I've been looking on the site and internet for days looking at solid fuel forge designs. I have an idea and I would like to ask the more experianced smiths here what they think of it.
The basic design would be a square BBQ grill, the kind with the rounded corners and a flat bottom for the box. Put a 2" hole in one side and then make a tuwere, or however you spell it, out of 2" pipe ending in a neck down to 1" four way junction. Make a square ring of straight pieces with 90 deg. corners, and the final junction the straight piece, would be capped in the center. 2 or 3 holes in each section for air flow. Coming out of the forge I would have a gate valve to control air flow and would be using a leaf blower for an air supply. All of this black iron of course. For refractory, bentonite clay, ash, and perlite? Not to sure about the perlite. Some say use it some say don't. Put about 4-5" of refractory under the tuwere and make the depression for the lit charcoal about 5" deep. Building it wouldnt be hard to do for me, I'm handy like that. I guess my question would be, does it seem like a sound design?