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howdy, lately I've been thinking about building a propane forge but before I start I thought i'd better check and make sure I was on the right track. first, is a smaller forge more efficient than a larger forge? common sense would say yes but what do I know lol. originally I was planning to use an old propane tank or a 5 gallon air tank for the forge body but got to thinking they may be larger than I need right now. I have some 8" wide pipe and I think some 6" or 8" wide tubing that might be a better starting option for me. second, not having any experience with burners i'm having a hard time deciding what would be best one to use. atlas forge sells a 100k btu burner with a 30 psi regulator for around 70 bucks which looks like a good option. and I was also thinking about the venturi burner kit from high temp tools. by the time I got that and then a regulator i'd be looking at about $80 to $100. another option I just discovered here on the forum is the turkey fryer burner. looks like I could get a burner and regulator combo on amazon for around $30. any suggestions on what to go with? third, if I did go with the 8" pipe for the forge body would 2" of inswool coated in satanite be a good combo? or is there something better? my main interests right now are 10" to 15" Bowies and fighters and eventually trying my hand at Damascus so i'd like to build a forge that could handle all of that without being overkill. thanks in advance! Zane.

Hello everyone, im brand new to this site so if this is a dumb question please tell me. I need a couple fire bricks for end caps for my propane forge. Unfortunately in my area (SW Florida) it is impossible to find fire brick within 150 miles. I’ve found a few recipes for refractory cement but again the only materials I can find around here are Portland cement I-II, perlite, crushed silica, hydrated lime. Has anyone experimented with this recipe and would it suffice as a temporary fix until I can build a new forge properly?

Good evening everyone, if anyone in the MA or RI area is looking for refractory products I will most likely be going up to Woburn to purchase some Kast o lite, and some IR coating, if there is anyone that wants to go in on a bag or 2 of either I should be travelling up there week after next. If anyone in Northern, MA or southern NH is looking for refractory check out Cutter northern refractory, they have a pretty good selection of products.

Hello again everyone. I went ahead and got the refractory cement that was rated at 3000F for $5. I brushed, dabbed, and smoothed out my first coat. It is curing in the oven right now at 500F. I'm going to see what an hour does to it. I moistened the ceramic insulation first before I applied the cement. I read this is benefitial to help keep the fibers down and let the cement make a better connection. I will check on the forge in an hour and see if it will handle a second coat yet. Is it best to shut off the oven and let the cement cool down inside the oven gradually? I don't want to pull it out and ruin the process.