Red Shed Forge

I plan on doing the same thing eventually through the roof of my shed smithy. I also shop at Menards as it is only a couple blocks from my house; do they not have non-galvanized black steel piping there? I swear I've seen it before. Hmm. I have a book at home that has an illustration and a short story of a guy who made a make-shift temporary forge directly under a tree. He actually hung the chimney from the branches. The name of the book escapes me at the moment, sorry. Personally, I have had a coal forge under low-hanging tree branches for a couple months now. Only saw a bit of discoloring on the bark from the smoke, but I do not have a chimney and lack of sufficient heat was one of the reasons I am now scrapping that forge. Red

Ahhh cannon wormer! I knew I had seen something similar to this thing before; couldn't place it haha. I suggested to her it could be used to beat the door mat we keep in the garage at the house entrance as well. Yeah, didn't have any stainless on hand but I did coat it with an oil based concoction she also makes. I do want to invest in some of the carnuba-based floor wax that I have seen Frosty and some others mention before.

I coat my ceramic blanket with a layer of 3000 degree refractory and ITC-100HT Ceramic refractory coating on top of that. A pint is not cheap, but it goes a long way.

Forged this twisty stir-wand thingy last night for my wife. She makes our laundry detergent and sometimes the ingredients separate in the container if they have been sitting for a few days. She wanted a way to stir it; I wanted an excuse to get back to the anvil... it had been about 2 weeks as I have been working on a coal forge build and other projects. It was a good exercise in scrolling and hammer & tong control after the brief hiatus. I only used the anvil and its horn for the scroll and expanded coil. It is forged from 1/4" coil spring steel. She said it is exactly as she pictured it... but now I'm wondering how wise it was to give her a mace-like object to wield in the house. At least I'm on her good side for the next few days haha.

Good analogy. Yeah, it seems to be more of a buzzword nowadays. Even when you see advertisements for contemporary ornamental railings and the like, they call the work wrought iron. I mean, it is wrought. Just likely not iron.

My Mother-In-Law has some old stoop railings that she took off of her late granny's soon-to-be razed house. She says they are wrought iron but I have not had the chance to get a good look at them yet. Granny lived to be 100 and a few months, but I don't think the house shared the same run. Anyway, she says she wants me to do something with them for her... hasn't said what that something is yet haha. But if she never says, I am sure I will think of something nice to make with them as a Christmas gift. My wife wants a larger sewing table for her birthday in October... told her I would forge the legs and frame

Nice work for sure! Thanks for the pictures. I have some 2" black pipe that I will use too. I used it as a tuyure on my first coal forge, but it's currently bolted to the top of a keg-chimnea I made for the back porch. Has a cool steampunk look to it but I think its time to put it back to work.

Irondragon, I've got one of those too! lol. But my forge will be a bottom blast and my fire pot a bit larger than what I am seeing in that picture. Makes me wonder if it would cut it. So many possibilities! haha. But truth be told, I am after something that I will want to keep until it quits on me or I break it haha. So either invest time to build it, get something great for free, or buy a good one.

Ha! I've got one of those mattress pumps too... worth looking into, but my first thought is that it would be about the same as the hairdryer I have. Hmm. Cooling fan. That makes more sense than exhaust. But I still wonder...

Thomas, I have seen that too! pnut, thanks. Less than I expected. Another thought on the fan I currently have: Would it be a bad idea, or just superfluous, to use it as an exhaust draw fan at the end of the flue when I eventually get the forge into the shed? I have the part that mounts to the outside of a building and attaches to the fan, as well. I wonder if it would just do what a good side draft would do anyway...

I see. I guess that's not HUGE. Definitely not throwing the idea out the window. It's just that storage and operating space is an issue of mine too... The 'ol Red Shed fills up pretty quick. I forge in the yard for now, but it can't stay out there. I really do want to keep it stationed in the shed, just not a pertinent priority with other pressing projects

Thomas, I thought of a bellows as well. I have seen some that are about 1.5' wide x 2' long and some that just seem downright huge. I wouldn't want a huge one for the same reason as you... I need to be able to move it and would like to travel with it eventually. How big was the one you had?

