The Chili forges made in San Marcos, Texas, are a quality product. Right now, they are being sold at a reduced price. I am going to choose either a double burner Diamondback forge or a double burner Chili forge. They are both rather easily and quickly overhauled. Both are proven products.

Well, the $500 budget for a commercial propane forge got blown out the door. In the toss-up between two quality propane forges, the Chili Tabasco single burner won out. The Chili forges are manufactured in San Marcus, Texas. I am Texan and live in Mount Pleasant, Texas. 

If you can afford the price, the Chili forge will beat out anything else in the market.

The elders in my family have admonished the younger family members too, "Buy the best you can afford. You won't be disappointed."

What commercially available forges do y'all use? I'm using a single burner gells forge at the moment but I'm having trouble getting it to welding heat. I'm looking at the chilli forge. I want one with minimum 2 inches of insulation but almost all of them have only one

2 hours ago, mr. anderson said:

I'm using a single burner gells forge at the moment

did you mean to write "Hells forge"?

I did yes, my mistake 

4 hours ago, mr. anderson said:

trouble getting it to welding heat.

Have you tried coating the inside with Plistix 900 F kiln wash? It will make a world of difference in the heat, also partially blocking the open ends with fire bricks for doors.

I haven't tried plastix but I've coated the inside with itc100 which i think is similar. I've considered replacing the hard fire brick floor with a soft firebrick but I'm worried it'll melt 

 

Mr. Anderson I had the same issue with my Hells Forge. I was able to achieve welding heat by re-lining it with 1.5" of kaowool. (its recommended you have 2" but there's almost no space left inside that forge then.)  After that I followed the standard refractory and ITC 100HT coating methods and made sure the burner was tuned correctly.  It works fine now but if I had the cash I'd buy a Chile Forge. 

I've thought about re lining and putting an extra layer of insulation but I'm thinking the resulting internal volume may be too small. 

 

It definitely will be. Like I said 1.5" worked for me. The refractory does compress that down a bit though. For my forge floor I can't use a standard firebrick. I have to cut them in half. After messing with that and them cracking I switched to kiln shelf tiles.

I suppose it depends on how large your work pieces are. 

8 hours ago, mr. anderson said:

've thought about re lining and putting an extra layer of insulation but I'm thinking the resulting internal volume may be too small.

Alright then; replace the brick floor with a 5/8" thick high alumina kiln shelf, which will lose a lot less heat. Then add a 1/2" layer of Kaowool, and coat it again. You should end up with a hotter forge, without losing much space.

I haven't used kiln shelves before, are they easy to cut? 

 

 

They take a tile saw, usually a diamond blade and good PPE for the dust unless you re using a wet saw. I have used my Sawsall with a diamond blade and a sponge soaked with water and an n95 mask.

I just use a dusk mask, and a friction blade (for brick, not metal), on an angle grinder.

I cut mine with a good ole regular radial saw haha. I didn't think it would work but it did, I just cut VERY slowly.

For those thinking about cutting high alumina kiln shelves to size: It is wise to first ink mark lines on both sides of the proposed cut, and grind a line ON BOTH SURFACES before starting the cut. Any hard refractory or ceramic product is inclined to crack while being cut. The grooves on both surfaces will encourage that crack to to form where you wont it to.

Thank you for the advice, i got some kiln shelf from a local shop and I'll practice cutting it this weekend 

I did a pivot and made a diy forge! Just did the first firing 

Oh my; look what you went and did; it looks great! Looks like you have been reading more than we assumed on IFI. Did you pay any attention to the talk about movable baffle walls (made of firebrick)?

Don't forget the Plistix coating, either. Your photo is a little dark, but it looks like you need to reposition the burner, so that its flame retention nozzle is recessed back into the interior wall; until you do that, it will be pointless to discuss output flames.

Thanks! I've been reading for a few years now. I know it's not pretty but its getting way hotter way faster so I'm pretty happy with it so far

Edited February 26, 20233 yr by mr. anderson
Mistype

by "moveable baffle walls" do you mean doors to close in the forge more or something inside the forge itself? i might have missed that thread 

 

Some people will think of them as doors. I'm simply suggesting bricks stacked on top of each other within an inch or two of the front opening, so that exhaust gas can escape, but the opening around the heating stock can be kept minimal. Thus, most of the radiant heat gets bounced back into the forge. A brick pile at the far opening is stacked right up against that opening, unless you are heating very long objects. Once you are satisfied that you know what's what, paint the flame facing side of your bricks with Plistix 900 or ITC 100, and grow even happier

Update on Devil Forges; they have raised their prices and changed there burners over the last five years. I don't have a good opinion of the brand anymore.