One burner or two?

[Alan W.]

I am moving into the wonderful world of gas forges and, lacking the patience to build my own, have been considering the Diamond back line.

 

I have a garage shop and am doing knives now with the hope of soon trying Damascus and eventually a sword.

My question is - Does the single burner unit have the horsepower to do all this or should I go with the 2 burner version?

 

I know I would have to use a different set-up to heat treat the sword but would like to do everything else with the gas forge.

 

Any advice out there?

 

Thanks!

[B. Norris]

Forges, especially gassers, are very specialized pieces of equipment, tailored to the type of work they are intended for. Instead of trying to get one forge that will do it all, ask yourself, "what will I be doing the most", and then make your decision. As with any forge, volume is equivalent to higher operating costs. Conforming the shape of the forge to the work done most frequently makes a big difference in the cost of fuel. From looking at the Diamond Back website (Diamond Back Ironworks) I would say that they are setup mainly for welding or large production runs where many parts need to be loaded into a forge to heat. In other words, they are made to be sturdy and stand up to abuse. I would buy one if I expected to be doing a lot of forge welding and I would get the appropriate volume for the billet size I anticipate using. For general bladesmithing, I would build my own, using ceramic wool insulation. No sense paying to heat up all of that cast refractory if I do not need it to resist bumps, the weight of metal being worked, or welding flux. Probably not what you wanted to hear but, I hope it helps you make a wise choise. Have you considered building your own forge? Gas forges are not terribly complicated and building your own can reduce the cost enough that you can build several specialized forges for the cost of one production forge. Larry Zoeller and Darren Ellis are two suppliers of parts for forge building that come to mind. Zoeller Forge Darren Ellis Refractory and Forge Supplies

 

~Bruce~

[Doug Martin]

I am going to be buying the one burner forge. Specifically for blades and billets, and some tools(tongs and hammers). But I am going to do a lot of shorter knives and seaxs so the one burner is fine for me for now.

[Philip West]

I bought the two burner "blacksmith" model..But then Im more of a blacksmith than a bladesmith so it just makes sense for me..I also keep a coal forge handy..

[jrassett]

I bought the one burner forge from Diamondback, its realy effeiciant and gets well into welding heat, but its so small. Im already looking at getting thier 2 or 3 burner models. If you want to do a sword you might as well bite the bullet and get the3 burner model, or build your own. The one burner has the heat, just not the size for serious work

[Ethan B. A. Jackson]

you could always buy the one burner config. and replace the stock burner with one from hybrid burners. a t-rex burner would easlily reach welding temp and probably use less fuel.