Arkie, that's a good idea! I currently work full time at a CPA firm and we have a client that owns an HVAC company... maybe I will see if they have any they are looking to get rid of. Great tip! Also, thank you for a look at your sliding air gate; If I can't get/build a hand crank, I will want an air gate too. Do you have another picture of it from another angle? The fan I currently have was an exhaust fan for an old AC/Heating unit that was mounted to the inside wall of my garage when I moved in. The unit does not work, the fan is fine, but I think I would have to turn the blades for the appropriate blow (or scrap it if it's not gonna be right for the project). I have yet to test the electrical on it, but because it is wired, I might find a way to make it an electric blower instead. Although I would prefer a hand-crank, I am not totally against using an electric blower. A very good friend works for an industrial garage door installation company and is going to give me some sprockets and chain that were once used on a chain hoist. No gears, unfortunately. I would build the housing out of the same steel I used for the fire pot and forge the handle of the crank. I am torn among which to pursue: hand-crank build, electrical blower build, buy an old Champion, or ask the HVAC guys. Here is the fan I have:

Ha! The original owner... that's funny. 248, nearly twice the weight of my heaviest! Still room to dream haha

I made some progress with the new coal forge this weekend and tonight by building the fire pot. I discuss the dimensions and material used in the feed in the link, on page 540. It's not too easy on the eyes and needs a little more work, but I think I like it.

Oh, I see. Your're scaring me, man! Don't need another one of those, that's for sure! Yes, very high-tech! I like it though; it does what it's meant to, I'm sure. I am thinking of just using that corrugated sheet steel that was previously on the recently-scrapped coal forge. Wrap it around a piece of duct like you did and fashion a little hood for it. I will be looking into a side draft too. Good luck with the PW! I know I wish I could take it off your hands.

So my rushed measurements were off this morning. More accurately, the pot measures 8.5"x6.25"x3.5." By multiplying those together I get a volume of 186. Divide that by length x width and I get 3.5" in depth. Might just look bigger due to how and where I took the picture... or am I doing this wrong? haha

Haha thanks for the closer pictures! Makes a lot more sense now that I see it close up. I'm usually slow to comprehend simple explanation haha. I will see if I can do something like that myself; I think I eventually want to add a hood and chimney as well. I was upset to hear about that bounce test the other day... Hope you are feeling better and safely back in the shop.

I am pretty terrible at math, so I may have done the measuring completely wrong ha. I can post a picture with a tape measure tonight when I am back home, but last I checked it measured 3.5" from the top to the bottom on the inside.

Got started on a new coal forge this weekend; started with the fire pot. I still need to attach the pieces that angle out at the top, allowing it to rest in the forge. I have them cut, just need to clean them up and weld them on tonight. My drill press finally died on me and my drill battery died halfway through drilling the grill at the bottom of the pot, so I just moved on. It is 8"x6"x3.5" deep. It is made of 1/8" structural steel sandwiched and welded together to make it 1/4" thick. All cut with many 4 1/2" angle grinder cut-off discs. Welds are ugly, I know haha... don't have much experience in that arena; still learning how to match amps with stick with steel.

Got it, thanks. I plan to make some headway on this build this weekend and will be sure to get some good pictures.

Ok, I understand now Thomas, thank you for further explanation. Although, if you do get the time later this weekend as you mentioned, a closer picture would be great to see as well; I am wondering how tall that welded 3/8" square stock is for the slots. Thanks!

That makes sense, then. Thanks!

I don't have the option to edit my last comment, even in the ellipsis in the top corner. Anyway, obviously you said square stock, not angle iron. I guess I am having trouble with the image you are giving here, Thomas. I imagine 2 pieces of movable/removable steel, parallel to each other on each side of the fire pot, allowing me to open for longer stock and close for coal containment.

Great find, Thomas! What a cool way to add to its history. Like angle iron on a hinge or a loose bolt pin? I think that is a great idea and I was going to do the same because I believe I remember you mentioning this elsewhere. I will probably make this one portable too, the coal forge station is at the Red Shed haha; will want to wheel it in at night.