Dipped a toe in.... gas forge is AWESOME

[Vinito]

I have been piddling in coal forges the past several weeks. I'm really new to blacksmithing.

From a practical perspective, I figured getting into a propane forge would be handy and convenient. I can build one, but since I am ignorant of most of the ins & outs details of any of it, I figured I'd just start simple and cheap so I can spend a little time getting familiar with the process and arm myself with a bit of experience before deciding how to build a nicer one. Plus, just buying one would shorten the path to first ignition significantly.

So I decided to just go cheap and small and ordered a Mr. Volcano. It arrived today and I was up & running quickly. Before you jump on me for not assembling it right, be aware that they are now including a new ceramic blanket that is not such a health hazard sans rigidizer + refractory (it's called Superwool XTRA, so you can look into it if curious). Anyway you can still apply the hard shell if you want but evidently it's not absolutely necessary anymore.

So long story longer, I fired it up and I'm blown away! It was so easy to just light the thing and let it heat up for a couple minutes, get some metal into the heat and get going. I figured a propane forge would be kinda handy, but holy cow man, it's waaay more simple and quick to get hot iron on the anvil than I ever imagined. I mean I still like the coal forge, but for a quick project, I don't know how a gas forge can be beat in terms of convenience. I guess something with "free" fuel could beat it on that variable, but otherwise I'm a fan.

The tiny Mr. Volcano size doesn't seem to be a problem at all, at least at this point. It heats at least as large an area as my coal forge firepit can if not more. I would guess most of the little single-burner gas forges you can get will work similar, I just chose this one and went with it. I can see an occasional advantage to a larger gas forge, but you could about store this thing in your pocket and it heats every bit as well as my coal forge with all it's bulky hearth and all.

So one cool thing about being so new to blacksmithing is it seems I feel like a kid on Christmas morning every week or so lately. I keep learning new and cool things.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

First I have heard of them so I went to their site. It looks like a good starter forge but be sure to read their safety warning sheet and operation sheet. One error I found in the safety warning sheet was they said propane forges produce carbon dioxide CO2, which is true but failed to mention the more dangerous carbon monoxide CO which is also produced.

[Vinito]

There is a laminated safety sheet in the package I got which includes a warning that the burning propane does indeed create carbon monoxide. Maybe the online one has a typo?

correction: the insert does say carbon dioxide. Curious. Anyway, I knew of the monoxide issue already, but they should definitely correct that.

Places I checked list monoxide as a result of incomplete combustion, so I guess as long as it's adjusted correctly it's not significant risk. Problem is, I'm sure all kinds of propane burners, including forges, are easy to adjust too rich so they should include a risk statement and suggest a monoxide detector recommendation. I would if I was selling the things.

[Mikey98118]

Well, carbon dioxide is inevitable. Carbon monoxide is produced by poorly designed, constructed, or tuned burners.

[Frosty]

On 12/19/2021 at 5:53 PM, Vinito said:

I have been piddling in coal forges the past several weeks.

Uhhhhh. . . errr . . . ummm . . . . grkk! (be quiet Frosty you got in trouble last time you picked up a straight line like this one) but . . . but . . . (NO! keep it zipped! Just go check on dinner and watch TV, it'll go away and the pain will stop)

Frosty The . . . erk. . . cough cough. . . <sniffle>

[Vinito]

Doncha wish I knowed where yer forge wuz?

[Frosty]

So long as you don't know where it is. 

[JHCC]

If memory serves, Mr. Volcano is the brand of propane forge that Jennifer/jlpservicesinc is getting/plans to get for her smithing school. That's as good a recommendation as one can get, so far as I am concerned.

And yeah, gas forges rock. I barely ever use my coal forge anymore.

[Vinito]

Thanks for that. Always helps some when you hear you didn't buy junk, though after using it I kinda feel OK about it anyway.

Mini review:

The only fault I've found is the spot-welded name plate has lifted off one corner. Absolutely zero functional consequence.

I would recommend anyone harden the blanket shell inside just for durability even if the fancy new stuff doesn't absolutely need it. My goal was to get into things quickly so I don't regret it. But even if it can be done later, it's easier and best to do it at the start.

I did try heating for forge welding and it doesn't quite reach it. It gets pretty close, but no cigar, at least not the way I did it. It might be that messing with settings can get it to reach weld heat, but I dunno either way. Not a big deal for me since I don't find myself needing to forge weld much and I can turn to the coal forge if I really have to do that. I'm guessing this might be similar for most naturally aspirated single-burner forges?

So first baby steps and it ain't perfect, but I'm still quite happy with it for what it is and for what this beginner wants it for. Using this forge has already learned me things I want to do for a build of my own someday relatively soon. But it's a very handy, easy, non-bulky and quick stopgap and has given me significant breathing room to allow me to make progress learning this skill while I work on tweaking my shop in the meantime.

