Thread: My First Forge

Originally Posted by TulaneBoy

So that's just propane and it gets hot enough to make a forge? Could you use natural gas from the house gas line? This is really interesting. So I just need a propane torch and a can and some insulation and I can forge a razor? I wanna play too!!!

I worked for the N.O. gas dept. and I'm fairly sure that the utilization pressure after the meter is 7 -8 inches water column

Originally Posted by paco

I worked for the N.O. gas dept. and I'm fairly sure that the utilization pressure after the meter is 7 -8 inches water column

Could be. Service lines can be up to 60 psi (a lot) or regulated down to the 1/4 psi that the usual homeowner requires to run the stove or water heater etc. It depends on the company I guess. It just means that a blacksmith has to learn what's available and what requires adaptation...

Interesting data. Mine comes from So.Cal gas Co.. High pressure mains here are 8 to 10 psi. no more than 4 at the house. I am not sure about transition lines but I do know they guard them like a hawk. (as in the fly over them twice a day) They keep all construction around those lines under a close eye.

As stated, NG has less Btu than propane. But you CAN forge with it. The lines coming into my old home in Brooklyn NY were 2" pipe I believe. The problem is, they step down at the meter to 3/4" pipe. In order to run new lines for gas hot water and gas home heat, the meter had to be replaced with a higher flow unit. I have no clue if that is sufficient for welding temps, but it will certainly be enough to do basic small forge work.