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Bret Daniel
Joseph Bozarth
Matt Whitman
Custom built by Bret Daniel at Milwaukee Makerspace
Rebuild with electric blower by Dan Jonke
Basically an oven that is used to heat objects so they can be molded, hammered, blacksmithed, etc.
Runs on propane
Approximately 2300 deg F max temp
OK
Current: Casting Area, West Room, Lenox
Previous: Casting Area, Vehicle Bay, Chase
08/15/11 - Built at Makerspace
09/06/11 - First use
12/31/12 - Moved to Lenox
Running the forge with both the front and back doors wide open will prevent you from acheiving a good heat, It is better to enclose the fire as much as possible while retaining access for the size of the piece you are working.
There is a removable kaowool plug for the back door, and a pedal operated front door. If you are working on something really huge, you can also lower the floor plate by removing firebricks from underneath it.
Using 30psi with a wide open forge, I could not acheive a better than a red-orange heat. With proper blocking I can get a good orange heat using one burner at 7psi. This will help you work faster and save a ton of money on gas. Most importantly your shoulder will thank you at the end of the day!
Make sure you leave the fan running on 6 after you are done forging, this will prevent the heat from backing up into the fan and burning out the motor.
-Dan J