World's best thread about forges...

[Mark Redmon]

Here's mine. Not the world's best, but it works . It's a Darren Ellis body and burner, btw. I put together the 2 stage burner and control based off of Stacy Apelt's design as well as lined the forge:

Before the lining:

--nathan

Nathan, I don't know if you play any video games, but that looks like something right out of Bioshock! Sweet setup...

 

[Ernie Swanson]

I just built my little two brick forge yesterday, fired it up for the first time today.
I got to say it does get hot fast. Now I just need an anvil and a hammer!!!!

 

[silver_pilate]

Mark, thanks for the compliment. I have played Bioshock...good stuff .

--nathan

 

[Rusty McDonald]

I think Im In love with Nathans Forge!! LOL

Made this one out of an old Propaine tank.

 

[BossDog]

NASA made Nathan's forge..i covet it...

 

[Wayne Coe]

Dragon Forge in Tennessee

Here are pictures of mine. It is made from a 30# propane bottle, has one inch of Inswool and 1 inch of Kast-0-Lite castable. Over that is a coating of Infrared Reflective Plistix. It has 2 one inch Hybred Burners.
The dragon (Puff) was originaly one inch square.
Btw, the metal in the forge is the hot cut that I posted a couple of months ago under the thread, "My blades cut steel". This is after the hardy tang was drawn out but before the blade was drawn down or as knife makers would say "before the bevels were forged".

 

[BossDog]

I especially liked this...

 

[Curtiss Knives]

Whats a forge???huh1

 

[TJ Smith]

My Forge

Blown propane forge. 12 inch dia 20 gage steel x 118 high. 1 inch burner. no flare.kinda like Indian Gs. No bottom just 2 inches of kitty liter over hard 1/2 fire brick.Just lift the body up it all falls out. Very adjustable with the valve.
Take Care
TJ

 

[Kentucky]

No Coal burners out there?? Now here is old smokey Made completely from scrap! This old forge has made a lot of stuff including that bar of damascus and rasp hawk laying there.. I have meant forever to replace old smokey but hey, not broke and all that cool 1 Well here is in the left side of the pic is a new table top forge with side draft hood under construction(in the second pic). Ill just take the hood off old smokey and use him on the outside on nice cool evenings. In the third pic is a new(to me) champion blower I picked up for a cool $50 at the flea market 2thumbs Perfect gears and silky smooth. Well in the fourth pic is Lisa's Diamondback two burner. Welds easily and then some. It likes propane but I have actually melted 1084 in it once while making a hawk head with a 1084 bit..Good forge but Im ol' school cool 1

 

[RandyScott]

Here is my contribution - a 2 bricker that I built a little over 3 years ago. The first two photos was taken back then and the last this morning. Starting to show some wear and tear. As you can see, it will heat 1/2" round mild hot enough to practice pointing round stock. I have hauled it to 6 hammerins and used it to demo and let youngsters take a turn at forging.

For the two other 2 bricker owners, note the 'homemade choke' on the tube.. just a piece of cola can cut in a strip and fastened with blue masking tape. Helps to reduce the extremely lean burn of the JTH-7 burner head and reduce the scaling of your blades. I coated the outside with a thin layer of Satanite to protect the soft firebrick. The wire helps hold it together as it gets heat expansion cracks. Additionally, I coated the inside in a thin layer of Satanite also and then a thin coat of ITC-100. That little sucker will get hot. Great for small knives.

 

[CDHumiston]

All I can afford right now...

 

[Dwane Oliver]

This was my first attempt at a forge. I wish it wasnt quite as deep and the burner was closer to the door , and I also wish I would have put a door on the other end. Ohh well. 10" steel pipe , T-Rex burner. Brick lined. It gets hotter than anything I ever seen before ...which aint saying alot , but it gets hot fast too.
I also wish I wouldnt have stuck that burner in there so far , I cant get it out now

 

[DrThunder88]

Cool. I've got an octo-forge too. Yours has a much deeper chamber though!

 

[BossDog]

my Whisper2. the front and back both flip up out of the way.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

My 2 brick forge. Not the best but works for now.

 

[UncleBillyKnives]

Here is one i made from a freon bottle.

 

[Indian George]

Here is a couple.

 

[Gabe Newell]

Is there a consensus view on off-the-shelf forges from NC Tool, Dave Ellis, Chili, Mankel, Diamondback, etc...

 

[BossDog]

Is there a consensus view on off-the-shelf forges from NC Tool, Dave Ellis, Chili, Mankel, Diamondback, etc...

Gabe,
Call Darrin Ellis and have him build a custom one for you. Great guy and he's been heavy into forging and forge building for several years now.

You will need to decide round, or square, blown or venturi, vertical or horizontal.

Generally, the school of thoughts are but like everything in knife making, you can find just as many guys on the opposite side of the fence on each of these points:

Forced air is for damascus making as it gets hotter quicker and really kicks out the BTU's. A venturi is more than enough for knife forging. If you see yourself making damascus at some time, at least get one that you can add a blower to later.

Round distributes heat in the chamber more evenly. Square holds more.

Vertical's heat more efficiently than horizontal. There are 10x more horizontals than verticals.
t