I was wrong about using a cheap propane forge for pattern welding

For years I stuck with my old coal setup because I heard propane couldn't get hot enough for good forge welds. Last month my coal forge broke, so I borrowed a friend's basic two-burner propane rig as a quick fix. I got a solid weld on my first try with 1084 and 15N20, holding at about 2300 degrees for five minutes. The heat was way more even and easier to control than I expected. Now I'm saving for a better propane system of my own. Has anyone else switched from coal to gas for Damascus and been surprised?

2 comments

2 Comments

dixon.daniel9d ago

My uncle's old coal forge smelled like a tire fire...

nora_barnes9d ago

Tire fire is the perfect way to put it. My first try at a forge made the whole neighborhood smell like I was melting old sneakers. I'm pretty sure I set back local air quality by a solid twenty years. Not my finest hour, but at least I learned what not to do.