I'm watching this two years after the fact. I have to say your media presence and productions has transformed and progressed immensely.Also the torch burning all by itself on the floor was triggering my anxiety.
I always love coming back to and prefer the old alec . editing . shop work . it was pure . and real . a bunch of lads doing real work and production as an after thought
Just built the same forge got the burners of you Alec THANKS Jesus its a beast when its running. Had awful trouble with one of the burners not running right turned out a tiny peace of the ptfe gas tape was lodged in the nozzle of the burner. The bit in this video where he says heat the forge VERY SLOWLY take heed, i hand a small explosion the refractory in the base blew up it will be ok for now
i just started viewing your videos and i have to say i am very impressed. i have been very intrigued by black smithing. im gunna have to build a forge and try it out
A phenomenon known as liquefaction would be the reason why your refractory becomes wet on the top as you tamp it down. It is also why buildings sink into seemingly solid ground during earthquakes.
Bk when I waited and looked forward to his uploads and streams some of the early ones he did bfO he moved Montana are still some the best vids on RUclips 👍
not sure if the refractory is the same as the castable refractory we use at our power plant here in California, but our cure is about 100 degrees of heat added per hour till 600 degrees, then hold at 600 (roughly) for about 2 hours, then we can take it up to full heat after that with little problem.
@@marcellogenovese199 a little late for you but... we use different kinds where I work and it depends on what type you need but... there's stuff called Met-Sil-Cast it's a silica based castable. There's Tasil 317 air set (low alumina) . A-621 heat set (high alumina). TZ 150 and Zirmul 160 (zirconium based) And Met Pump C-190 ...those are some names to get you going.
Why let the burners burn down, instead of up or from the side? What i have seen from other experiences, is if the burner burns down, it tends to extinguish itself, and if unattended, it could flood the room with propane, that alone is bad.
Coming from someone who's been welding since I was 8: heat is too low on the welder. Also move back and forth along the weld instead of cross-wise. And move a tad slower :) what type of gas are u using?
That skim is called the "cream." Fluid dynamics is the scientific basis for it. A well poured slab has just the right amount of cream and that's what they continuously work to give you a polished concrete surface. Further polishing can be done with abrasives.
Love the plug for the Aussie burners from Gameco! Any reason you didn't go for the cylindrical forge design you would've seen everyone using down here?
I see that you have welded your burners into the box, so it would be a good idea to seal around my burner? I have about a 1-2mm gap around my burner, should I just cement it in with refractory mortar?
hello! you a very nice job like always, i love your videos. You don't maked a sink hole in the bottong for the melted borax can exit is not maked for any reason?
Ever considered fan forced burners Alec?.... I have built a couple of hundred gas forges (mostly for farriers but the principle is the same) and the fan forced ones use a lot less gas, get hotter if you need it and are a lot more controllable. Happy to to share my experience etc. if you are interested... I could perhaps send a video of my old forge. It's about 25 years old now, and I am retired, but it still sits in the shop and gets used when I need it.... PM me if interested.... Cheers...
Hi +Alec Steele, Im from luxembourg and planing to build my first gas forge and i was asking my self what for thikness should the wall bricks have? Nice work you have done. THX
jep i now i m on my way to built 2 x 3/4 burners. and don't whant the forge to be to big but even to small. i m thinking about L40xl19xh12cm and make a litle wall so i can isolate 1 burner if i do something smaler and use both if i whant som machette style object. thx
I really wish I could pick up one of those (chokes? Air intake? Dunno the spinny thing) alone. I can't seem to find them anywhere though. I can pick up all the other parts and I have most of the pipes and fittings already but I can't find (see above parenthesis) anywhere.
Have you and Sam ever thought of combining your business efforts? Steele & Fowler Metal Works? Obviously, you two work together like hand and glove. Just a fleeting thought. I can truly appreciate your forge design. I like its flexibility and, with the castable, no doubt, its durability. One of my next purchases will be a digital thermocouple. I look forward to seeing it in use with you making a forge/fire weld (not necessarily damascus). Keep forging!
+Glenn Wiebe it is indeed something that we are discussing, combining our efforts much more than just the live show! I am indeed enjoying owning a thermocouple! It was like $20 on eBay- well worth it!
