Tried forge welding with a gas forge instead of coal and got a clean weld first try

Always thought gas forges ran too hot and washed out the steel, but I borrowed a buddy's Forgemaster 200 down in Oklahoma and tacked a broken hoof rasp back together. The weld took clean with no cold shuts and saved me 40 minutes of fiddling with the coke fire. Has anyone else switched and just kept going back to the gas setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_avery20d ago

Buddy of mine tried gas forge welding and now won't touch coal.

lucashart20d ago

Used to think coal was the ONLY way to do it right, that gas was for hobbyists who couldn't hack the heat. But then I borrowed a buddy's gas forge for a job where I had to weld up some thin wall tube, and I was SHOCKED. The even heat across the whole piece made it way easier to avoid overheating the edges, and I got a solid weld on my first try without any scale issues. I still keep my coal forge around for heavy stuff and tradition, but I've been using gas for my last five welding jobs and I honestly haven't looked back. That "soak time" trick the_patricia mentioned is the real secret, it completely changed how I think about the whole process.

the_patricia20d ago

That "clean with no cold shuts" line got me. I've been running a gas forge for two years now and I get way more consistent results than I ever did with coal. The trick is dialing back the pressure and letting it soak longer, not blasting it full open. @the_avery's buddy has the right idea. Once you figure out the sweet spot for your steel, gas is just simpler and cleaner.