mcaldwell Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Hi all! Looks like a nice forum ya got here. I'm excited to begin my blacksmithing journey and am eager to get started. I'm in "tool-gathering" mode currently, but would like to begin building a forge to get the ball rolling. I'm not looking to spend much money. Less than $200 on the forge itself, hopefully much less than that. I've narrowed it down to 2 designs (unless somebody has a better recommendation): 1. A design based on a chiminea (from Lowe's, looks something like this. I guess I would add an air source underneath the flame and coat the inside of the furnace with some type of refractory... and probably set some fire bricks underneath the charcoal and around the sides... 2. An in-ground design based on a classical Japanese sword forge (described here: Forge Building ). Basically I guess I'm looking for feedback on either of these 2 designs... I've not seen any forges built from a chiminea (as in #1), but it seems like it would work. Also, any tips for getting started would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Looking forward to learning from you all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Have you looked at the Blueprint BP0133 the 55 Forge? Getting started Lessons in Blacksmithing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcaldwell Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 Thanks Glenn. I'm not sure where I'd be able to gather the parts for that design. Also sounds kinda dangerous. I don't have much experience with scrap-yarding or anything like that... I'd be willing to try, but if I can pay a little more to get off to a bit of an easier start, that's probably what I'll do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Welcome aboard, glad to have you. What you're doing is pretty typical, you're over thinking things at too early a stage. Find yourself an old kettle BBQ, washing machine lid, etc. some black pipe, a "T" around 2" dia. and an old hair drier. Depending on what you come up with the idea is pretty straight forward. Screw a long 10-18" piece of pipe into the center of the "T", a short nipple 2" or so in one arm and another in the other arm. One short nipple extends up through the bottom of the pan or attaches to an old brake drum. The other arm points down and gets capped for an ash dump. If you use something deep like an old BBQ, wash tub, etc. line with rammed in damp clay till the top arm is near flush. Welding bars across it or drilling a number of 3/8" - 1/2" holes in a piece of plate makes your air grate. Let the clay dry and insert the blow drier in the end of the long leg, turn it on and build your fire. If what you find is a piece of sheet to make a table cut a hole in it larg enough to drop a brake drum in so it rests on the wide rim. This will leave it sticking up about 1/2"-3/4" above the table. Ram moist clay onto the table till it's even with the brake drum. Attach the "T" and nipple "tuyere" to the hub hole in the brake drum. You may need to weld or bolt a piece of plate to the drum to cover the bolt holes but that's no big deal. Make an air grate to cover the air inlet. Insert blow drier as before and away you go. All you need is something to hold your fire, some fuel to help keep it stoked and support your work as it heats. It does not need to be sophisticated at all, a simple hole in the ground works just fine but your back is going to get sore tending it. Making an enclosed furnace isn't necessary at all. Proper forge fuel (solid fuels that is) need to be pyrolized to work properly. For wood, corn, etc. that means made into charcoal and coked for coal. Coke and charcoal are the same basic thing from different sources and act like insulation containing the heat of the fire. This makes walls and a roof on a solid fuel forge more in the way than a help. Also, chimnea are not intended for HOT fire and will in all probability break up rather quickly. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcaldwell Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 Thanks Frosty, I do tend to over-engineer things... I'd intended to line the chiminea with refractory, so as to avoid the "breaking apart", but maybe that wouldn't have worked. In any case, I see that there are cheaper alternatives that will work just as well. I'll keep you all posted on my progress (it may take a while to gather all the materials). Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcaldwell Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Well I picked up a couple of 55 gallon steel drums today (they were used to store food items, so they should be clean). They look pretty nice and they were cheap. Came with lids and rings. I think I'll combine some of the ideas I've been getting from you guys and hope it works out. Wish me luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Now you're talking. Check out the 55 Forge in the Blueprints section. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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