I would like to build a forge for making hunting ,camping knives ,then graduating up to the machete,and then small swords and finally the sabre 😉 My question to you would be what size of gas burners would be MOST cost effective in terms of fuel usages and effectiveness . Thanks for any response Best regards
Yet another good video ! I'm gonna have to get my act together soon and get my forge built and an anvil so I can start walking away and may even look at a class mate end of next year ! Other than the smithing and shooting and ⛵️ and other hobbys... angling ?
Edge Precision he mentioned that in the video where he decided to make a new forge All the scale and flux from making Damascus was clogging the torch head constantly Thats why he put it on top
+Alec Steele Given that the 1 inch burner can control the air intake, is it still important to have something pushing air in (such as a hairdryer)? I'm asking this question with forge welding in mind (for damascus steel). Thanks, your content is great :)
alec are you still selling those burners ...!? looking to build me a forge ,im from Québec,Canada ... do you ship over seas .. ? just discovered you channel since this late springs and i got to say i love you work ...! very much inspiring ...
Alec, I'm wondering because I'm thinking about building a similar forge somewhere in the future (although probably smaller) what refractory material did you use here?
Hi Alek I am just going into blacksmithing if you think 1/2 a year is geting started. I want to know if you’re forge uses propane or MAPP. Also I use a oxygen/propane torch to heat up steel. It is very expensive.are there any alternatives
cool, but do u have a oxigen tank atached to this, or is it just with propane and the oxigen from the ambient getting mixed because of the mencioned Australian burner.
What regulator do you use for a 3 forge burner is it possible to use one 9kg lpg gas bottle to run all three burners or do you run 3 gas bottles for 3 burners need to get the psi up to 20 but i have a hi flow reg on it and it is still pushing out orange flame any ideas?
Hello Alec, I hope you can help me, I have been trying to build my own team for more than two years and I can not solve the problems, in my country most of the implemets do not exist, I would like to know if you can recommend a place where Buy one or two of the Australian burners that you mention. I'm from Argentina Thank you very much
I'm building this forge and finished the bottom part the other day. But i just realized I might have done the isolation in the bottom wrong, I compressed it quite a bit to get more room for my refractory cast. I'm thinking the compressed isolation ( 2 layers of 2,5cm each ) might perform badly when compressed, am I right to believe so?
@@VincentRousselLauzier didn't expect a reply on a comment from 7 years ago lol. It was a tiny steel bucket forge and it used a single burner running on a bbq propane cylinder. It wasn't very good and it didn't get particularly hot but it was fun at the time.
Hey Alec! What thickness is that Diamond Plate? Getting ready to build mine with 1/8 inch diamond plate with 2 inches of kao wool, bricks and refractory. Don't want to go to thin on the steel though.
Pour the top, flip it in its side, hot glue peace of plywood on the opening (hot glue acts as a sealer and is easy enough to remove) and pour the side, then do the other side. How any of this is difficult? :D If you want permanent seal between the bottom and the top, just do rather thin mix of fire proof concrete and use that to connect the bottom and the top, so heat wont escape from the sides. Also i would suggest placing some fire proof wool on the sides too, between steel and refractory, so heat loss is minimal+ ouside of the forge wont heat up so much. Of course connecting everything up might have negative side effects when materials are heated and start to expand, what might cause cracking, so designed fault lines like using fire bricks in the sides might be better option. Any comment on that, from experience +Alec Steele?
Still the best content for alec steele . all the old stuff was gold .
yep.
and I kinda miss sam. he had a youtube account back then. cant find him anymore :(
I love how you had an acetylene torch in the back, just kinda burning away as a heater xD
+TheCompute101 I hate winter!!! 😜
Alec Steele than come to Australia👍👍👍
Alec, I have to know what jacket that is! Thanks for all you do!
+Monster it's a carrhart Detroit jacket!
Thank you! 5 Hours later and I still haven't stopped watching your videos! Thanks mate!
I'm watching this two years after the fact. I have to say your media presence and productions has transformed and progressed immensely.Also the torch burning all by itself on the floor was triggering my anxiety.
What type of refractory cement are you using/what is the temperature rating?
