Indoor Charcoal Forge Design

[northboundtrain]

So I've definitely be bit by the blacksmithing bug. My little propane forge has worked well enough to get me hooked. However, If this is to become a serious hobby, I'd like something different.

Currently, I have a woodstove in the garage. I'm thinking of taking out the stove and replacing it with a homemade forge. I envision a forge built like a masonry heater with a steel door on the fire box that could be closed so that the forge could double as a heater. Also, I would want to make the charcoal itself in the forge. I can't be lighting fires under 55 gallon drums full of wood in this neighborhood (read, suburbia ).

So to sum up, the forge would serve three purposes: forge, heater, and charcoal maker. When I lived in the country I did build a masonry heater once for an outbuilding that worked quite well. It was essentially a box of mortared firebrick with a six inch hole in the top for a stove pipe and another hole in top for a steel lid. A smaller hole toward the bottom served as an air inlet, which I controled with a tapered piece of brick.

I'm thinking of a similar design, but modified as necessary for forging. Any thoughts, suggestions?

BTW, my garage is small and space is very limited as it is, so keeping the stove and adding a forge is not an option.

Thanks

[V]

So, if I undestood well, is it going to be charcoal fueled?

[northboundtrain]

Yeah, charcoal that I make from hardwood.

[V]

I guess there is a direct relatinship btw insulation and chrcoal durability in those designs, therefore good joints must to be setted, and a good chimney design too, for the smoke not to return. Other thing I imagine is the bottom (or floor) of the forge some concave for coal sets downing while is burning and avoid lost time trying to get the amount reorganized- And the most important, to be ergonomics, so your back is not to bend too much for looking inside the fire. I wish my new forgw to be such like.

[northboundtrain]

So would it be feasible to make charcoal in a firebox that is 16"W x 16"H x 20"D? That's about 3 cu. ft. I figure that when I use the forge for space heating, I would make charcoal as much as possible. Since I see forging as only a hobby for me, I wouldn't need a huge amount of charcoal.

[Mills]

I can envision a device that you put over the forge. Fill with wood and route the smoke into the fire below it. I you have a sidedraft hood a chimney with a good draw then you should be able to vent the smoke outside. So whil;e you are forging in the open fire you could be making charcoal in the box above the fire. I would imagine that that would be a lot of work.

Another thought, Build a drum sized stove that can be loaded with wood and charcoal is removed easily. In whatever fashion you choose. The top of this device can then have your firepot in it. use propane or natural gas as the primary heat for the charcoal, supplemented by the waste smoke from the charcoal production. I could then act as a stove in the winter either by heating with gas or burning wood in the retort, or be the forge. It may get a little toasty if you try to make charcoal and forge.

[northboundtrain]

I just read the charcoal making tutorial again over at Tim Lively's site. I don't think I would want to try the indirect method inside the shop -- seems a bit dicey. I understand that a retort produces more charcoal, but If I'm heating the space while making charcoal the direct way, then nothing is really wasted. I'm just not sure I would be able to make enough charcoal in such a small (approx 3 cu. ft.) fire box. My space is really small. It is a one car garage, 16' x 24', with work benches and tools running down each of the long walls. I just barely manage to get my full-size truck inside. The forge would have to occupy the same space -- approx. 2' x 2' -- that the woodstove currently does.

I really like the idea of forging with charcoal, especially in winter when it would heat the shop as well.

Maybe if the forge can't produce enough charcoal, I could build a one-drum retort and do the initial heat with propane before the wood starts giving off gasses and the process becomes self-sustaining. As long as the retort didn't give off too much smoke, I could probably get away with it.

[JohnW]

Northbound,
I don't think you're going to be able to make charcoal very fast in your stove. As I visualize it, you would get a stove full of wood burning, whole pieces of firewood, or chunked. Then, when it gets good and charred, you would shovel out most of the stove contents into a barrel (I suppose), put the lid on, wheel it outside and let the charred wood smother, while you load up the stove with more wood, etc.

I would say, don't worry about making lots of charcoal ahead of time. Just use wood. Chop you up of small chunks and stick, build you a fire, and when you get a good bed of coals, forge. You need a bead of coal deep enough to bury your steel. Add wood as you forge, or charcaol, if you have any. If your fire burns down too much, quit forging until you can get suffient coals.

[FredlyFX]

How about an outside the brick box answer?

Keep your current wood stove to heat the shop and then build a propane forge to do your smithing. Forget about trying to make charcoal inside the garage. The propane forge will probably go over much better in suburbia as well.

Just another opinion.

[northboundtrain]

Yeah, that's what I'm doing now -- using a little propane forge outside. It works well. However, I burn wood to heat the shop in winter, and it would be great to use that wood for forging while it's heating as well. Also, the propane forge is loud, and I understand that charcoal is better for making knives and tools because it doesn't strip carbon away from the steel like propane does. Plus, I think I would really enjoy forging the way the blacksmiths of old did it.

I'm now thinking of making a small forge and shoehorning it in next to the wood stove. Then wye the pipes together before they enter the chimney. That way, I could be making charcoal in the stove while I'm forging (That would get the shop pretty toasty.)