Getting started. Am I headed in the right direction?

[u/Sikkema88]

I've spent the last few months over at my buddies and made a few railroad spike knives and it gave me the itch to do more. I sharpen knives/tools on the side, so I figure learning to actually make them just makes sense.

For reference, my friend has a coal forge made out of a propane tank and a hair dryer. With the amount of charcoal we went through, I started looking into other options and have landed on going with a propane forge potentially. I'll list the gear I have in my Amazon cart, and if there are alternatives that I should consider, please let me know.

Mmasters 3 burner forge

Vevor 116lb anvil

My buddy gifted me some tongs, and I have other PPE already at the house from other hobbies.

Is there anything that I'm missing, and are those going to be alright options to get started? Is a standard propane tank I have hooked up to my gril adequate for this or should I look into larger tanks?

[u/Fragrant-Cloud5172]

When starting, a single burner like below is better to me. You only need to heat up to about 6" at a time. Having two workpieces in at a time, will keep you plenty busy. If you had additional burners and longer shell, they are a waste of propane and therefore money.

For a propane tank, I like 40 gals. Cheaper in the long run and less frequently needing to fill than 20's. Tractor Supply is good for refills. The 40's fit into average sized car, legally too. So with very good forge insulation, propane will last a long time. 100 lbs tanks need a truck.

For shop items, always have a fire extinguisher near the forge. And steel bucket of water for safety and quenching.

[u/Sikkema88 → u/Fragrant-Cloud5172]

I do have a fire extinguisher and bucket handy, so we're good on that front.

The main reason I was looking at the 3 burner was to avoid the "I wish I went bigger", if I want to tackle a larger project. I was also debating the Vevor 3 burner because I see it has the shutoff valve for each individual burner so I can avoid waste. Any thoughts on this approach?

[u/Fragrant-Cloud5172 → u/Sikkema88]

From what I've seen on here, having individual adjustments is preferred. One reason is they may each need tweaking fuel/air mixtures. Some people block off the interior for using fewer burners. Also safer for emergency shut off.

[u/dragonstoneironworks]

Bbq tank size is likely going to be an issue in long forge sessions...as they tend to freeze up. Best option is larger tank. Next best is to tandem 2 or more bbq tanks together with the proper hoses. Side note....3 burners is a lot. Blocking inside is a very viable option as long as you can shut off the burners individually, or as an aquaintence of mine did, run 3 separate tanks lines and regulators. There's so many options available and that makes it all the better to find a way that makes your experience sing

[u/Sikkema88 → u/dragonstoneironworks]

I started looking and saw that the Vevor has shutoffs for each line, so I'm tempted to go that route instead of the mmasters, though the extra size of the masters would be nice. My plan is to grab a 40 tank to use as my source since I have done a bit more reading. Do you know if the shutoffs that come with it is fine, or if I would have to block them off internally if I wasn't going to use them?

[u/dragonstoneironworks → u/Sikkema88]

I've no IRL experience with them. I would emajine they will work for the most point. I will have to defer this to someone who has real life experience. The 40 should serve you better. The expansion rate in the smaller tank volume is what causes the freezing