Used a cheap propane torch for a forge weld, got a cleaner seam than with my oxy-acetylene setup

I know everyone says you need the big heat for forge welding, but I was in a pinch on a gate repair job. My oxy-acetylene rig was out of fuel, so I grabbed a $30 Bernzomatic TS4000 from the hardware store, cranked it, and focused it on the joint for about 15 minutes with the piece in my coal forge. The steel got up to a nice bright yellow, I fluxed and hammered, and the weld took on the first try. The line is almost invisible. I've done this twice now on 1/2 inch square stock with the same result. Am I just getting lucky, or has anyone else found that a slower, more focused heat from a simple torch can sometimes work better than the brute force approach?

3 comments

3 Comments

ben_wright971mo ago

Read about that in an old blacksmithing book.

uma_webb281mo ago

That slower heat can give you a really clean weld.

thomas_johnson3510d ago

Isn't that just asking for a cold shut on anything thicker than light stock?