Iron Falcon 72 Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 I recently acquired a pipe-type gas forge and am looking to build a stand for it. What are some of y'alls recommendations for must-haves on the stand? Like height? Should the area under the forge be open like with expanded metal or solid sheet? I suppose racks or shelves for tools would be good. Anything else? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 DO NOT put the fuel tank under or close to the forge. BOOM is not a nice noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian C. Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 I use a utility cart with the forge set on firebrick. I made a rack to go across the front for hammers and tongs hang from the handle of the cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Falcon 72 Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 To all, Glenn, Thanks. I had someone in the local group also make that recommendation and I'd thought of it as well. We were at a demo and the tank was about 8' away and he said make it farther! Brian C., Thanks for the picture. Do you have any more? About how far off the ground is it? I guess it has to be a compromise betwen lifting stuff up and looking inside to check the temparature. My thought on the stuff it sets on; Is it important heat-loss wise? Thanks to y'all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 My suggestion would have the height of the forge as being tall enough to look inside easily, but low enough to hold the work the steel comfortably. I would caution you against anything over chest high and never over armpit high. A gas forge is different from a coal forge as the gas forge only gets so hot then stalls at that point. You can leave the metal in the fire for 5 minutes or 15 minutes at the same temperature. After a while, you develop a "feel" for when the metal is ready, remove it to check, and either put it back or put it on the anvil. You DO NOT have to baby-sit the metal because it does not get hotter faster just because you are watching. Different blacksmiths and different jobs may require different forge heights, so make the adjustment already. To take this a step further, the gas forge could be used at the SAME height as the coal forge (waist high). The only concern would be the metal being pushed into the insulation. This could easily be addressed by placing the metal straight into the forge and having an indicator as to how deep into the forge the metal was inserted. Two 3rd hands could handle alignment, and an indicator or reference marker could be used for the depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
civilwarblacksmith Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 I like the utility cart idea. It look neat with a place to put stuff on the side like jigs and the end for tongs and handles. I think I'm going to replace my stand with that. I can move it around the shop easier that way and store it out of the way when the gas forge is not needed. Propane tank can be stored under the cart when not in use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Falcon 72 Posted September 20, 2008 Author Share Posted September 20, 2008 Is worrying about the platform the forge actually sits on worthwhile? Is there any significant difference in using solid plate or expanded metal or even supporting it over a hole to reduce heat loss to table? Or is that just picking nits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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