Thanks
I always love coming back to and prefer the old alec . editing . shop work . it was pure . and real . a bunch of lads doing real work and production as an after thought
Just built the same forge got the burners of you Alec THANKS Jesus its a beast when its running. Had awful trouble with one of the burners not running right turned out a tiny peace of the ptfe gas tape was lodged in the nozzle of the burner. The bit in this video where he says heat the forge VERY SLOWLY take heed, i hand a small explosion the refractory in the base blew up it will be ok for now
Finally I saw how your awesome forge is built!!
For safety reasons, it appears those overhead gas lines should be connected at a much more vertical angle. If you are not careful it could go BOOM!
i just started viewing your videos and i have to say i am very impressed. i have been very intrigued by black smithing. im gunna have to build a forge and try it out
The long awaited forge build. Thumbs up alec nice build
A phenomenon known as liquefaction would be the reason why your refractory becomes wet on the top as you tamp it down. It is also why buildings sink into seemingly solid ground during earthquakes.
So good to see them times when you and Sam did things together.
Well done! That is a fantastic job. No need to worry about welding and arguments now. Very exciting.
One set of guys at one end and another set of guys at the other end, that is indeed the best way to do it.
Wish I had seen this earlier today before I poured some refractory for my new charcoal forge. You reminded me of a thing or two that I had forgotten.
Bk when I waited and looked forward to his uploads and streams some of the early ones he did bfO he moved Montana are still some the best vids on RUclips 👍
Great videos man. I love that you also teach beginners. You seem like you would be a real good teacher. Thanks 🙏
Those burners look amazing. I look forward to seeing you sell them.
not sure if the refractory is the same as the castable refractory we use at our power plant here in California, but our cure is about 100 degrees of heat added per hour till 600 degrees, then hold at 600 (roughly) for about 2 hours, then we can take it up to full heat after that with little problem.
Whats the name of that cement?
@@marcellogenovese199 a little late for you but... we use different kinds where I work and it depends on what type you need but... there's stuff called Met-Sil-Cast it's a silica based castable. There's Tasil 317 air set (low alumina) . A-621 heat set (high alumina). TZ 150 and Zirmul 160 (zirconium based) And Met Pump C-190 ...those are some names to get you going.
Why let the burners burn down, instead of up or from the side? What i have seen from other experiences, is if the burner burns down, it tends to extinguish itself, and if unattended, it could flood the room with propane, that alone is bad.
Coming from someone who's been welding since I was 8: heat is too low on the welder. Also move back and forth along the weld instead of cross-wise. And move a tad slower :) what type of gas are u using?
Perfect timing with this video. My old forge is well... on its last legs doesn't really describe it. So thanks for the new forge idea
Love your have a go attitude, thixotropic - shake somethings, & they become fluid, I think plaster type things have this property.
the torch in the back just vibin
I built my own forge as well and love the Hybridburner mine uses 3 1" burners and can hit 2500f
That skim is called the "cream." Fluid dynamics is the scientific basis for it. A well poured slab has just the right amount of cream and that's what they continuously work to give you a polished concrete surface. Further polishing can be done with abrasives.
Great work. Can't wait to see it in action!
Man, that looks great! I can't wait to see it in person.
Ha I just ordered a gameco burner a few days back here in NZ.. Should be arriving tomorrow!
LOL! LOVE the rosebud burning on the floor!.... Just hanging out! LOL
Love the torch on the floor in the background....
Love the plug for the Aussie burners from Gameco! Any reason you didn't go for the cylindrical forge design you would've seen everyone using down here?
what is the refractory mix you are using?
I see that you have welded your burners into the box, so it would be a good idea to seal around my burner? I have about a 1-2mm gap around my burner, should I just cement it in with refractory mortar?
I just brought the noob grinder from gameco which I’m certain is the same as the one you have in your new shop
Congrats!! You have an awesome channel. It's interesting and I'm also learning english watching it.
The more you work it the more moisture you bring out of it and to the surface.
hello! you a very nice job like always, i love your videos. You don't maked a sink hole in the bottong for the melted borax can exit is not maked for any reason?
i JUST FOUND YOUR CHANNEL AND LOVING IT SITTING HER FOR HOURS WATCHING ALL YOUR VIDEOS // FROM
SOUTH AFRICA
Hey Alec , I know I'm a bit late but what castable did you use?
The water on the concrete is called bleeding. A major part of any concrete pour.
Does anyone else either close your eyes or turn away when he starts welding. I've caught myself a few times. It's just a habit.
