Saw a farrier in Austin using a propane forge for corrective shoes, which got me thinking about sticking with coal versus switching to gas for mobile work.

I'm torn because the propane setup was cleaner and faster for the complex bar shoe he was making, but my old coal forge has never failed me in 15 years and I worry gas lacks the fine heat control for certain steels.

3 comments

3 Comments

casey_fox6818h ago

Oh, the "good localized heat" worry. I get it. My coal forge is like a grumpy old dog that only listens to me. But watching that guy in Austin, it was like he had a magic heat wand. Sure, my coal can whisper to a steel toe clip, but I also spend half my time whispering sweet nothings to the fire itself. Gas just shows up and works. Makes you feel a bit silly for all that babysitting.

johnson.jade18d ago

How much of a pain is it to haul the propane tanks around compared to your coal? I get the worry about control, my old boss swore you couldn't get a good localized heat with gas for tricky bends. But seeing it work clean and fast on site is a huge plus.

nancy_davis7518d agoMost Upvoted

My old boss said the same thing about gas for tight curves.