Question about switching from coal to propane in my forge

I was dead set against propane forges for years because I thought they couldn't get hot enough for welding. Then I watched a guy in Tulsa run a 2-inch billet through a propane forge and it welded clean on the first try. Has anyone else here made the switch and regretted it later?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary77616d ago

Man that's a solid point. It's scary how fast you can go from "this is fine" to "oh god I'm lucky to be alive" with propane. I think a lot of us get too comfortable with the routine and forget that one loose fitting can ruin your whole week or worse.

drew9651mo ago

You ever drop a hammer on your foot and wonder why you stood there in the first place? Same deal with me and propane.

jessicac281mo ago

Three months ago I was changing out a tank on my grill and forgot to tighten the valve all the way. Woke up at 3am to the smell of gas and had to air out the whole house. @drew965 you're right though, that moment of standing there knowing you messed up is really something... you just freeze and think about all the ways it could have gone worse. Propane is one of those things where you can get away with being sloppy for years until suddenly you don't. I've got a buddy who had his whole garage deck destroyed because he was too casual about a leaky connection. It's weird how we'll stand there with a hammer on our foot or a gas leak brewing and just... let it happen.