Ever considered fan forced burners Alec?.... I have built a couple of hundred gas forges (mostly for farriers but the principle is the same) and the fan forced ones use a lot less gas, get hotter if you need it and are a lot more controllable.
Happy to to share my experience etc. if you are interested... I could perhaps send a video of my old forge. It's about 25 years old now, and I am retired, but it still sits in the shop and gets used when I need it.... PM me if interested.... Cheers...
KathrynLiz1 i would like to see it
You should upload it! I would be interested to see it too!
yeah man, go for it!
I'd love to see that, too!
Hi +Alec Steele,
Im from luxembourg and planing to build my first gas forge and i was asking my self what for thikness should the wall bricks have?
Nice work you have done.
THX
jep i now i m on my way to built 2 x 3/4 burners. and don't whant the forge to be to big but even to small. i m thinking about L40xl19xh12cm and make a litle wall so i can isolate 1 burner if i do something smaler and use both if i whant som machette style object.
thx
The forge is looking great Alec, nice job : )
Any thoughts or point in the right direction for doing a natural gas fueled kiln?
I really wish I could pick up one of those (chokes? Air intake? Dunno the spinny thing) alone. I can't seem to find them anywhere though. I can pick up all the other parts and I have most of the pipes and fittings already but I can't find (see above parenthesis) anywhere.
Have you and Sam ever thought of combining your business efforts? Steele & Fowler Metal Works? Obviously, you two work together like hand and glove. Just a fleeting thought.
I can truly appreciate your forge design. I like its flexibility and, with the castable, no doubt, its durability. One of my next purchases will be a digital thermocouple. I look forward to seeing it in use with you making a forge/fire weld (not necessarily damascus). Keep forging!
+Glenn Wiebe it is indeed something that we are discussing, combining our efforts much more than just the live show!
I am indeed enjoying owning a thermocouple! It was like $20 on eBay- well worth it!
Where did you get the castable refractory? And what price range?
Alec I love your videos! Would you ever make your own bloom steel and make a knife or sword from that? I think that would be cool.
Great video Alec!
Interesting burners. You say you plan on selling the burners. What type are they? When do you think you will start?
I would like to build a forge for making hunting ,camping knives ,then graduating up to the machete,and then small swords and finally the sabre 😉
My question to you would be what size of gas burners would be MOST cost effective in terms of fuel usages and effectiveness .
Thanks for any response
Best regards
Yet another good video ! I'm gonna have to get my act together soon and get my forge built and an anvil so I can start walking away and may even look at a class mate end of next year ! Other than the smithing and shooting and ⛵️ and other hobbys... angling ?
+Chris Bannister sleep is my only other hobby!!
brill lots of options with this forge, like the design completely different to the anything else available ,alec your a genius you should sell them?
good job, well done, what it the mix for the refractory mixture. sure it will be awesome fast high temperature.... have a nice day
question is it better for the burner to point straight down or on a angle..?
Alex wasn't your other forge with the burner facing up. Did you change your thinking to this style with down facing burners?
Edge Precision he mentioned that in the video where he decided to make a new forge
All the scale and flux from making Damascus was clogging the torch head constantly
Thats why he put it on top
Edge Precision I
how often do you have to refill your tanks. Seems like with all the work you do it would be a major factor in pricing work.
What did you use for your refractory cement. If possible to answer this that would be amazing. I know it's an old video.
+Alec Steele
Given that the 1 inch burner can control the air intake, is it still important to have something pushing air in (such as a hairdryer)?
I'm asking this question with forge welding in mind (for damascus steel).
Thanks, your content is great :)
so I get the refactory in the top and bottom, was the sides the same or did you use Kiln bricks on the sides?
When are you getting the Burners to sell?
Hey Alec,
would you be able to give the dimensions of the forge so we could make a similar?
also the thickness of the steel for the forge
4:32 Sam: Hello darkness my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again...
Alec, I know this is an older video but I was wondering what size forge interior you recommend for one of your 1" burners? (cubic inches)
Have you started selling the burners yet? If so how much and how do I buy two? Thanks
PROTECT THOSE LUNGS BOYS!! THAT DRY DUSTY REFRACTORY DOES NOT COME BACK OUT☹️GREAT JOB FELLAS🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Do you have a timeframe for when you may be selling the burners?
alec are you still selling those burners ...!? looking to build me a forge ,im from Québec,Canada ... do you ship over seas .. ? just discovered you channel since this late springs and i got to say i love you work ...! very much inspiring ...
