heat treating forge

[kriegerj89]

I have a propane forge that gets plenty hot enough to heat treat but I like the idea of coal. Everything I do I like doing it the old way. My question is ive seen a lot of homemade coal forges made of steel car rimson the internet with a shop vac blower would this really work?

[Ray Rogers]

Yes, it really works if you get it set up right. Forging with coal is an entirely different skill set than using a propane forge. There's far more to it than just throwing some coal in a container and lighting it. If you are really serious about taking that approach we have other forums that you will want to visit where at least some of the guys there use coal. Start with Ed Caffrey's forum, Ed doesn't use coal but some of the guys there have used it and know much more about that approach than anyone on the Newbies Forum is likely to know ...

[metal99]

I use coal for all if my forging. I woul offer some tips but I'm not very knowledgable yet lol. It's a blast but like Ray said there is a lot more to it then you would think. A proper fire is key and maintaining the fire properly is a must. Once you figure out how to get a goo fire going and keep it going its pretty straight forward.

[Crex]

"gets plenty hot enough to heat treat" is a very broad range. How well can you control the temp evenly inside your forge? If this is a problem then the charcoal forge is going to be even harder to regulate. There's a lot more "tending to fire" required and learning how to build a fire so that the heat can be regulated to the point where one is not burning steel. A shop vac is hard to control/regulate air flow through a forge and will actually burn up more fuel than actually required at the same time creating hotspots....not conducive to good blade steel thermal cycling. It will take a lot of practice to get control to the point where one is not damaging blade steel.

Sure it can be done and is done all the time, but heat regulating is the key factor. It takes a lot of practice to gain the experience needed. Not trying to dissuade you by any means, just letting you know what to expect. I've watched many good pieces of blade steel go through torture and ruination on their way to becoming a mediocre to poor knife, usually unbeknownest to the maker. More to it than "heat it beat it" and grinding away mistakes.

[kriegerj89]

I think ill stay away from coal for now and just upgrade my propane forge. I talked to ed caffrey about getting his design. Anyone have any input on his forge design or how much it will cost

[Kostoglotov]

Depends on what you can scrounge and if you have any refractory/insulation vendors local.

[kriegerj89]

I can scrounge up quite a bit and I have a fire play and furnace distributor right down the road. And hows the quality of the forge does it work well?

[Ray Rogers]

QUOTE: hows the quality of the forge does it work well?

You are pretty new around here so I'm guessing this is a serious question and not meant to be humorous. Ed is a rated Master Smith and surely one of the most highly respected knife makers in the country. Whatever he may have to say about forges is information you can take to the bank ...

[Kostoglotov]

Agree with Ray

Ed isn't going to try and screw you over, he's a straight shooter that doesn't hide anything You're basically getting 20+ years of experience for free.

Fireplace distributors may or may not have the materials you need, I'd look more towards refractory or boiler suppliers to get the right materials

[Doug Lester]

Gas forges are not rocket science, though there are some safety rules that you'll need to observe, they are pretty simple to build. I don't recall what Ed has for forge plans but if he says that it will work, then it will.

[Crex]

The quality of the forge will depend on how well you stick to the game plan. Good materials and attention to details on how you build it will make a lot of difference. The "tricky" part has been worked out, all you have to do is build accordinly.
Doug is patially right it's not rocket science, but if you are going the venturi route it is jet engine science. Don't be afraid to try it, most of it is recofigurable easy enough and most issues can be trouble shot through this forum. They get easier each one you build.
Being able to weld decent is a plus, but they can be built no-weld just as well. Just got think things through.

[kriegerj89]

I can weld if I have to but I only have a flux core welder which is really bad at making welds that seal nicely I can tac with it but trying to lay a nice bead is impossible. And I done want to offend you guys asking about ed I just don't know anything about him so I just wanted to see if anyone knew about his forge since im paying for the plans

[Crex]

Tack welds will work instead of screws and bolts in certain places. You can get as fancy as you want with your build, but recommend concentrate on getting the basic design down solid first. Can't think of any issue where a "seal" weld is necessary.
Ed's the real deal and gives out solid usable information...you can trust that his information has been tried and tested fully. I build my forge & torches differently, but if you check around there are hundreds of ways to skin the neighbor's cat.