Oberu

I have used a masonry cut off wheel on an angle grinder but I'd do it outside and wear PPE.

Update: I'm working a lot lately and don't have much time to tinker but I'm trying to document what I'm doing. If you lot like it or have suggestions let me know. I'd like to possibly make a picture heavy build along so possibly what I'm learning might help others. Let me know how you feel about it and what you think I should change. Body is finished and the ceramic blanket goes in. I've got my kiln shelf cut and fitted. The excess blanket hanging out gets trimmed off and the lower half ends up being flat across. Starting to lay in the castable refractory. I took this picture after I'd trowled the mizzou on and afterwards I used a drill with a pieces of bar bent into a 90 to create a "shaker" to bump out the bubbles. The upper portion of the body needs to be rotated so the surface tension of the refractory keeps it inside the lip of the shell. It gets rotated after a flat portion is set so I can fill in the rest of the arc by rotating the top half bit by bit. Next up.. a final layer of sifted refractory so it's finer and then off to the the IR coating

I'm not sure where else to post this and I've made so many posts now that in hindsight seem pretty dumb so I'll just clump it up into this one. I'd love some advice on the opening where my burner comes into the chamber through the mizzou castable. I'm planning on using some of Frosty's advice and I've welded my burner holdfast aiming to a tangental angle where it will form a swirl. I'm not sure how to shape this. My insight tells me to round things out as sharp bits will be thin and wear off quickly. I plan on covering even the blanket in castable where my burner comes through. My plan, as it sits, is to spread the opening a bit making a very slight conical opening with soft round edges. If anyone has any sort of advice I'd be stoked. I'm close but I want to make this thing right.

I can see it

The hot rodder side of my brain would really like to see that beast.

Awesome! Thanks man! Spent some time today working on getting the shell lined out a bit more. It was a little 110v MIG with no gas so the welds aren't something I'm proud of but they should do!

Hello, Seattle pottery does have quite a bit. I picked up a kiln shelf and some ITC there. Another good spot is Hard Luck Forge. Nice fellow and prices.

Greetings, Disclaimer: I am by no means knowledgeable in this. I have asked this very question not very long ago at all actually. From what I've been able to gleen from what I've had in response, a five gallon forge is largish. I'm willing to bet it can be done but it will most likely eat up a lot of fuel and resources. I'm starting a freon tank myself. You shop in Seattle that means you must be fairly close. I found three freon cans in a single shot after months of hunting everywhere. I'm happy to pass one of them to you if you wish. I'll warn you to read some, read some more, and then reread. There are some very knowledgeable folk here but they answer the same questions over and over and they get a bit grumpy. So read, learn, and pass on what you find!

Thanks! Built a "T" and working on a shell now. I'll weld it up very soon now that all the paint and galvanized junk is gone. I'm not sure why the pictures want to come in rotated like this.. sorry : /

I thank you for your feedback. This is pretty expensive stuff after a time and I just wanted to know if anyone in this group had made something similar and if I should or shouldn't try it out. In a last ditch effort I talked to my local mechanic and asked if he knew where any empty Freon bottles might be had, as he services air conditioning. He pointed me to a parts store and my hopes sank but I went anyway. This kind fellow gave me three empty bottles so now I'm back on track with my original plan. I picked up a kiln shelf and a some ITC in Seattle and are they ever proud of a pint of that stuff! To Nate and Thomas, thank you. I just moved to the Northwest myself a few years ago from a little town in Texas called Sweetwater to the East of you Thomas so I understand. I had so many friends there that were ranchers that we'd just fire up one of their coal forges and I could play anytime I wished. Now I'm in a different place with new culture/cultures of people that I'm not accustomed to and it's harder than you'd imagine meeting folk. I just purchased and put a stand under a good anvil and this is the last step before I can play again. To the others, I get a bit grumpy myself and I'd imagine that getting the same question a zillion times does get under even the thickest skin at times. I've been a soldier, an auto and helicopter mechanic, a certified welder, a machinist, drafter, and since the old back is shot... a finish carpenter now days. It's tough to get things across in a body of words on a screen. If I can ever be of help to any of you in information I am keen on let me know. This is something new to me and I just don't want to waste what little time and money I have to play with on a failed attempt which is why I am here.

I am listening and taking things in. The bucket will be lined in two inches of blanket, then half an inch of mizzou, then about a quarter inch of ITC. This brings the thing down to 330-360 cubic inches. One thing I would ask.. Please guys don't be so harsh. I'm not an idiot.. I may be new to this but that's why I am asking. I've asked a few questions over the past few months and I've been met with nothing but scorn. At one time I was even given some sort of demerit for using a another word for hades.. You know the one in the bible? Seriously. "Ask them" they say.. well I'm asking.

Greetings! I've been lurking and trolling this place since I found it and reading pretty much every day either on my pc or on my phone during lunch. Great bunch of minds here and lots of good advice as far as I can tell. I've settled on a forge design by Zoeller using a five gallon metal pail (mainly because I'm tired of looking for another suitable candidate). I'm a bit shocked at all the things I've read about, "what not to do" that I've heard so many others say was the way to do it. I'm rambling... I apologize... So on to my queries. 1. I've read quite a bit about volumes on the inside of a forge and I've never found if this is just the inside of your forge body or the inner chamber with refractories actually installed. 2. Have any of you made a similar forge, and if so how did it work for you? I appreciate the feedback and hope all is well with you and yours!

LOL.. Forks.. good one! Where are you located bud? I'm in Everett, perhaps we could do some hammering together.

I did look a little but didn't find much. Seems if you enter anything with the word "anvil" here you get a nose bleed. I will save you lot and look some more.

Hey fellas, I'm brand spankin' new here and I figured I'd pick your collective brains. I *finally* received my new anvil (100lb Emerson) and I'm about to put it on a stump of cedar. I hate doing things twice so I though I'd ask for advice. I am not from the area I'm in but I might be able to find someone with a welder if things go that route. In all my experience I've always seen a telephone pole buried in the ground a few feet with concrete, banded with steel near the top of the post with the anvil sittin all pretty like on top and anchored. I live in Seattle now ( something I'm not very keen on ) and I'm a bit worried I'll catch xxxx if I go ringing out the neighbors. I'm wide open to ideas, suggestions, and/or constructive criticism. I appreciate the help by the way and look forward to future brain pickin'.