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Only needs some setting up is all. Mount the rail on end you only need a little wider anvil than the hammer face. The rest of the rail can be ground into most of your bottom tools.

Not a thing wrong with small, have you seen the Mastermyr box? That was not only a complete blacksmith shop in a box it had stock and product as well.

Frosty The Lucky.

I've done quite a few hours smithing in my basement using a one soft fire brick forge run off a torch like that---much more efficient than using the torch in open air.

Well, I was planning on making a small forge from a coffee can and that fast mix concrete stuff, but the head kinda blew up in a way. So now I'm going to look for a 18er brake drum and make that into a forge and go for coal imstead of gas.

It would be better (and cheaper!) to stuff your coffee can forge with the ashes of dollar bills than with concrete.  Why would you even think of doing it?

the lining of your forge is meant to insulate and withstand high temperatures, concrete will do neither.

Yeah, I learned this plus my torch broke so brake drum forge here I come.

brake drums are very limiting, it is a lot less work to build something better

Well for all I know in a  year I'll lose interest (hopefully not) so I don't want this giant forge that I have no interst in using. Plus I'm not doing anything large for the time being so brake drum with hair drier will work for me.

You'll certainly lose interest if you do everything in such half donkey manner. If doing it right is too much trouble for you then you need to find another hobby. Making blades ain't easy doing it do right. If you don't care don't bother.

Best of luck @ whatever.

Frosty The Lucky.

These guys are trying to tell you that the brake drum is more work and less suitable than other options.  As someone who used a truck brake drum to build a forge I can assure you that they are correct.  Will it work?  You bet, but it is more difficult to control the fire, and you'll have to cut notches out of the drum to get your stock where you want it.  If you have to buy the drum it will be more expensive than other options.   If you use a brake rotor from a passenger vehicle, the center has about the right size cavity for a fire pot and hole in the middle for hooking up a 2 inch bottom blast.  If you mount that in something like an old mower deck or even the panel off an appliance like a wash machine you'll have a nice flat area to work with where you can get your stock where you want it in the fire.   If you have a 55 gallon drum there are good blueprints on here. Ultimately it's your time, effort, and money so do what you think is best.  Those with more experience are just trying to keep you from wasting any of those things unnecessarily.

The more I see this picture the more I like it. It's very artistic. 

I made a brake rotor forge  the inner part of the pot"rotor" is 2" deep with an 8" diameter. 2" dia. Black pipe for a T with an electric blower. It works fine using coal. There are better ways but it was what I had and has worked for well over a year and is still going strong. While paying attention to what Does Not work, as is stated on IFI  all the time, build a well thought out forge. Everyone here is trying to help.  But they want to help people who are serious. Who is going to want to spend their time and hard earned knowledge on someone who would say they would probably just quit anyway.  Frosty is right. But if you seriously want to try, go in with a positive attitude and give it your best. You will get a lot of differing opinions when asking hundreds of blacksmiths from around the world. 

Yes, I understand I made it sound like I'm bored right now and I am looking at blacksmithing for a couple month way to entertain myself. It's not trust me, I've been doing research for 6 months now and have gotten my plan together (even though they may be wrong plans). So this being said- 2 questions. What forge design should I gow ith if I didn't use a brake drum? And Were all of our guys first forges brick forges?

9 minutes ago, EJRailRoadTrack said:

- 2 questions. What forge design should I gow ith if I didn't use a brake drum? And Were all of our guys first forges brick forges?

In reverse order, I've never had a brick forge. My first forge is what I'm still using. 

And in my opinion I'd go with a brake Rotor forge. I did and it worked. There are plans on here for the 55 forge, or you could set in up in a table to hold coal. That is only My opinion from My experience, as it was simple and inexpensive for me. That answer tho can only be answered by you. What do you have to work with? How much Can you spend? Heck you could have a hole in the ground with a pipe running into it to push air. Once you see the complexity and simplicity of what makes a functional forge look at your options. 

1 minute ago, Daswulf said:

In reverse order, I've never had a brick forge. My first forge is what I'm still using. 

And in my opinion I'd go with a brake Rotor forge. I did and it worked. There are plans on here for the 55 forge, or you could set in up in a table to hold coal. That is only My opinion from My experience, as it was simple and inexpensive for me. That answer tho can only be answered by you. What do you have to work with? How much Can you spend? Heck you could have a hole in the ground with a pipe running into it to push air. Once you see the complexity and simplicity of what makes a functional forge look at your options. 

Ok, I've also thought anout the hole in the ground thing but I remembered I live in Missouri (we grow the whole worlds rock supply). I want to start with the brake JUST START. In less than a year I would LOVE to have a brick forge. And so I'm saving up consisdering I'm 13 and have no job or real source of independent income. (I HATE bumming cash off my parents)

-EJ

Well being young you have time to source materials on the cheap. Any auto brake repair shop should have loads of used junk rotors. Can't say many of em wanna give up their scrap but I'm sure after a few places even one place you could end up with one. After that it's a matter of if you have access to someone that can weld or not. Remember there are ways to make a forge for anyone who is willing to look for how to. Get your parents on board. Also look to see if there are any blacksmith groups around you. That's your best option. Do a bit of research into your options and then ask from there if you can't find the answers. 

Ha, know a mechanic, know a welder, parents like me doing something different and working with hands,  and have a n organization close to me.

Your all set then!  First check out the local guys and see what you can learn from them. First hand learning is way better then anything you can get from any YouTube video or a few pictures online. After that get your rotor, research a simple brake rotor forge and the T you need and get what you need and have the welder help make it. After that a hair drier can probably get you started with coal. The info is out there but remember that bad info is out there too. Just like me giving you advise, I'm not a professional blacksmith but a hobby blacksmith/ artist/ auto body repair guy  but I've successfully made a starter forge. The other guys that have given you advise know way more then I dare say I ever might. I just know that forging has been a great joy and like seeing others take it up.  So. It's up to you now. You have more to start out then many do and your young enough to have a head start and your parents are on board. Be safe. Remember PPE (personal protective equipment) it's no joke.