Do you have any information of the type of castable refractory? Brand? Rated temperature?
how much gas do you spend or better how long last in your daily use :)
thank you so much alec!
defenatly my next forge design!
Its looking good!
Bonjour, bonne vidéo et merci pour le partage.
Alec, I'm wondering because I'm thinking about building a similar forge somewhere in the future (although probably smaller) what refractory material did you use here?
what is the difference between a coal fired forge to any other type of forge
Thanks so much this helps me with my one. Awesome.
Hi Alek I am just going into blacksmithing if you think 1/2 a year is geting started. I want to know if you’re forge uses propane or MAPP. Also I use a oxygen/propane torch to heat up steel. It is very expensive.are there any alternatives
cool, but do u have a oxigen tank atached to this, or is it just with propane and the oxigen from the ambient getting mixed because of the mencioned Australian burner.
What regulator do you use for a 3 forge burner is it possible to use one 9kg lpg gas bottle to run all three burners or do you run 3 gas bottles for 3 burners need to get the psi up to 20 but i have a hi flow reg on it and it is still pushing out orange flame any ideas?
Hello Alec, I hope you can help me, I have been trying to build my own team for more than two years and I can not solve the problems, in my country most of the implemets do not exist, I would like to know if you can recommend a place where Buy one or two of the Australian burners that you mention. I'm from Argentina Thank you very much
Hi Alec, Thanks for the videos. What is the temperature rating for the cement?
+BoilermakerSteve the floor is 1600C and the roof is 1400 (not as high as I would like but we'll see how it holds up! I would prefer 1500 rated)
Thanks. I have only found 2200F in any useful quantity.
can clay based refractories be used in this build or would that be too low on the temp range?
Why did you switch from a firebrick top to a casted top between videos?
How fast do you go through propane? I'm contemplating gas over coal.
I'm building this forge and finished the bottom part the other day. But i just realized I might have done the isolation in the bottom wrong, I compressed it quite a bit to get more room for my refractory cast. I'm thinking the compressed isolation ( 2 layers of 2,5cm each ) might perform badly when compressed, am I right to believe so?
Nice job, yeah we're pretty cluey here in Aussie land. Mate did I see a torch on the ground alight. Be careful cobber please.
I have a gameco burner in my forge
How many psi you run your forge?
@@VincentRousselLauzier didn't expect a reply on a comment from 7 years ago lol. It was a tiny steel bucket forge and it used a single burner running on a bbq propane cylinder. It wasn't very good and it didn't get particularly hot but it was fun at the time.
Great build, can't wait to see some steel in it! Posted the dimensions for us, please. Be safe
Hey Alec! What thickness is that Diamond Plate? Getting ready to build mine with 1/8 inch diamond plate with 2 inches of kao wool, bricks and refractory. Don't want to go to thin on the steel though.
I know this video is old but I’m hoping someone will know what the casting mortar is made from please. Thank you so much in advance. 👍🏻
here in 12 min. new record!!
for me
What psi you run gameco burner?
So what do you think of the 'Gameco' burners....good Aussie stuff aye?
how did ya form the wall of the forge????seen the top but not the side walls
+Barkley Burker sides are bricks!
ok great thought ya poured them... somehow... thanks for the reply
Pour the top, flip it in its side, hot glue peace of plywood on the opening (hot glue acts as a sealer and is easy enough to remove) and pour the side, then do the other side. How any of this is difficult? :D
If you want permanent seal between the bottom and the top, just do rather thin mix of fire proof concrete and use that to connect the bottom and the top, so heat wont escape from the sides. Also i would suggest placing some fire proof wool on the sides too, between steel and refractory, so heat loss is minimal+ ouside of the forge wont heat up so much.
Of course connecting everything up might have negative side effects when materials are heated and start to expand, what might cause cracking, so designed fault lines like using fire bricks in the sides might be better option.
Any comment on that, from experience +Alec Steele?
what would you recommend for a burner that i could easily get in the U.S.
Do you have any issues of heat recirculating back into the burners?
What was the material you used to cast the forge lining with?
what's the insulation mixture you're using?