the hangman Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I just assembled a brake drum forge and used it for the first time last weekend. It actually worked better than I expected. However, I did see some of its shortcommings: Having no table makes it difficult to add more green coal to the edges of the fire and keep the coke in the center. Also I didn't have any place to set down my tongs or anything. Of course this brake drum forge is only temporary - but I would like to for a while yet untill I learn a little more. However, I would like to improve it a little right now by building a simple table around it - maybe 24" x 36" . I really don't have the metal working tools to fabricate a metal table - Do you think I could build a table by laminating several peices of 5/8" drywall with a wood frame below it ? I would be used outside - but stored in my shed. I just want it to last maybe a year. - I will be getting some lessons from an experianced blacksmith - but he won't be available untill summer and want to learn a little on my own Thanks Jeff Hey - It looks like a cannot edit my misspelled word in my subject line - now I look like an idiot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I don't know for sure but I know that 5/8" drywall has a 1 hour fire rating but that doesn't mean it is any good for this purpose. I might add a layer of soil to it to stop the paper from burning. You know a sheet metal pan would be better than the drywall and it doesn't take any special tools to work it, metal shears is all. Heck, you could even get some thin plate steel and cut it with a saber saw with a metal cutting blade and it would be better than the drywall. I have cut 55 gallon drums and old water heaters with a saber saw and I think if you can find a 55 gallon drum that would make a near perfect addition to your forge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/3836-show-me-your-forge-solid-fuel/page__st__100 post 116 near the bottom is a brick lined wood box http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/3836-show-me-your-forge-solid-fuel/page__st__40 post 42 shows brick pavers post 23 uses sheet metal studs to build a forge chassis. Don't forget to add wheel(s) of adequate size for your yard surface Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Sheet metal can be cut with a hammer and a cold chisel. Use a scrap piece as a cutting plate so you don't nick your anvil! Drywall will not be happy as a forge table and neither will you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainely,Bob Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Dry wall is not a good choice as it`s paper faced and very soft after the paper is removed.Not to mention the fact that it`s very easily broken once the paper covering is compromised.When you work it you score the top paper and then easily snap it right? If you absolutely can`t make a sheet metal table or a sheet metal backer for a brick table like suggested above then steer clear of the drywall and at least use cement board or tile backing board instead,it`s a whole lot more stout than sheetrock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 See if Tractor Supply has any firebrick, I got mine there, they are the ones they use in wood stoves, 1" X 4" X 9" I think, I put them on mine, and they are holding up fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanWillman Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 +10 on the firebrick approach. I got some from a kiln supply store, other places will sell it. You don't need fancy fab work to make your shelf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akad Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Yeah firebrick is great. I'm looking to make an enclosed coal forge, and firebrick is what I intend to use. (a lot of heat escapes from an open one, i'm trying to cut down on that for effiecency) Some of those older pics from the forum have some good designs too, and I might try them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Browne Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Get an old 50gal drum (44gal here ) and cut a hole in the top for your brake drum to sit in. Set up the tuyere, a hole in the side, and job done. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topsawn Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Agree with no drywall. I have a brake-drum forge that I use for public demos and I used a lid from a 55gal drum. By cutting two small crosses in the face of the lid it gave me 8 small tabs to bend down into the fire pot and that holds it steady. The tabs have melted some and made for weird clinkers but you said this was a short term fix. Hope this helps. Happy Forging and SAFE PASSAGES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 http://www.tractorsupply.com/home-improvement/heating/fireplace-accessories/firebrick-9-in--3112783 Price seems high, may only be online, check at the local store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 My portable forge has a 22 x 28inch sheet metal surround to the cast fire pot,( its 10x12 drop in), 12 ga I think, easy enough to work with tin snips. and after 20+ years I have finally seen a need to repair it :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divermike Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I built a forge table and hood out of metal studs and drywall, covered the table with thin sheet metal and faced the hood with a layer of thin tin, it worked well for 3 years, and never had a problem with it, so go for it, just know that it is not very impact resistant, and does burn a bit, as with everything, common sense dicatates fire safety, water, extinguishers on hand etc.. but if that is what you need to do to get started, go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hangman Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 Thanks for all the replies. I knew you guys would steer me in the right direction even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I was just hoping to use something I already had laying around. I guess I will either go with the fire bricks or a sheet metal top. I know my local home improvement store has fire bricks for $1.29 - but they will be a pain to cut with a chisel to match the shap of the brake drum. