Where To Go To Buy A Forge

Where To Go To Buy A Forge FARM SHOP Miscellaneous Centaur Forge makes gas coal and coke forges and they make it easy to pick the one that is right for you Company founder Bill Pieh started out making replacement firepots for leading forges of the day At the time he was a professional farrier who had trouble finding blacksmith and farrier supplies “Bill ended up making his own forges with his Vulcan firepots He also helped develop the PB50 blower It has a rheostat control so it can run at super low settings without burning out ” says Bekki Baas at Centaur Pieh is gone and the company is under new ownership However his method of working with and improving products continues with an in-house farrier and blacksmith As a result the forge list continues to expand “We continue to tweak products ” says Baas “Our models vary from stationary large forges with 12 by 14-in firepots to small 12-in round models that are easy to move in and out of a shop ” The company makes firepots specific for use with coke as well those specific to coal Baas explains that coke burns hotter and requires a 1/4-in thicker firepot Coke firepots are also an inch shallower than the coal equivalent “We sell throughout the U S and have been shipping a lot of product overseas ” says Baas “Europe simply doesn’t have a lot of forges or other blacksmithing equipment ” Centaur also sells gas forges of different sizes with 1 or 2 burners hoods and other accessories Baas notes that gas forges can be easier for beginning blacksmiths They are also more neighbor friendly if people live nearby “Gas forges are more compact and restrictive than a coal forge with the open top ” says Baas “If you go with gas I recommend you get one with open ends so you can work from both sides ” Coal and coke forges vary in price by size and components Larger shop-type coal forges run from $828 to $1 448 with coke forges a little more expensive The smaller Handy Forge is priced as low as $682 and the lightweight mobile Rivet Forge as low as $461 In addition to a large number of farrier and blacksmithing tools including anvils Centaur Forge also sells coal and coke Other support materials for blacksmiths include books and videos DVDs cover everything from forge basics like “How to Make a Fire” to “Forge Welding” Free videos posted to the Centaur Forge website cover the various anvils and blacksmith tools the company sells as well as features and uses of Centaur’s forges “Farriers are more repeat customers and blacksmiths less so so we try to have the supplies they use including new products and books ” says Baas “We also offer beginning blacksmith classes here from time to time We often have kids from art schools who decide they would rather bend metal ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Centaur Forge 117 N Spring St Burlington Wis 53105 ph 262 763-9175; info@centaurforge com; www centaurforge com

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