I compared a gas forge to a coal forge for a month straight

Back in March I set up two forges side by side in my shed near Springfield. I used a Devil Forge single burner on one side and my old coal forge on the other. The coal forge got steel to welding heat in about half the time, plus I had way more control over where the heat sat in the piece. Has anyone else made the switch and stuck with it?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamesblack6d ago

You mentioned "way more control" and that's the thing people don't talk about enough. With coal you can really see and feel where the heat is, like you can aim it at a specific spot on the piece. Gas feels more like you're just blasting the whole thing and hoping for the best. I tried both for about six months a few years back and ended up selling my gas forge. It's not just about speed, it's about how the metal behaves when you're working it.

nina8346d ago

Jamesblack hit on something real there with the heat being visible in coal. You can literally watch the color change across the metal and know exactly where the hot zone is. Gas is more like you're just guessing based on glow from the whole piece and hoping the inside matches the outside. That direct feedback with coal makes a huge difference when you're trying to do something precise like a tight scroll or a sharp bend.