So I guess you can say things are starting to get serious...

M

malignity

Well-Known Member
I discovered accidentally that my atlas mini-forge burner is coming for my birthday on October 6th so that I can make my own forge.

Furthermore, I decided to put up one of my handguns for sale and build myself a KMG. I've found the free plans online, so I guess it's time to make it happen.

Time to go from just being an amateur stock removalist to being an amateur stock removalist with better toys who also gets to play with fire.

No big deal for most of you folks, but for someone new to the craft, I can't wait. I remember as a kid making 'blades' from random bits of steel or wood or whatever, and now I finally get to make it more of a reality. After watching well over two hours of video last night, I think I finally figured out how to build myself a semi-decent forge. I think. I hope. We'll see.
 
Congrats on the B-present. A forge in the atlas size range is great for a ton of projects. What style forge are you thinking of making with it? I have seen pretty good success with that sized burner and the #10 or paint can forges.

My one tip for building a KMG is don't skimp on the contact wheels. Just pay the money and get a quality wheels with bearings already in them. This goes for platen wheels as well.
 
Jump in and don't look back.
Hope you have a lot of handguns to sell. The doctor will see you shortly, have a seat. :9:

Rudy
 
It's been recommended to me by another member here to use a freon tank with the atlas burner. I've got Kaowool, and was going to use a mix of clay, vermiculite, and plistix if I can find it. I was going to go all out with Kast o Lite, etc, but honesty I can't afford it right now and I seriously have a tight budget which is why I'm selling off guns. I don't need to get forge welding temperature, just critical temperatures.

My dad is a machinist and has offered to make the wheels on the lathe, but maybe I should just buy them. I'm hoping $400 will get me started on the KMG. We'll see.
 
The rubber coated wheels were what I was talking about; the regular wheels your dad should be able to make easily. A Freon tank could work, although I would think it a little on the large side compared to the atlas mini-forge that the burner is "from". Most people with the atlas sized forges don't even coat their wool. They just put it in a paint can from NAPA or Lowes/Homedepot or a coffe can and fire it up. Any way you can coat it will make it last longer though. Think something like this plus your burner.
 
You can get satanite and coat your kawool. That's what I did. High temp tools has it for $14 per 5lbs. Shipping kills ya to me it was $14 but I my wool from them to so wasn't terrible. I had enough to easily coat my forge, I use the left over for any repairs and to clay coat blades for quench lines.
From my understanding you deffanitly need to coat the wool or it burns off some nasty fibers that can get in your lungs.
 
Gotcha on the wheels. He suggested I just use his then glue rubber inner tube inside. I doubt its ability to hold up, but who knows. Probably better to just buy them. Lol. My dad's just as much into saving money as I am.

In regards to the forge, I'd like to get as large of a hole as possible, so I'm not stuck making small blades. I was thinking ideally around a 6". I had figured (and I could be wrong) that good insulation would be the best thing, and hopefully the burner size might not matter as much.

I had almost been debating making a sodium silicate/perlite forge, and still may, combining the kaowool, and adding plistix.

A paint can would work in a pinch. Ideally I'd also like to be able to make short swords, etc. I'm big into 10" bladed camp knives.

My biggest issue would be avoiding making a hot spot where the burner enters. I'm still learning as I go along, and won't get the burner until October 6th. :D
 
it is an addiction for sure. But I am fairly certain it has ruined less marriages than drugs or alcohol.
 
You only need a 4" hole at most. Keeping it smaller will help with getting the right temperature and not wasting fuel. I have built forges out of empty freon tanks use 2" 8# kaowool. You definitely need to coat it. The fibers will cause you issues down the road with your lungs.

I make large knives and short swords using a 2 brick forge with a 2.5x4" opening

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Perfect. Thank you sir! Have you tried the sodium silicate/perlite combo over the clay/vermiculite method?

Yours is probably easier and cheaper, but if I can get slightly more bang for my buck spending a few dollars more, I can do that.

The coffee can forges and smelters are pretty convincing on YouTube, but I know you make (and sell) these things lol.
 
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