homemade forge

[elfshadow14]

Hi i'm getting into knifesmithing and need a cheap forge.i would like to use charcoal as the heatsource.would anyone know of a guide on making one?

[Ian]

Yup,
if you look in the blueprints section of the main page you'll find several cheap and cheerfull "how to" guides for making a forge.

[Ferrous Beuler]

Cheap forge? Try gas instead of charcoal, might be in your interest if you seek economy and ease of assembly to get going. Ask around. Dan:)

[Site Admin]

See Blueprint BP0300 for ideas on getting started.

[ThomasPowers]

You might like to look at some of the neo-tribal forges made from adobe in a wash tub Tim Lively (sp?) is a good name to hunt on. The were designed for knifemaking and for home construction.

Thomas

[bipolarandy]

Here is the wash tub forge thomas was talkin about Charcoal Forge

It was designed for burning charcoal, and it works great for knives

-Andrei

[Rantalin]

I used the wash tub forge for about a year, my first year smithing. It worked great. However, I ended up spending too much time tending the fire and not enough time forging, so I switched to gas. For my birthday, my dad got me a gas forge off e-bay for about $130.

The construction of the wash tub forge is incredibly simple. As soon as I thought the adobe was dry enough, I threw in some sticks and used a small desk fan blown into a small cone to direct the air into the tyure. I was able to heat some pieces of metal up to a mid-range red using just scrap wood. When I switched over to natural hardwood charcoal, the forge worked even better (as expected). I eventually ran out of hardwood charcoal and had to use charcoal briquettes, not my favorite thing in the world. My parents were able to find and get me some Nut Coal last Christmas which worked really well. It was amusing to see my relatives in a state of confusion when I told them I had recieved a 50 pound bag of coal for Christmas and was excited. I then found that pea coal, due to the larger surfae area, burned a lot better than nut coal, and thats what I stuck with until the switch to gas. Although I do plan on building a new coal forge eventually.

[elfshadow14]

Man thanks I have never got so many helpful replies before.
The wash tub forge looks great thanks for all the replies.
BTW Rantalin how much faster is gas one you got on ebay then a wash tub forge.
And if it really is alot faster would you suggest buying one on ebay or is making a gas forge not that hard?

[son_of_bluegrass]

Have you checked for local blacksmithing clubs in your area yet?
If not find ABANA's site and see if they have a local chapter. You may be able to try several different styles of forge and decide what you like best. Personally I like charcoal best with coal second (for most opperations) and have tried propane but don't like it. It just doesn't suit me.

ron
ps there may be an oppurtonity to build a forge as part of the group.

[Rantalin]

I've never made a gas forge, so I can't really input on that, but the one I bought works really well. Immediatly after it's lit I throw something into the chamber to heat. As the forge gets hotter, I throw another piece under the other burner. I can get a railroad spike (about 3/8 inch square) up to an orange heat pretty quickly. It's been a while since I've used the washtub forge, but from what I remember it took a little bit to heat up a spike. The catch with the gas forge I've got is that the max I'm gotten the forge to is about a yellow-orange. I want to get some fire bricks and reduce the size of the chamber, which I'm hoping will increase the temperature of the forge. It usually took about 15-30 minutes for me to get up to a nice forging temperature with the washtub forge, from lighting the match to hammering the steel. I've only been smithing for about a year and a half, and this was the first year of that time, so I wasn't exactly an expert at getting the fire going. The great thing about the gas forge is that I turn on the gas, adjust the regulator, and light. Then I'm pretty much set to go. In a few minutes the forge is hot enough to start working.

[elfshadow14]

I've never made a gas forge, so I can't really input on that, but the one I bought works really well. Immediatly after it's lit I throw something into the chamber to heat. As the forge gets hotter, I throw another piece under the other burner. I can get a railroad spike (about 3/8 inch square) up to an orange heat pretty quickly. It's been a while since I've used the washtub forge, but from what I remember it took a little bit to heat up a spike. The catch with the gas forge I've got is that the max I'm gotten the forge to is about a yellow-orange. I want to get some fire bricks and reduce the size of the chamber, which I'm hoping will increase the temperature of the forge. It usually took about 15-30 minutes for me to get up to a nice forging temperature with the washtub forge, from lighting the match to hammering the steel. I've only been smithing for about a year and a half, and this was the first year of that time, so I wasn't exactly an expert at getting the fire going. The great thing about the gas forge is that I turn on the gas, adjust the regulator, and light. Then I'm pretty much set to go. In a few minutes the forge is hot enough to start working.