[Glenn]

No one ever said you could only have one forge. 

Think of them as tools such as wrenches or spanners.  Each one is great for a specific job and one size does not fit all. 

[OuchThatsHot]

I’m starting out with a Mr. Volcano forge. I did assemble mine following all instructions with the rigidizer and the Satanite refractory. For the minimal cost, I figured why not. To boost the internal temp I’m going to use, as suggested here, K-26 bricks (already have a dozen on hand)for doors and coating Plistix 900f on top of the Satanite. I do have an empty Propane tank and 3 Frosty T burners ready to build a bigger forge if or when needed.

After a few firings all spot welds have held. I did grind a few burrs off from their spot weld cleanup initially to keep from getting cut on them.

[ThomasPowers]

Sigh; you and the barn cats; why I had to put a lid on the coal storage!

[Mikey98118]

2 hours ago, OuchThatsHot said:

I’m starting out with a Mr. Volcano forge. I did assemble mine following all instructions with the rigidizer and the Satanite refractory. For the minimal cost, I figured why not. To boost the internal temp I’m going to use, as suggested here, K-26 bricks (already have a dozen on hand)for doors and coating Plistix 900f on top of the Satanite. I do have an empty Propane tank and 3 Frosty T burners ready to build a bigger forge if or when needed.

Those bricks aren't cheap, or tough. If you start passing steel and iron back and forth through an opening in them, they probably won't last. On the other hand hard firebricks are both cheap and tough. Insulating an external baffle wall, is POINTLESS. The point of a baffle wall is to bounce radiant energy back into the forge interior; if you want them to do a better job of that, use Plistix 900 on the side of the bricks that face the forge. Anything beyond that is just gilding the Lilly.

[MaxwellB]

I just got my Mr. Volcano, and I'm dying to set it up, but I'm worried that the curing/setting/hardening etc. of the rigidizer and the satanite will be hindered by the cold. Not to mention I fear the cold would be detrimental to the setup, as liquid in the mixes might freeze before things are set, and when firing up the burner to cure it'll create issues. So it's sitting in it's box, waiting for warmer weather.

I've also got some plistix I'm planning on topping the satanite with. My devils forge is still a great forge, but with it being a 2 burner I'm just wasting fuel as I'm not making that big of items right now.

Patience has never been one of my virtues, and the wait for March when I can count on the weather turning and staying that way is killing me slowly.

[Mikey98118]

Well, you definitely don't want to freexze rigidizer. I don't think any refractory product well do well, if it is allowed to freeze, before being fired, either.

[Vinito]

I faced the same possibility just this past week (I just now got around to coating the inside)
Easy solution - I backed the screw off and removed the burner tube, then applied the stuff in the shop, which I warmed up enough to work comfortably, then brought it into the house to dry out for a day or two. Once it was all dry enough, then fire up the stuff to heat as desired until done.

If your shop doesn't even start out warm enough to apply the stuff, then lay out some newspaper in the house (basement or back porch or whatever), and apply it there. Just do it in the house. I mean, the thing only seems to weigh about 5 lbs or so. It carries around really easy. It doesn't emit anything smelly until you fire it up in my experience. I even set it in front of a heat register to dry quicker, but that wouldn't be necessary.

[Frosty]

That's a good plan. If I had to do it in winter I'd spread the newspaper or plastic sheeting and do it in the house. If it's just "close" to freezing then a light bulb in the forge will keep it nice and warm but it's only good for a few degrees below so the house is a safer bet.

Frosty The Lucky.

[MaxwellB]

I would definitely take it into the house and do all the work with it... However I don't have a whole lot of room with the other collections of miscellaneous garbage taking up space.

I take care of an elderly parent who is a hoarder. So there's a constant struggle with clearing space off just to have it re-clustered shortly after I turn my back.

I have other projects to keep me occupied until warmer weather, so while the box in the garage is taunting me, it's not beyond ignoring. Gives me something to look forward to, getting back into the garage shop and cleaning it out, re-setting up my workspace, and trying to maintain it all over again.

Until, of course, I win the lottery and can have my own dedicated shop. Ahh, to dream.

[Vinito]

Having the time is a whole nuther thing, so you're on your own there. But mine literally took the space of a newspaper-covered TV tray to apply the rigidizer and refractory. I used a quart cup for mixing, a few ounces of water, nitrile gloves and a moist paintbrush for smoothing. I also applied a coat of 100HT (similar to plistix). Dunno if that made it burn any hotter yet, but that was the hypothesis. Anyway, pretty much a carbon copy.

Good luck

[Bantou]

On 1/16/2022 at 10:00 AM, Vinito said:

I also applied a coat of 100HT (similar to plistix).

Have you been happy with the 100HT? I can get it and a volcano from Amazon vs having to order plistix from somewhere else.