Reddit reviews AMACO Insulating FireBrick, 9 X 4-1/2 X 2-1/2 in

Only need 2 bricks. and the burner is very affordable, albeit a little unsuitable. its the cheapest way to accomplish what he's trying to do. its like the definition of hobbyist tools.

$20 anvil: https://www.harborfreight.com/15-lb-rugged-cast-iron-anvil-69425.html

$4 ea pliers: https://www.harborfreight.com/11-inch-long-reach-needlenose-pliers-with-straight-jaws-39538.html

$1.25 magnet: https://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-magnetic-welding-holders-93898.html

Your choice of a $9 hammer: https://www.harborfreight.com/3-lb-hardwood-cross-pein-hammer-69049.html or a $6 hammer: https://www.harborfreight.com/2-lb-hardwood-engineers-hammer-69226.html

$38 torch head: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bernzomatic-TS99T-Trigger-Start-Swivel-Torch-Head-TS99T/203694961

$19 fire brick: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VEOIVA/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_lUJwCbX49QQN5

$2.30 ea hose clamp: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-7-in-Stainless-Steel-Clamp-6799595/202309383

And maybe $5 in metal corner guard.

Less than $100 in materials. Maybe $30 in shipping? That leaves almost $150 in profit for someone. And it's all poor materials. The only thing that's useful out of all of that for a beginning smith is the hammer. Definitely steer clear.

They are soft refractory bricks. They go by a dozen different names, Kiln bricks, fire bricks, insulating bricks, etc... These are the ones i have but I didn't buy them on amazon. I found a local pottery supply store( If you are in the Mass area I can suggest one) that sold them for $4 a brick.

I think O1 treating process is similar. I heat the steel to 1500F, You can test by seeing if it is non-magnetic (You can see my cheap telescoping magnet on the ground in pic 1) 1084 is non-magnetic at about 1450F or so. Then lower it edge first into the vegetable oil.

This is a great video on the forgeand process but with O1.

One last tip on the forge, don't be cheap on the torch... I had bought the cheap benzo propane torch at first and it didn't get hot enough at all. After trying whatever i could, I finally just bought the benzo ts8000(about $50) and it works wonderfully.

Do you not worry about the grass underneath catching from the heat of the bowl? I wonder if putting a couple of these under it would help? Maybe you don't have to worry about grass fires in the UK? I am in Oregon and grass fires are a huge worry here.

I'm totally a novice and a software developer by trade, so take what I'm about to say with caution. That said, here goes:

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I started with a propane forge because it was easier to make, or trying many things to build one. The best thing that I've managed to find as far as instructions or help is this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS7wumQt0s8&t=123s - I used these bricks from Amazon and so far they're doing an ok job: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VEOIVA. If I had to give one word of advice it'd be to save your money and not buy the cheap firebricks you'll find at home improvement stores. They kind of work, but ultimately you'll lose a ton of heat and I ended up spending the extra cash to just buy good firebrick because I felt unsafe(I hit my burner with a laser thermometer and it was astronomically hot b/c heat was seeping up into it).

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Last and certainly not least, I am planning on building a coal forge because I'm having a tough time getting the heat I need to forge weld. So the comment I saw that said to get both ... totally on point. I can see myself using propane when I'm looking to just do something quickly on a weeknight, and when I have a ton of hammer work or forge welding to do I'd switch to coal.

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Edit: Assuming you're just starting... I have taken one beginning blacksmith class and I'm planning on several more in the following year. Find a blacksmithing association near you and attend the meetings. It's totally worth the time to link up with the pros.

Edit 2: If you're in the US, check this out: https://abana.org/