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I Forge Iron

A table for the shop


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I need to reorganize my smithing corner and plan to add a propane forge so I don't have to rely on the hand-cranked char forge, fun as it is. The photo shows I have some work to do -- need a stand for the Trenton on the floor, a stand for the leg vise in the back, and a steel-topped table I can put the propane forge on. I am not a welder, so I was wondering if it would be safe to build a heavy table using 4X4 or 4X6 legs, well braced, and with a lumber or plywood top with some 1/4 or 3/8 plate bolted to it -- safe in the sense of fireproof and nearly impossible to tip over. I'm thinking something like 3 by 6 feet. I plan to drywall the bare walls to reduce fire danger.
Any advice most welcome.

14668.attach

14669.attach

Edited by Bill in Oregon
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I am not a welder either, and I started with a gasser. What I did was use patio stone (18"x18") to go under the forge, then a wooden frame of 2x4 holding it up.

I was told the forge would bend the plate steel of a table unless it was protected somehow.

The wood frame got singed a little, but if all the wood were under the patio block, it would do just fine.

Doug

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A steel plate will warp from the heat of the forge. Much better to build whatever table you like, cover it with cement backer board like you put behind a wood stove instead of sheet rock. Then cover THAT with split fire brick laid tight.

It's fast easy and won't burn.

Frosty

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Odd's are, if you're restructuring, it looks like that bench would be a good height for an anvil. Enough heat will warp/bend steel plate of smaller thicknesses, but I do know of a lot of great tables that have lasted longer than I've been alive that are 1/2" steel plate. If you are going to build it, do it right the first time and don't spend your money twice. Besides a nice table that is already built will sell for a decent price also, if you are ever looking to get rid of it ever.

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I took a welding course at a community college and it was one of the best investments of time and money that I ever made. I am still an amateur welder, but I consider being able to weld a necessity, both in saving money by welding stuff, as well as greatly widening what I can make.

I made a wheeled stand from angle iron for my gas forge and it has served well for over 16 years. Basically an angle iron box with two angle iron rails at the top to support the feet of the forge. With the openness of the structure there is nothing to warp and nothing to catch fire.

I avoid using any wood near heat, fire or welding equipment. I also put all wiring in steel conduit and all metal junction boxes and outlet boxes. Cutting corners causes fires.

Edited by UnicornForge
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Lots of possibilities.

I put my gas forge on top of a metal shop table I picked up for a couple bucks at an auction. Just angle iron corners with a 14 gauge metal "shelf" top with lip and similar shelf 6 inches up from the bottom. I put a large foot plate from an old tractor on top of that shelf rim, and set the forge on it. The extra plate sticking out front I used to stack my firebrick on. That full brick length shelf out front really is nice.

If you are looking for a "cheap" table for your forge, see about picking up a junker kitchen stove. They are already all metal, and insulated for heat. And you have the oven area for shelves - with or without the door attached. They even have "leveling" feet underneath. You can use the top as-is, or lay a sheet of iron across it.

Weyger's book on Making Tools talks about stripping down household washers/dryers for the metal frames. The enameled sides are designed to be taken off - ditto removing the inside parts.

A wood frame will work. Just make sure to insulate it from the forge heat. Fire bricks do work well, but it does help to work in an air gap between the wood surface and the brick or iron sheet.

Working a set of wheels on one end really helps when you need to move things about.

I made up a wood workbench out of 2x4's for my anvil and leg vice. I originally made it as a "traveling" outfit for demonstrations. But it ended up being my major work-station in my shop. The anvil is on one corner, and the leg vice is attached on the other corner. I have several pics in my photo Gallery.

Have fun with your ... project.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

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Here's a pic of my 2x4 "workbench". The bench is 26" high - 20x40. My anvil sets up kind of high - with the face being 35" high. This really helps me when doing small work - instead of bending over a little all the time. I've got a different larger anvil on a stump at the classic height off to the side for larger work. And all those extra tools in those couple trays on the bottom shelf do help add some more weight/mass to the whole bench. But I still do have to be a little careful when bending large things - as the whole bench wants to move around a bit. But having a ground floor instead of cement does help cut down on the bench sliding about. It tends to ... settle in.

Workbench1.jpg

Just another possibility.

Mikey

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Mike: Love your setup. I notice the leg vise leg doesn't seem to be in contact with anything. How does this work out?
Would a similar table with some steel plate on top be safe with a propane forge? All this talk of steel tops warping from the heat indicates to me that the surface beneath and around most propane forges gets pretty hot.

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I specifically ran the 2x4 uprights higher than the rest of the bench top to make that platform to bolt the leg vice on. There are 4 sticking up to rest that chunk of oak plank on. And I used extra long bolts to run bolt the vice on - running down through to an extra plate underneath the bench top - with a spacer in between for extra bracing. Two of the 2x4 legs are flush with the side of that corner of the bench, and the other two are side-by-side about 6 inches from the corner at the other end of that chunk of oak plank. Plus the leg of the vice is strapped to the bottom of the bench. The vice does not move at all in use. Plus I can undo two bolts on that bottom strap, and pop the wedge pins out of the bracket and pull the vice off if need be.

On the anvil end, I also put in 2 2x4 uprights flush with the corner/end, and two more out where the other end of the anvil sets. These were set lower, with those 2x4's from the bench top covering them. This give me extra strength/mass directly below the anvil. The "off" corners just have one 2x4 upright to balance it out.

It can be a bit tricky getting the bench leveled off. You end up with 10 2x4's touching the ground from the bottom of the bench - if everything is perfectly level. So when I travel with it, I throw in a couple wood wedges to help level and stabilize it.

The only occasional worry is that the whole workbench is only 20 inches wide. It can get a bit tippy or top heavy when moving it with anvil and vice mounted in place. Plus bending some things in the vice can give you enough ... leverage ... to more the whole bench about.

It has worked very well for the smaller work I normally do. And I really like having that whole bench top to lay out projects and tools on! But I finally did put a little wood lip along that back side to keep tools from rolling/sliding off.

It works for me.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

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