I have had many questions about the type of setup that I have for forge welding. I have used a Venturi burner made by Rex Price from hybridburners. It is called T-Rex and it is 3/4 inches in diameter. The performance of this burner is exceptional. People wonder if an atmospherical burner could reach welding temperatures and the answer is YES. I also feel they are safer since you don't have to depend on electrical power.

I now have a 1 inch diameter burner from Rex in my welding forge. This burner is outstanding. In a well designed forge it reaches easily temperatures of 2200 degrees F at 4 psi. My pyrometer does not read above 2500 degrees so I could not get a reading as to how high it gets. That means a significant amount in fuel savings. I am very impressed with this burner and from now on is going to be my main workhorse burner for the welding forge.

This billet consists of different layers of 1095, 1050 and 15N20. The initial size will vary but may go from 6 to 12 inches in length and usually 1 inch wide.

I used to tie the bars with a tight wire but now I have a MIG welder and this works just fine for holding them together plus it allows me to weld a handle―a piece of rebar―which makes things easier later.

For this particular billet I have chosen the following arrangement of steels.

The billet is then put in the forge and allow to reach about 500 degrees. I will then sprinkle borax on it while the layers are oriented as in the picture. Capillary action with help the melted borax coat all the spaces in between the layers.

The outside layers get hotter sooner than the inner layers. You just have to be patient and wait until all layers are evenly heated and the color of the steel approximate the color of the walls of the forge.

I will add some more borax at about 2000 degrees.

As you reach welding temp the flux bubbles and then those bubbles will start to dance on the surface of the steel. At this point the steel looks like melted butter.

Then it is time to take it to the anvil and gently hammer it in a methodic way to cover all the surface from the center to the periphery of the billet. A nice alternative to the hammer is a forging hydraulic press. It is a sound idea to flip the billet on its side and hammer on it. If the weld did not take, it will delaminate and you just need to reflux that area and start over. Most weld failures are due to either not reaching high enough temperature for the weld to take or impurities in the surfaces to be welded.

The billet, now a single block of steel, is drawn out to about double its original length.

After drawing out the billet I will take an angle grinder to the surface of the billet to clean it up or I will use flux to clean its surface to prepare for the next weld.

I use a hatchet to cut the billet in half while it is hot.

After slicing through about 80% of the billet I fold it over itself so that the previously cleaned surfaces will meet each other.

Then the billet is fluxed generously and put back in the forge.

Closing the gap between the folds as tightly as possible.

I use a piece of rebar with one end forged to a tip to pick up flux and deliver that flux inside the forge right on the groove to be welded without having to take the billet out.

Then is waiting time until the billet reach temperature again and is ready for the next round of hammering.

The second weld is completed.

Draw it out, clean the surface and start over again as may times as you like.

Every time you fold in half your total layer count will be exponentially increased.