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My old coal forge finally gave out after 12 years when the firepot cracked during a knife heat treat last Tuesday.
I had to finish the piece with my backup propane rig, but now I'm looking for recommendations on a new coal forge build or a solid pre-made one under $800.
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gonzalez.reese1mo ago
Totally get what kai_park means about the letdown. Switching to propane in the middle of a heat treat just kills your rhythm, the whole feel of the metal changes. It's like going from a charcoal grill to a stove burner for a steak. For that budget, you could build a beast of a side-blast forge with a brake drum and some refractory. I ran one for years that cost maybe a hundred bucks in parts.
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the_ray1mo ago
My uncle tried to switch his old coal forge to gas back in the 90s. He said the fire just felt wrong, like it was too clean and quiet. Ended up selling the whole setup and just going back to charcoal for his farrier work.
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