Forge size?

[Richyonekit]

Hi guys 

I’m thinking of having a go at forging and was wondering what size to start off with ? Is it false economy to buy a small one and should I buy large straight away?

by large I mean devil forge 10kg v devils forge 4kg also this might be a daft question but does smaller forge use less gas ? 
 

any help would be appreciated as I would love to get into this just as a past time.

cheers

richy 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome aboard... It's not false economy to start out small, many of us have more than one forge, but starting out not knowing if you will enjoy the craft, a small forge is a wise move. Have you read through the Forges 101 thread?

Yes, a smaller forge, well insulated uses less propane.

Which you should buy is largely dependent upon what you plan on making. It also depends where in the world you are located and the price of propane there. I suggest editing your profile to show location, you may be surprised how many members are near you to help out.

[ThomasPowers]

Yes the question is meaningless without knowing the details---can you tell me if I need a 15 passenger van or a 2 door commuter car?

[Mikey98118]

6 hours ago, Richyonekit said:

I’m thinking of having a go at forging and was wondering what size to start off with ? Is it false economy to buy a small one and should I buy large straight away?

The smaller your first forge, the more you will use it. No matter how large a forge you eventually decide you will occasionally use, you will always use the smallest forge needed whenever you can, to save expense.

[Richyonekit]

Thanks mikey98118 that totally makes sense ,I have reached out to a blacksmith online and he said when starting out start smaller as it’s easier to pour small castings! 

Iv never used a forum before because of the negative comments a simple question might get (Thomas powers) 

I was always taught theirs never a stupid question !! 
 

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Richy, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be able to hook up with members living within visiting distance. You'll learn more in an hour with an experienced smith than many hours even days trying to figure it out yourself.

You don't really think Thomas's response was negative do you? He pointed out you need to provide details to get meaningful answers.  Including something about false economy literally means nothing without knowing what you want to  know. Economy is never false blacksmithing, it can go either way, too much or too little, depending on the variables. 

Including economy changed the question from new guy forge size to forge economy two different things. Thomas provided an example of a specific question without specific conditions. I would've used a different metaphor like: color and tire size. 

Sometimes we respond in ways to make you think about what you're asking so you can ask better questions. It's not mean it's intended to help a person think, do some reading, etc. 

Below is a no weld propane forge designed and built at a club forge and burner workshop. I believe 23 went home with beginner members with a few left over for under 100 ea. Profit went to the club kitty. The chamber measures 4.5" x 4.5" x 9 and is powered by a 1/2" T burner. The forge is k-26 insulating fire brick and kiln washed with Plistex 900. They hit welding temp in a few minutes, under 5 from a cold start. The sip propane some of the guys are getting almost 24 hours from a 20lb. tank. Pic below.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[Deimos]

1 hour ago, Richyonekit said:

Thanks mikey98118 that totally makes sense ,I have reached out to a blacksmith online and he said when starting out start smaller as it’s easier to pour small castings! 

Iv never used a forum before because of the negative comments a simple question might get (Thomas powers) 

I was always taught theirs never a stupid question !! 
 

Welcome,

I have not been here long but from what i have seen so far this is a great place to learn things, it has lots of grumpy old men who are kind of "unique" in their way of handling things, but if you look past that you can learn tons from them.

You question was not stupid, but it was incomplete.

Smaller forges will use less gas because there is less to heat up. But since we don't know what you want to make (could be the size of a pinky, could be a Civic) we can't really give you an answer.

As a starting blacksmith/crafter I would advice you to build your first forge yourself. Since it is very easy to adjust it and make it just a little bit bigger or smaller. nothing you will buy is wasted. And it will give you a better understanding of what you look for in a forge.

 

[Mikey98118]

2 hours ago, Richyonekit said:

I was always taught theirs never a stupid question !! 

The stupidest questions are the ones we're to timid to ask