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Showing results for tags 'solid fuel'.
Found 19 results
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So, I currently run a charcoal side blast forge. I basically filled it with clay and then the actual firebox has a cob lining made of refined earth clay, grass clippings, grob and a small amount of lime to act as a plasticizer (less water required to make the mixture wet). I get very good heat from it, some would say a little too good, So much so that the clay actually melts. like not little particles and clinkers but actual viscous, honey like liquid slag at the bottom of my forge. This doesn't overly affect the forging too much, as the tuyere is above the slag, but I don't like having
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I made charcoal. On Tuesday night my lady and I made a little fire while we had our video call with the Community Group crew. I filled a green bean can with some thicker sticks, then pressed it into the fire open side down. We built the fire around it. When we were ready to go inside for the evening, I spread the fire out, but left the can in place. This morning, I dumped the contents of the can onto this old pan. The result is black, glassy, and sounds crispy. There is no un-pyrolized wood in the center of the sticks. Success! Next step: try this again, but with a piece of s
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Hello IFI, I've been passing through this forum for quite some time and as I just fired my first home built forge I though it time to join. Here's the build out list: Brake Disc, 16x30 metal cart, Buffalo blower, 2 inch piping for tuyere, clay, fire brick, and regular brick. sheet metal. I clayed the entire cart around the disc under the bricks, this leveled things out for the brick mostly, but also added a nice added layer of thermal protection to the cheap cart metal. Fire brick is cut around the disc face, giving me a pot 3.5 inches deep and 7 inches wide. Picked up the blower
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The following is a quick summery of the 55 Forge. More in depth design and discussion can be found on the site. The original 55 Forge was bottom blast. The fire shown is a little shallow, so if there is a question, just add more fuel. The tuyere was a piece of auto exhaust pipe with 1/4 inch holes to accept 1/4 inch round bar in a X pattern to form a grate. Lots of open room for air to move up and into the bottom of the fire. The next test modification was to put a brake drum into the 55 forge as a fire pot. You can see the cone shape to the ash
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So, I just started blacksmithing about a month ago...mostly teching myself with some help from youtube videos, trial and error, and a video course by Alec Steele. I've posted some pics of my current forge that I've been using and I was hoping for some advice for improvements on either its construction or my technique. Sorry for not having an pics of the forge in use since I normally don't take time to take pictures while crafting. The piping pictured is an idea I had for increasing airflow. My idea was to drill holes along the length of the pipes so that air was sent along the enti
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While doing research on various designs for charcoal retorts both on IFI and elsewhere, I ran across this interesting variation that I wanted to get folks' thoughts on. It's an indirect-method retort, but rather than a double-barrel design with the fire around the outside, it appears to be essentially a 55 gal drum with a rocket stove in the middle, fueled by the wood gasses being piped back in through the fresh air intake. Has anyone here ever seen/tried/used/built anything like this, and would they recommend it? On the face of it, it looks like it wouldn't be terribly complicated to build an
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Starting up my first forge, I've done the research, I have the first draft of my forge plans, what now? Materials and thicknesses and the like get confusing when one person says one thing then another site says another thing! Some help from the pros?
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So I basically designed this off of a JABOD forge but used a high heat fireclay as the base foot the mix. It ended up being mostly a mix of 2:1:1 fireclay to sand to perlite. I used Portland cement and more sand for the layer past the 'fire pot' because I needed more volume. Also reinforced the edges or crumbling bits with store bought Hercules heavy body sodium silicate which works like a charm for those curious. I used lump charcoal and it got decently hot but threw Sparks like a xxxx. Currently working on an insulating and spark trapping dome. Link to pics on drive because chrome
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I'm currently building my first shop, and I need a design for a forge. I just wanted to know what you guys preferred in a forge, specific qualities, design, things to avoid etc... I use anthracite, there are no suppliers of bituminous near me. Also I go to a local trade school for welding and I can make everything from steel. So im trying to make a forge that lasts and is preferably made from steel. Thanks for the help guys!!
