Jump to content
I Forge Iron

what forge should i get


LHI Productions

Recommended Posts

Welcome to IFI... Have you read this yet? It will help you get the best out of the forum. READ THIS FIRST

Can't post any links per TOS and it would help to know where in the world you are located, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show it. There are several threads on the subject of commercial forges and in Forges 101.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome!    I have a friend who considers 1 foot square stock to be "small" at the forge he works at.  What size is "Decent Sized" stuff?  Please be specific or take off your aluminum foil hat so we can try to read your mind!  (How often will you be working larger sizes in your range? Do you have a power hammer? *Details*!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It sounds like you need a forge built from a five gallon propane cylinder, with one of its ends cut off, and put back on with with hinges and a latch. Or, a five gallon cylinder cut in half lengthwise so that it can be used as a clam shell forge; Wayne has plans for that kind on his website.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good question, as burners are what trip up most first time forge builders :)

You have three workable choices:

Chile Forge sells the best burners, but only in the 1" size, which is a little large for a five gallon forge. You can turn it down, but where's the fun in that?

Hybrid Burners.com sells the next best model in several sizes, including 3/4" that is perfect for a five gallon forge.

Devil Forge brand (see their ads on eBay) sells adequate burners at moderate prices.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had planned on buying a forge a few months ago, but after I started doing some more research I realized there aren't really any economical options that are good quality. Researching online is actually what led me to this site. What I decided to do was build a 20 lb propane tank forge with a ribbon burner. I think I have under $300 total into my forge, and so far I am pretty happy with it. It's quiet, good on fuel, and gets plenty hot. They really aren't that hard to make. I was nervous my ribbon burner would blow up in my face the first time I lit it, but that was not the case. I used the following references, I can email you some PDF's if you would like

Frosty T-burner (sticky at top of page)

NARB (Frosty's naturally aspirated ribbon burner - sticky at top of page)

Wayne Coe has a nice set of plans on his website - You can also order most of your materials you need from him as well

It really isn't rocket science to build a burner & forge. These guys have all the hard stuff figured out already, all you need to do is follow the directions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I built my first 2 propane forges by attending a "gas forge building workshop" put on by an ABANA Affiliate.  I think the more expensive one that lacked only a propane source, (had regulator, hose, burners, forge, etc) ran me around US$125 back then and I had a known good design and no worries about goofing it up on my own.  Been relined a number of times and after 15+ years of use it's about ready for a rebuild---the shell is still in great shape---it was made from an oxy welding tank and so battleship strong!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...