First Forge

[Arbalist]

Been looking at the Wash Tub Charcoal Forge threads but not seen anything like it over here so I had a radical re-think and came up with this. I managed to get this discarded steel shelf and it was easy enough to cut and bend at work. It's held together with three lengths of 10mm threaded rod. I've just drilled the end plates to take the Air Tube and test fitted it. I need to drill a line of 1/4 inch holes along the top of the tube. Shown are some hard Fire Bricks in place but I plan to make some of my own (larger) insulating Fire Bricks to line it with when I decide which recipe to use. How am I doing? Any ideas/suggestions greatly appreciated

Vic.

[Meisenmann]

Be careful with your construction. The first times you heat it up, all kinds of toxic vapours will go into the air. I do not know the material you worked with, but it looks like it is at least coated with some kind of varnish.

Depending on the alloys of your material, there could be other metals than iron that take a gaseous form when heated (zinc would be a very famous metal for example).

To sum it up: Careful.

[Arbalist]

Thanks for the warning. As far as I can tell the shelving is just covered in grey paint and the air tube has primer on it.

Next job is to cut both end panels just above the Air Tube to get the work near the hot spot, and drill those Air holes. Also need to make a former for the Fire Bricks.

[tetnum]

there is a vearry high chance that it is galvinized so be cautious if white somke starts from rhe sides or bottom or it turns a weird yellow color turn it off and get away like realy away as far away as you would be if you herd the lines for a gasser hissing

be safe and careful we will continue to enjoy your input

sorry for the rant i have come accross to much powder coated steel that was galvinized

[Bentiron1946]

To be safe about the paint or what is under it just take a knife and give it a scratch test to see but I suspect that it is just painted mild steel. I would get some fire clay to seal the joints a little on the fire brick. Looks like an innovative idea for the materials at hand.

[Frosty]

Another option is to take just the metal to a vacant area, start a fire and put it on. come back later, wire brush the ash off and use it.

Frosty

[rmcpb]

Make sure its first heat is in the open without you around!! Even if its "only" paint the fumes form that stuff are not nice that is one of the reasons why firemen wear CABA.

[Arbalist]

Ok, I've got some:

Portland Cement
Vermiculite
Perlite
Bentonite (Cat Litter)
Silica Sand (Silver Sand)

Anybody got a recipe using some of this stuff or do I need to go shopping some more?

Vic.

[jimbob]

go here Fireplace Mortar
also look under all the stickys are here thread under coal and gas forges

[m_brothers]

I have never used any kind of liner for my forges, so I have never researched it, but look-up wash-tub forges, and they have a good recipe for mixing a liner up.