What is a good gas forge for forge welding?

Stefan73

Stefan73

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Oct 2, 2014
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Looking for recommendations, I was wondering if there was something that is commercially available to use that isn't outlandish in price that I could forge weld with, in something like a two burner?

I tried the search engine and sadly my google-foo is lacking.

I had a forge I built a long time ago (2007) that was a forced air propane forge that was able to get up to welding temps but after a long time with a lot of moves (my carport collapsing on it after a Louisiana storm) it is pretty much toast with the exception of the shell (it is too short for the pieces I want to work with).

Any assistance is appreciated.

Thank you.
 
"outlandish in price" is subjective, so I will steer around that.

I currently use the Graham forge from Atlas Knives.
It's a single burner forced air.
I have forge welded 1.5" thick billets.

Previous I had a single burner venturi burner from Atlas Knives.
I was also able to forge weld with it. It used a lot more gas and the floor wasn't coated to protect against flux, so it's life was cut a bit short.

I'm more curious to hear if there is a reasonably sized forge that isn't capable of forge welding.

If it is exclusively for forge welding, that could change the suggestion. A vertical forge might be better. I have no experience there.
 
More so the occasional forge welding. I have been out of the mix for a little while and just setup my new Pheer grinder and have a pretty small coal forge, so I am not in the know of what is currently available and/or good. I wanted something that was easy to fire up and move some metal with and do some occasional forge welding.
 
NC Forge Knifemaker forge is a good choice. My NC Forge Whisper Lowboy does fine, too.
I never forge welded using the Atlas, Graham, but I am sure it would get hot enough. The port may have to be enlarged for most billets.

You can build a welding forge very easily, as they run at pretty much full blast. That means you don't need much more than a blown burner, a 10" X16" piece of pipe, a couple feet of Hi-Z Kao-wool, and a stack of firebricks for the ends.
 
Yes, I was listing the main parts. Refractory coating (Satanite) and a floor of bubble alumina would be the finishing items.
 
When I built my old forge I coated the kaowool. Even with bubble alumina the flux (I fluxed really heavily) would eat right through the satanite and bubble alumina like it was nothing.

Thank you for the recommendations gentlemen.
 
A piece of kiln shelf or hard firebrick will also make a good flux resistant floor. A cast floor of Kast-o-lite 30 will last a very long time.
 
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