Had to choose between a charcoal forge and a propane setup this spring

I was set on building a traditional coal forge but my buddy who runs a shop in Austin told me to go propane instead. Said I'd spend half my time fighting with the fire and the other half ruining steel. I went with his advice and got a simple Mr. Volcano burner setup for about $200. First dozen projects came out way cleaner than my old solid fuel stuff but I miss the control you get over a real fire. Anybody here run both and have a preference?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowan96913d ago

Man that whole "fighting with the fire" part really hit home. I spent a whole summer messing with a buddy's coal forge at his ranch and it was just constant tweaking and babysitting the thing. Getting the right heat took forever and I messed up more than a few blades that way. I ended up going propane too for my home setup and honestly the consistency alone has saved me so much time and frustration. But I totally get what you mean about missing that hands on control. There's something about being able to read the fire and adjust real quick that just feels right, even if it means more work. Seems like both have their place depending on what you're doing that week.

olivia_moore13d ago

OH man that whole "constant tweaking and babysitting" bit is too real. I swear half my time at the ranch was just me staring at the fire like it owed me money and poking it with a stick. Propane is boring in the best way possible just turn it on and it works. But I do kinda miss that feeling of being a fire wizard who can read the coals and make magic happen. Now I just feel like a guy operating an appliance.

wyatt_mitchell2613d ago

Rowan acting like he's fighting a dragon every time he lights a coal forge is pretty funny to me. @olivia_moore I get missing the old school feel but man a propane setup is just a tool that works. It's not like you're losing some ancient blacksmith secret by using gas. I've watched guys at my local shop spend an hour messing with their fire to get one small piece of steel hot and I'm already done with two projects. It's just fire, not a magic ritual.