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 The door off a junked dryer would give you a sheet metal space about 18 x 20, with a lip to both keep it stiff and keep the fuel in place. You could prop it up on bricks or drop it into a wood framed table. I recently redid my brake drum forge with a sheet metal utility cart. Cut a hold for the drum and bolted it in place, centered between the long sides and at one end. works well if you can find a cart like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 I was thinking (scary though, this) that you could use a 55-gal drum with a hole cut in one end to hold the brake drum, and you could cut a large opening in the side and use it for fuel storage in the bottom. you would just have to make darn sure that you have some kind of chute for the ash dum so absolutely nothing goes into the storage area you could even use the old super 55-drum forge and have one drum stacked on top of another (for the chimney effect) and again have the chute for safety Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefera4m Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Thanks for all the replies. I knew you guys would steer me in the right direction even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I was just hoping to use something I already had laying around. I guess I will either go with the fire bricks or a sheet metal top. I know my local home improvement store has fire bricks for $1.29 - but they will be a pain to cut with a chisel to match the shap of the brake drum. Jeff A masonry cut-off wheel on a 4" grinder makes cutting firebrick a breeze (just make sure you do it outdoors as it creates a lot of dust). If you don't have a grinder (HF for about $20 would suffice), the try a masonry hack-saw blade or a mas0nry blade for a sawsall (reciprocating saw) or even a radial hand saw - they all work on firebrick though the hacksaw take a little longer but gets the job done more precisely than a chisel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hangman Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 A masonry cut-off wheel on a 4" grinder makes cutting firebrick a breeze (just make sure you do it outdoors as it creates a lot of dust). If you don't have a grinder (HF for about $20 would suffice), the try a masonry hack-saw blade or a mas0nry blade for a sawsall (reciprocating saw) or even a radial hand saw - they all work on firebrick though the hacksaw take a little longer but gets the job done more precisely than a chisel. I'm having a heck of a time cutting the fire bricks. I am trying to cut a circular edge on them - to match the 11" diameter brake drum. I have tried a Dremel tool and a chisel, a jig saw with a carbide masonary blade and a Sawzall with a masonary blade. I have angle grinder and a pneumatic cutter - but neither of them will cut a the arc. So far I have 4 bricks finished of the 8 bricks that need cutting. Anyone with any easier suggestions ? Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 cut a 2 flat approximation of an arc, pack the gap with dry sand. cut a 3 flat approximation of an arc, use a plunge cut from both sides with the 4 inch wheel and clean the corner out with the recip saw. Pack any gaps with sand. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hangman Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 I'm really having a hard time cutting the firebrick to match the curve of the brake drum. I have another idea i'd like to bounce off you guys. Set the brake drum into a hole in the plywood table and coat the table with furnace cement. The furnace cement is rated at 2000 degrees - but I assume the fire would basically be contained in the brake drum anyway. I guess the cement would mostly keep the edge of the fire (or a stray buring peice of coal) from burning the wood. I think I have seen cautions about using furnace cement to build a fire pot - the cement can spall from the heat ? I assume it would be OK outside the brake drum - but I don't wan to get hurt. Is this a reasonable approach to this forge table ? I want something that I can store in my shed and carry or roll out into my back yard. If this is doable; how thick should I build up the cement on the plywood ? Any thoughts? Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Hi Jeff, I think what I would do in your situation is use hardy board or durarock board. Both are cement products and much better suited to your use. I used metal studs to make my forge and a piece of 1/8th inch floor plate. Total cost less than $25 for materials. I cut my hole for my break drum and set it in. Then used black iron pipe for my air supply and ash dump. The black iron pipe I got from a plumbing supply for, I'm guessing here, maybe $20. Here are a couple of pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hangman Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 Bryan: I already have the black iron pipe. 2" black pipe "T" hooked up to a hair dryer on a speed control rheostat and an ash dump. I've been using it for about two months now - the forge itself works very well - I just want a table around the brake drum to set down my tools and keep a little extra coal ready and forming coke at the edge. How hard is that durarock board to cut in a circle ? Acutally I need to cut an inside circle . . . much harder than an outside circle. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I have used a utility knife to cut it its not easy but it does cut. I understand what you mean about an inside circle. Its a cement board. So, it has the hardness of concrete. But, I have used it personally for years. A utility knife, a drywall saw, anything like that will do it. Being concrete it is alot more durable and fire resistant than drywall, which is made of gypsum. 3/4" drywall is fire safety rated for 45 minutes to an hour. I'm not sure about the fire rating of durarock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 option 1: Pick up a 2 ft piece of black stovepipe (about $8-$10US) flatten, cut hole, support with sheet metal studs. Done. Total upgrade including fasteners will be about $20 since you already have the rest built. No fire problem, should last a year or longer. option 2: Pick up a bolt together stockroom shelf. Find one in the trash for free, even if bent up a bit or buy one for about $30US. Take apart, make legs the right height, cut a hole in the shelf and install with the lip up to hold material and reassemble. Done. Total cost Free to $30US depending on scrounging skills. Fasteners included. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hangman Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 Well, I think that means another trip to Home Depot ... Thanks guys Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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