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I'm building my first forge and I sort of want to go for something all-in-one here. The hope is to be able to have a multipurpose system that can use solid fuel or propane injection, have the ability to be both forge and foundry, and also to be utilized for my glass blowing. I think I'm on to something here but I was hoping for some feedback from those more experienced. Not pictured I plan to also build a door for the front of refractory brick or cast o lite (or similar material) to close the forge up for smelting. Things I'm not sure of : 1 the shape of the mobile table in front
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Made my first forge from a semi brake drum ... after using it w charcoal for a few weeks I'm realizing the "fire pot" is way too big and wasting a lot of fuel. I know this isnt exactly a revelation but I'm not ready to ditch it yet so trying to make the thing as efficient as possible ... So far I've tried building up 2 sides w furnace cement (a waste of time and money) it never really cured properly and what did harden has already chipped off. I tried inserting a couple of pieces of 12ga sheet metal to form a more V shaped fire pot - in principal it seemed to do what I was after ... concentr
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Hi everyone, i'm here to ask you all for yet more advice. When i bought my anvil, vise and tools the seller talked me into taking his forge too, which at the time seemed like a good idea. Now the problem is that i've had to buy materials for and build a lean-to/workshop type structure down the garden, to eventually work in, and generally make sure its suitable for what I intend to do. i've spent months working on this trying to get it all ready to use before winter and my personal deadlines keep being missed and its disheartening. Now the forge I got is a beautifull thing, however i've never
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anyone know of a supplier of coke near huntingdon, I know one 25 miles away in my direction but was wondering if there were any closer as in september next year I have an event there that will need some -
I finally got the materials and time to put together a new solid fuel forge. I looking forward to using it as soon as I pick up some flexible tubing for the blower. It's built out of scrap, I assume fab shop drops and stuff. I cut off a brake drum and practiced my welding. My welds are ugly as sin, but they stick. Also, I found a few places in most of the welds that actually looked decent. Now if I can just repeat the right way instead of the wrong way. Welding in holes was a new thing for me. That turned out ok. Does anyone know of a good bituminous coal source in Colorado? I usually use
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I have a bit of an issue with some large nut coke...I've used small nut before and it's worked great! Burns hot and everything, but now I'm almost out, but large nut (averaging 3 to 5cm) isn't getting hot enough, I made a roaring fire with wood today, slowly placed the coke in the fire, the coke heated up, and got REALLY hot... But only on the sides..The centre wasn't even burning even after alot of poking and prodding and shaping so I started to get quite frustrated...I was wondering if I could request help with this problem. I have a small...I dunno what you'd call it..I guess a small old '
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Heeey everybody, after a little break am back with an new project. This time its an homemade solid fuel forge. Made from scrap, welded with mma rutile, painted on black matte. I´ve finished it after 2 days of hard work :). Board is made from cast iron (before used as board on old furnace. size: lenght - 80cm width - 51cm height - 88cm weight - 60 kg. fireplace is replaced with drum brake from skoda 120 :-3 i hope u enjoy it. Viktor :)
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so after being on this site for awhile and looking through posts and posting a decent amount myself and talking about building a low budget brake drum coal/charcol forge here is what i have so far, i got the drum from the scrap bin at the auto parts store before they canned me, the pipe i found spelunking in my dads old and very very tired garage, its 2.5 inch diameter pipe which is perfect because that was the size of the hub hole on the drum, the plate welded to the drum is 1/4 steel, i stick welded the wheel stud holes to the backing plate and then stick welded the pipe to the plate, which
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I am building what will be a stationary, long term forge. Here is my idea on paper and some photos of what I'm using. I would like any advise I can get.
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I want to sing the praises of using Coke in a forge instead of Smithing Coal It does not produce any smoke or smell at all, no matter what you do. It burns hotter than hell and produces little or no ash or clinkers. The fire never settles down, no hollow spots, nothing but pure heat. Just add fresh coke as needed. It's a little harder to start a new fire in the forge, just use a little more kindling. I was told that it needed a strong blast to keep it running, but I didn't have any problems using a hundred year old, no name, hand cranked blower. A blacksmith friend gave me a b
