Looking for advice - gas forge

[ArcticArcher]

Have recently picked up an anvil and am wanting to start trying my hand at knife making again.

I currently have a fire brick mini forge, but am looking at getting something different.

Have done some google and that selling website and there is a bunch of stuff out there, but not sure how to decide.

I have a $300-400 budget.

Any suggestions?  

Thanks in advance.

Nick

[bjansen]

Do you have access to weld Nick? You could make yourself a nice one for that budget.  A forced air burner is very easy to make and you can buy fairly inexpensive forced air burner kits on high temp tools website, along with the insulating wool, etc. You would just need to weld up the shell and put it all together.

[ArcticArcher]

Brad, no access to a welder.  Of course have thought about getting a welder at some point.  Maybe I could buy one and say its to save money.  LOL

[kbaknife]

I really don't much like any of the forges out there and find them poorly designed.
It's a great excuse to buy that welder.
If you are even slightly serious about making knives, you'll need one any way. There are countless things to weld up all the time.
And build a VERTICAL FORGE!!!!

[kbaknife]

Your profile says "IA/IL".
Where?

[ArcticArcher]

Quad Cities area.  Orion, IL actually

[kbaknife]

Originally posted by ArcticArcher:
Quad Cities area.  Orion, IL actually

I am over about 30 miles south of Kankakee.
You are welcome to visit if ever over this way.

[ArcticArcher]

Karl,

Appreciate the invite. I just looked on the map and see that it's about a 3 hour drive.  I'll drop you a line if I can get some time.

Nick

[kbaknife]

Understood.
If you're ever in the neighborhood - the door is open.

[Michael Pfander]

Karl:  Care to explain vertical forge.  I thought they were all vertical, just a matter if the flame is on top, bottom, or both.
MAP

[kbaknife]

Originally posted by Michael Pfander:
Karl:  Care to explain vertical forge.  I thought they were all vertical, just a matter if the flame is on top, bottom, or both.
MAP

So many of these commercial forges are designed to simply heat the steel by direct line-of-contact with the flame. They're everywhere.
I hate them.
When using that type of forge, the area of steel heated by the flame is very small. This acts to inconsistently heat things making heat treatment very undependable.
The 'vertical forge' is an upright cylinder with the flame entering at the bottom.
The forge body is heavily insulated.
When the entire forge mass becomes heated it heats the steel by thermal mass radiation is is very regular over a large area.
I've made four different forges over time - an 8", two 12" and the one I now use which is a 12" cut lengthwise and an extra 6" web welded in.
The heat zone is at the top. I effectively have 18" of heat zone which is very desirable when heat treating large blades or forging billets of Damascus.
They are easily less than the cost of commercially made forges and simple to build.
Some scrap tubing and a blower with some plumbing pipe.
 

 

 

 

 

 

[kbaknife]