crfitz360

Thanks to all of you for you help and advice!  I'm still getting everything together, but as soon as everything is set up, I put up some pics.

More input, of course, is always welcome! 

So what would you suggest?  I'm all about things taking less time and money!

17 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

...So while you want enough depth to put the reducing part of the fire right where you will be sticking the workpiece you don't want it so deep you have to burn 4 times as much fuel to push the hot spot up,  For the Wheel you would to cut  large slots on a diameter that you could stick your work piece in at.

So a rotor being about 4" deep, that would be fine?

And if I were working, say, the middle of a rod, I could just have the fuel and heat stacked up a little bit higher.  Basically, have the rod stock laying across the rotor's rim and having coal built up over the part I'll be working.  That sound about right?

Thanks Notownkid and JHCC for the good info. I will look into your suggestions.

Question: by melon-size, are you talking like a cantaloupe or honeydew melon? I'm assuming so.

As for my language, I apologize for that. I will definitely clean it up! Sorry all! The last thing I want to do is to find a cool forum and then come in and offend everyone! I thought I cleaned it up enough by leaving out letters, etc., but I'll clean it up.

Thanks!

Hey all,

Let me preface with: 1) I am happy to find a cool forum like this, and 2) I am very new to the craft, as in, I've always wanted to, but have never done it.  I have only watched about a hundred hours of video and read a bunch online.  I know that does NOT take the place of actually doing it. 

So I have been wanting to make my own DIY homemade forge and started looking around at steel recycle, scrapyards, etc.  I got turned away from a couple (they just didn't have what I needed), but they were both pointing me in the right direction.  I finally, and with their help, found a place that was like, "yeah, go back and see what you can find and you can just have it."  So I ended up walking away with an old brake rotor, a steel wheel (15"), and a leaf spring.  "Awesome find for free!" I thought.  It's a good thing I didn't bring a truck back there and didn't have to walk the 250 yards carrying everything.

My question is: should I go ahead with the rotor to build my forge?  Or a drum?  Or the wheel?

Rotor details:

• About 4" deep
• Inside diameter: 8" (mostly), 9.5" at the top 0.75"
• I plan on inserting it into a metal 4-wheel cart (w/ locking wheels! )

So would a brake drum be better?  It would be bigger, so more coal, coke, etc.  But is bigger better?  I am not looking to do smaller knife stock at this point.  I am looking for what would be better for all around blacksmithing; utilitarian, artistic, whatever.  I don't have a drum to compare it to here, but for the wheel...

Wheel details:

• 15" steel
• Many many holes
• Again, I plan on inserting it into a metal 4-wheel cart (w/ locking wheels!)
• I don't think I've ever seen a wheel forge before...

My problem with the wheel, if I were to use it instead of the rotor or a drum, is that it has so many holes (side holes, not center) that are lower than what I would use for the blower section.  I will include a picture and it won't probably show what I mean right here, but maybe you can see what I mean.  I would have to weld in a circular plate for that part outside the hub that dips down.  Here's the thing, I don't have a welder nor do I know how.  I plan on get a starter welding set up in the next month so maybe this could be a good first project??  And if it's crap, oh well.  Start over, no big deal.

Local biz plug: a plug for the xxxxxxxx that gave me the free hardware?  And not to mention the awesome customer service: xxxxxxxx link removed.  xxxxxxx!  I've gotten my tires there for seven years now and they xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx in not only their service, but prices!  xxxx xxxx!  Anyway, now they also gave me free xxxx so they definitely qualify as xxxxxxxx....  Other than being a customer, I have no affiliation with them, they just rock.

What do you all think?  Rotor, drum or wheel?

Sorry, that was a lot longer post than I expected, but I hope it got most of my details across.

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