Adirondacker

Glenn, With wood stoves, the secret lays with well seasoned wood, next years wood is cut this winter, stored in a covered shed and keeping hot fires. I have heated this place for thirty years, never a chimney fire or creocote problem. I have never dropped a chain or brushed the chimney, with a mirror and flashlite can see the length of the chimney, nothing sticking to sides it all falls down into clean out. I keep my stove pipes clean, taken down monthly and brushed out, they are dry no buildup. The flue must be warm. cold air sinks warm rises, the column of heat has to be stronger than cold air to get good draft and the chimmney must be the right size to big and it don't work to good. It would seem to me that a forge fire is different than a stove fire so you venting must be larger as in a fireplace. On a safety note a box of baking soda will snuff a chimney fire quick is handy to have in the shop I also have fire extinishers but can reach that box of baking soda quicker. I want to build a add on to garage just for welding and a forge, I saw lumber for a living so their is plenty of fuel, to weld now I have to major clean up, real pain. Adirondacker

Thomas, Thanks for reply, I would like to build a forge using a drum off a truck, Do have a good junk yard close where I can go shopping. I already have a diamond plate about 3ft square to use for top, just need to fasten legs to it, have read a good height is around 30" or so. Kitchen counter seem to be about right for working from so could match. The tee now that I see your point makes better sense. Hate to pester you with questions but have read that some line the inside of their firepot with fireclay or fire bricks? good idea or not? Also is there any advangae to surrounding the fire pot with sand, I could build a sheet metal box around the firepot and fill with sand to insulate.

I join yesterday and read some on making a forge, I got thru my head just how this tuyere works as far as grate being installed to prevent the fire from falling thru. But was wondering if the tuyere sticks up inside the fire pot and if so how high, or is it flush with the bottom of fire pot? If the tuyere that attachs to the bottom of the fire box was black iron pipe and threaded on the end furthest from fire chamber, then I could use copper pipe for the tail piece and the horz. air inlet, would both pipes have to be the same dia.? and would a y-fitting work better than a tee as far as directing the air upwards to the fire chamber. I also read about air pressure being more important than C.F.M. If the tube from the bottom of fire pot was 3" in dia and the Horz. air tube was say 2" dia would the air vulosity coming from 2" and entering the 3" tube have enough pressure? Thanks Adirondacker

As you can see by the name I have chosen that I live in the Adirondack Mts. of upstate N.Y., by trade I saw lumber and manage our tree farm. I do some welding as needed around the mill, but have no experience with blacksmithing, but am interested in learning. Since the tree farm is run on a shoe string I would build my own forge, Have looked at a few plans some as clear as mud. When I was learning the sawing trade I was told by an experienced sawyer if you want to saw and be good at it you have to saw and saw alot, expect its holds true for blacksmithing. I did get for last Christmas an anvil, name escapes me now but was told by our local farrier that it was a good one, so will take his word for it. As with other forums my question may have already been asked, so will try not to pester you with a lot of questions before looking first in the search. Adirondacker