Forge Welding in a Gas Forge

How to forge weld a barshoe using a propane forge.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Forge
• Weld
• Welding
• Horseshoe
• Farrier
• Flux
• Scarf
• Hammer
• Hofi
• Blurton

[gatorj3333]

I have a propane forge and I have tried to do forge welding. After I did it I looked in my forge and it looks to as if the brick is getting eaten at. Is the flux messing up my forge liner? Am I using too much flux?

[densonfarrier]

@gatorj3333 Flux will quickly eat your bottom brick! Most likely you're using too much flux. Try using less and make sure you use a flux designed for gas forges. I've switched over to Iron Mountain and love it. If your bottom brick isn't ribbed, you may want to try propping your work up, or take Chris Gregory's tip of putting a shovel full of smithing coal in the bottom to protect it. It'll take some practice to prevent the flux from damaging the brick, but stick with it. It gets easier!

[killerkohyar]

Hi im new to blacksmithing and was wondering if someone wants to become a farrier these days do they need to have any sorta college education like vetinary or something?

[densonfarrier]

As of right now, there is no regulation in the farrier profession. So anyone with some horseshoes can go right to work shoeing. However, if you want to stay in the profession for any amount of time you should go to school, and/or apprentice with an experienced shoer. You can go the the American Farrier's Journal website to get a great listing of farrier schools both in the US and Canada. There is a lot more to shoeing a horse than just nailing on shoes!

[althesmith]

I like your technique. I make a lot of patternwelded steel, using a gas forge. I tend to use borax with a bit of flourspar mixed in. In my opinion, lots of folks use way too much flux, in the belief you can substitute flux for proper cleaning or proper heat. If you do it right, you can weld high-carbon at a bright orange-yellow heat, doesn't need to be sparking.

[densonfarrier]

You are absolutely correct! Flux is only supposed to act as a barrier against oxidation so that we can get to a welding temperature without a ton of scale forming and ruining our weld. I've seen guys use so much that it was just running off and eating the forge liner. A little goes a long way! The more you use, the more it costs you in flux and replacement liners. Keep the work clean, your scarfs tight, and you are good to go. In coke, I sometimes don't use it at all!!!

[Fairwinds66]

This is a great video. Are you using a 20# propane tank? how many hours does that typically last?

[Panzerzimmerpflanze]

@densonfarrier Hmmmm - I seldom work with propane forges (and therefore firebrick) but would you mind explaining the flux eating the brick? Are we talking plain borax here? Is it corroding the brick, or flowing into the porous surface and breaking it up as it heats/cools? I'm curious because I'm switching over to propane and do a lot of forge welding.

[pinoyfourlyf]

Nice. A video from the 1800s. I forsee this becoming more common in the future.

[delta2131]

@densonfarrier or you could be lucky (or unlucky as it were) and have a ferrier/trainer for a dad lol, nice vid man I never got to learn the fire and hammer part but now that I've spent almost 2 years learning about blade making all the things my dad told me about hot shoeing and shoe making make sense, but I digress. Thanks for the forge welding tips!

[killerkohyar]

thanks i will check out the site.