poopdiddly

It's a Vulcan. It says 67 on it. Is that 67 pounds or 670? He's asking $100.

Okay, I need some help. I lined the forge with a mixture of some kitty litter and water. I also added in some sand. I compacted it as much as I could. I've been leaving it in the sun for the past 2 days, and this is what it looks like so far. I knew I would get some cracking, but this much? Also, I thought it would feel more smooth. Instead, it feels like Quikrete and small pieces are breaking off. Should I fill the cracks in with more clay mix, or should I scrap it all and start over? But the good news is that the tuyere? works really well. The hair dryer really moves that air through.

Thanks for your help! I thought I put my location in, but I guess it didn't go through. I'm in New Orleans, Louisiana. ETA: I'm liking the clay kitty litter ideas that I'm seeing. That'll keep it cheap and simple. I knew forge making could be a simple and cheap process, but I guess I was confusing myself with all sorts of ideas. Besides, I couldn't find refractory cement anywhere around here.

I need some opinions on building my first forge. I bought a cheap BBQ pit that comes up to about waist height. I plan on drilling a hole through the bottom, and feeding air that way. I’d rather use a crank blower, but a hair dryer may have to do for now. I’m having troubles figuring out what to use to protect the pit from the flames. I was thinking of putting some furnace cement on the bottom, and then putting fire bricks around that. Could I use Quikrete instead? For the bricks, do I have to use firebrick? I live in an old area, and there are numerous 150+ year old bricks laying around. Could I just put some furnace cement on those bricks instead? I also thought about cutting the front of the pit out so that I could put my steel in straight instead of at an angle. I plan on using charcoal for the time being. Here’s some pics of the pit. Sorry for the mess. Thanks!

Hi all. My name is Chris, and I live in New Orleans. I tried my hand at blacksmithing for the first time last week, and was able to make an okay S-hook (attached). I had a lot of fun, and I'd really like to get further into blacksmithing. I look forward to talking with and learning a lot from you all.