Switched from coal to propane at my forge last spring after 12 years of burning bituminous

Used to spend 20 minutes every morning getting a coal fire hot enough to weld but now I flip a switch and I'm hammering in under 3 minutes, has anyone else made the switch and regretted missing the old-school feel?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbaraw1614d ago

weld in under 3 minutes" - okay but are you really welding in 3 minutes or just getting hot enough to hammer? There's a big difference. I've seen guys brag about quick propane starts and then their welds look like they were done with a toothpick. Coal takes time but that heat is steady and you know exactly what you're getting. Propane is convenient sure but it's not the same thing. I'd rather take the 20 minutes and know my metal is actually ready.

-1

tarajenkins14d ago

See I gotta disagree with you there @barbaraw16, I've been using a properly tuned propane forge for years and my welds hold just fine. A lot of it comes down to knowing your burner setup and watching for that even color across the whole billet. If you're getting toothpick welds you might just need to adjust your fuel to air ratio instead of blaming the gas.