Poland but I don't know what and how much the label means. Still don't see anything to make me think the fittings are propane rated either. Re. sputtering CO production and burner placement. No matter how you do it, gas burners WILL consume oxygen and produce combustion byproducts. CO being the most insidious and dangerous, you can't see or smell it and it bonds to your hemoglobin so it can't bond to O2 enough and you suffocate. I'm no fan of WIKI but this entry is pretty concise and as I recall reasonably accurate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboxyhemoglobin Read up, setting up a gas forge in a basement WILL cause CO to invest the whole house so anybody home can accumulate it in their blood. It's B-A-D mojo any way you expose yourself. My shop is 30' x 40' with 14 walls at the eaves and leaks air prodigiously. I open the man door and crack the roll up when running my forge. One reason I don't do much in winter weather. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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