Charles R. Stevens Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Ok, I forgot about the lip, but it's only 3/8" on a mobile home drum And the 85 jeep has a deeper drum, but look at the work and materials to plug the hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 if you're using a flange to attach the twere to the bottom of the drum with bolts the holes are coverd by the flange, or easily filled with a bolt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 The "pilot" or "lip" in my 3500lb trailer brake drums are much larger than the mobile home drum as you can see in my pictures above. I'll have to measure when I get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 this was taken from the interwebs, but you can see how there is still a slight gap where the original bolt holes were and the edge of the flange, but those will clog up pretty quick with ash and what not and wouldn't effect the forge if they didn't fill up. but it's a great photo of the assembly of a fully thread together/bolt together minimal tools required brake drum forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I agree, for what you get, a break drum or rotor is a lot of work and expense. But even if you buy the popcorn bucket, you get to eat the popcorn (I believe it was Thommas that pointed this out) a cheep hair dryer (Linda threatens me with hidalgo harm if I took hers to the shop for this picture) a foot of 1" black pipe and 1 1/2 cubic foot or subsoil from a cut bank or behind the shed. Poke the pipe in 8" from the top for charcoal, or 6" for coal, cup up a coke can and duct tape it to the hair drier (I open them up and disconnect the heating element, but some folks like the hot blast) fill the bucket with dirt, packing it down every 4" or so. Dig out a bowl 8" arose and slopping down to an inch or two below the tweer, walla. I bet I can hit good will, Wallmart and home depo and beat $30, and if I ask around I bet I can do it for free, with a stand. And that's not using my junk pile. TH I like the way you think, your good people. Besides you make me put up or shut up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 DO NOT BUILD A BOX and then try to think your way out of the same box. If you can scrounge up a brake drum, rotor, plow disc, etc, your almost there. 1) Find some mud (that is wet dirt in some areas) and cover the holes in the drum. 2) Find a piece of pipe 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch is better, 1 inch is good or 1-1/4 inch in diameter. 3) Lay the pipe across the top of the drum and about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way across the diameter of the drum. 4) Add fuel, fire, and air. Cost is the price of old rusty pipe and some dirt. No tools involved. If the pipe is too long so what. Put air in one end and air will come out the other. It is a pipe and that is the way a pipe functions. Better get a cold drink and recover from the mental exercise of making a side blast forge. Not much in the way of physical exercise involved. You will spend less time building the side blast forge than consuming the cold drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastRonin Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37731-forgebits2/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37730-forgebits1/ This is the brake drum I used. It's from an old mobile home trailer. It is flush on the bottom. No inner lip. The 2" pipe fit right in, no welding or fabrication. This, I believe... is the type of brake drum that was suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Bingo. If your going with a drum that would be my suggestion. After trying to convince you to build a 55 side draft forge. No pipe flange, no holes to drill , five nifty holes to bolt legs to, after you forge a punch and drift to make the holes. Seeing that you don't have a drill. And as Glenn has suggested, an exhaust shop can build you a tweer out of 2" exhaust tubing (cheaper than black pipe fittings) ad an exhaust stack rain cap, with a counterweight riveted to it, and your off to the races. There are a lot of ways to build a forge. If I wanted to be a Internet scum I'd sell you a beginners kit. One hand trowel, one 4x4" chunk of A36, a cheep 2# hammer, a foot of 1" black pipe, a cheep hair drier (other ways but hey, I'm a good guy) a cheep punch and drift, and instructions how to make a set of tongs . You'd be set. Just 3 easy payments of.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 but wait, if you're one of the first 25 callers we'll throw in a second set free (just pay shipping and handling) I think the draw of the brake drum forge is it has the look of what people think of when they think of a forge. Most people don't see built in forges. they see travel forges that are small and simple. They have a fire in a bowl and something to blow air into it. the brake drum forge works for that. where as a side draft just doesn't fit the picture and the bucket forge just seems to simple it can't be true. and when it comes down to it, it's just complicated enough to make people think which is really what they are looking for because someone who can form and shape metal has to be smarter than they are. You don't want to think that the person fixing your plumbing, or doing your electrical is dumber than you because they "know what they are doing". It's the fear of failure that keeps most people from doing something themselves. Once they realize that the people who built this country were no smarter than they are a whole new world opens up to them. The only difference between someone who knows what they are doing and someone who doesn't is practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 No one ever said it HAD TO BE RIGHT the first time. No one ever said you could only have one forge. No one ever said it could only be done one way. We did suggest several ways to accomplish the task, encourage you to go do it, and show us photographs. (grin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 All to true. Glenn and TH. may I commend you look at an Aldays and Onions portable forge? An older moddle, the still make the same basic forge with a blower to this day. One of the smiths I know uses one of these (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0058DI2VS/ref=redir_mdp_mobile) for the fire pot in his demo forge. Where he came up with it affordable I have no idea, but the oil and gas industry uses a lot of odd fittings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 I took the wife's car to the garage for some minor repairs today I found this drum full of forges. I simply choose 4 representative drums from the pile. The first is about an inch deep, the second about 1-1/2 to 2 inches deep the third about 2-1/2 to 3 inches deep and the forth about 3-4 inches deep. Some had a double disc plate with cooling holes, and one a single plate with no holes. I do not need another forge (at the moment). But only 3 of the drums were put back in the barrel. The drum that followed me home was , , , , the one that was about 4 inches deep with the double disc. I can pack the holes with mud and stop any air leaking between the discs. It is the depth of about 4 inches that I was interested in for a forge. This should put the sweet spot of the fire just above the disc. I also got 2 pieces of old exhaust pipe from another barrel for a air tube. I can cut a hole in one, slip the other pipe into the hole to form a T (twyere), wire it together, and just pack or encase the joint with mud. To hold the twyere in the drum, I will drill a 1/4 inch hole in both sides of the pipe about 3/4 from the end, put the pipe up and into the drum and put a piece of 1/4 round (nail, welding rod, etc) through the hole to hold it in place. Wet down a sheet of newspaper and plug up the bottom of the twyere. Cost of the drum,,,,$0 Coat of the pipe,,,,,$0 Cost of some wire,,,$0 Cost of 1/4 round,,,,$0 Cost of the mud,,,,,,,$0 ------------------------------ Cost of the forge,,,,,,$0 (We do not add in the cost of the repairs to the car.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 LoL, yes sir, that will certainly show the young'ns how to do it. Now scrounge a hammer, a file and anvil ( lump of steel) and your off to the races. Forge a punch, forge a set of tongs ( all possible with out the first set of tongs) and your on your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 next time try to scrounge a Y Pipe for the Twyere. than you just need to drill the hole for your retainer pin/grate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman_713 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 newbie here and i wonder if the brake drum off of something like a 1ton pickup would be too deep or just right for making a brake drum forge, thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 If you already have the drum from a 1 ton, then use it as a side blast forge mentioned above. Just add an horizontal air pipe. If not then grab the 1 ton brake drum while it is still available and use it as a side blast forge mentioned above. The concept is to get your first forge working. You can then play in the fire while you look for parts for your second forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman_713 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 well i think its from a 1ton not exactly sure but the dang thing is big probably about 6 inches deep, i will keep the side blast forge idea on the table though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Mine is the drum from an s-10 so yes, it will work fine. it's more a matter of the table you use with it than the drum itself. The larger drums and the deep rotors just make it less likely to dump coal out of it if you don't have a table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman_713 Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Looked in the bin again at work today and i think theres a smalller drum in there ill check it out tomorrow so i know for sure, i have a feeling the drum i currently have is bigger than i need Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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