Inhaling Coal smoke

[Pat Roy]

This is just my opinion, the vertical run of your pipe is short and the two 90 degree bends are killing your draft, not to mention 7 inch diameter pipe being kind of small.

[ledson]

I could be wrong, but after looking at your pictures it looks like all the metal around your forge is galvanized. Including our ash dump. Other than the barrel and flue, it looks like the pan and stand around your fire pot are galvanized. These could heat up enough to let off the poisonous zinc that may have made you sick. Again i could be wrong. If the metal surrounding your forge is galvanized, i would remove it and start fresh with some steel sheet.

My fire pot and the table top around the pot is all plain steel, the frame work and ash dump is galvanized. I know the frame is no threat to me but unsure of the ash dump so I will clean the zinc off it soon.

With all the information everyone gave me, I ‘m ripping everything off it and starting from scratch. I found some 15 inch steel pipe by 15 feet long, so I’m all set to build a side draft. Would I be able to use it in 2 parts to make the hood and flue pipe?

Thank you all! Appreciate the help.

[ironstein]

I made my side draft with 12" pipe, and i had a steel box that i welded up which was going to be a forge. I cut the radius in the top of the box for the pipe, and cut a ten by ten hole in the side. Thing works great. Just make sure you run your pipe a few feet higher than the top of the building. Mine sucks like crazy, no smoke in the shop except at start up, and thats only for a few seconds.

[ironstein]

Heres the picture of my sidedraft in action. Just make sure your opening is a bit smaller than the dimension of your pipe.