firepot design

[firepotguy]

What would you incorporate into a cast iron round firepot design, depth, grate size and style etc. i would appreciate some feedback!

[FieryFurnaceForge]

I don't know much about cast iron but I can tell you a little about fire pots. I use mostly 3/8 and 1/2 inch steel, and I find that 3-4 inches deep works good. As for the grate in the bottom of the forge, I have always left the bottom solid and drilled holes through it. It works fine! I have only had one problem with that, and that was a clinker melted into one of the holes. It only has happened once in a year and a half, and all you have to do is punch it out. Support, anyone?

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

[rthibeau]

I don't tend towards the round design, but if it is larger enough....12" to 14" across and 4" deep, it should work well enough....the grate should have at least one 1/2" slot in it for air flow as well as a clinker breaker to bust up clinkers and any ash accumulation so air flow is not impeded..

[S.Willis]

Round is fine and at least 4 inches deep. I would suggest slots instead of holes. I started out with holes and was forever keeping the ash and clinker poked out. The slots stay cleaner and are a lot easier to poke out.

[geofthesmith]

does it have to be more than one hole/slot or does it matter so long as you get teh airflow to the center? also does the air always have to come in from the bottom?

[S.Willis]

In the ones that have made and use the air blast is from the bottom with 3 slots.

[ThomasPowers]

Side blown forges are popular in England but they usually don't have a firepot per say and are quite different in how the fire is used/maintained.

For hobby use and clean coal you can get away with simple grates. For heavy use I'd suggest looking at professional firepots---they are made that way for a reason!

Also look into the extra heavy duty coke firepots as some folks use that fuel.

[John B]

If you have an air blast from the side, because of the intense heat if you are using coke or firewelding a lot, you will need to put a water tank on to prevent the tue burning away.

The pictures show a portable set up that should illustrate what is needed

[civilwarblacksmith]

I have a 13" dia. 3/4" thick round coke pot at the homestead. I haven't found any problem in working the sizes of metal that I use. the bottom of mine has a clinker breaker setup in it.

[Dan OHare]

Originally Posted by firepotguy

What would you incorporate into a cast iron round firepot design, depth, grate size and style etc. i would appreciate some feedback!

An easy and convenient starting point could be a drinking bowl from a dairy barn. These are attached to the stanchions for the cows to drink from.
Some are plastic, some galvanized and some cast iron.
About 8" dia. and 4" to 5" deep. Just a thought, hope this helps. Dan