Thanks for the reply
The reason I want charcoal is because I'm trying to start out making knife smithing and thought it would be a good choice but gas is sounding pretty good now.Would anyone know if you could make a gas forge for around 50$ - 70$?Or would trying charcoal be good for a beginner.

[Alan DuBoff]

elf,

Take what I say with a large grain of salt, since I'm fairly new to smithing, but have been doing some research on building forges recentely and can share some of that with you, as it's still fresh in my mind.

I see good reasons for using either solid fuel or gas. Most farriers these days seem to use gas as it's much more convenient, and quicker to get up to forging heat. Solid fuel is messy, takes longer to get up to forging heat, as well as requiring more skill to learn how to control the fire.

The stock that one plans to forge is really a determining factor, and in the case where you want to forge knifes, a gas forge will do that just dandy. However, because of the logistics of the area in the forge, which a gas forge is usually contained...vs. the solid fuel forge that is often clear on the top, the solid fuel forge is better for large and/or unusually shaped pieces of stock. This is very dependent on the forge and stock though, as one would imagine.

Someone mentioned getting in touch with some local groups and I think that's a great idea. I did that and was fortunate to find a C.B.A. affiliated smithy that I am now learning at, while I continue to get my tools and smithy together. Hand blowers are not cheap, but I think there's something cool about them.

I also plan to build a gas forge out of a freon tank, very similar to Fred Frontine's at this link. Ron Reil also has a great page on building a freon tank mini-forge also.

Depending on how handy you are, you can make either type of forge for not very much $$$s, or you can build something very nice for more $$$s.

I plan to use a Rex Price T-Rex burner in my gas forge, and those are about $150, so I'll probably end up with about $200-$250 in my gas forge. I plan to get a freon tank from Mojave Southern Machine Works which I found linked to from Fred's page. The tank is only $10, and they cut out the ends.

In the meantime, I'm getting a solid fuel forge going and will be cleaning and painting the one I've bought, from the smith that is teaching me how to forge, so it was helpful in searching out local groups for me. I'm not sure how close you are to the Central Virginia Blacksmithing Guild, but it might be worth checking their events out. There's a plan to build a gas forge in their how-tos.

Some local folks by me are going to be making small knifes as a project, and if you could find something like that, it would be perfect for you, IMO.

[ThomasPowers]

How much it costs to build a gas forge depends on the forge design, your skills and available tools, and how good a scrounger you are.

My first gass forge was built at a SOFA workshop using new material for most of it and ran about US$80 without the regulator. The second was complete and ran about US$120 also using mainly new materials. I have scrounged one together complete that was about US$10

As for *you* if I have to guess I would say it would take you 3.5 trillion US dollars.

Thomas

[elfshadow14]

Hey would a grill like this work also or should I buy a ovel tub to make the charcoal forge?

[Frosty]

Ah yes Elfie my lad the grill will work just fine. Just come on by and I'll give you a hand. Don't forget the steaks.

I won't get into the costs of building a forge burner here, I just sent a pretty lengthy post to another thread discussing burners. As a teaser I spend about $9 US building a burner that is more than enough to bring 800 cu/in volume to welding heat.

Building a forge is also pretty simple once you have an idea of what you want to use it for. As a bladesmith you're looking at length instead of girth. You also only need to hold fire and a couple lbs of steel so don't make a heavy shell.

I really like SS stove pipe for a pipe forge shell. It's light, reflects a lot of heat back to the forge, is easy to work with and everything you need can be had off the shelf.

the last couple forges I built I spent more on the regulator and gage than all the rest. A 0-30lb propane rated regulator runs around $30 US, 6' of propane rated hose will run around $20 US and a large number (so I can read it) gage is about $10-15 US. These are the big dollar items.

The rest: Kaowool or equivalent, kiln shelving, ITC-100, (optional around $28-45 US per/pint) fire brick, etc. will run you another $25-40 US depending on how large a forge you're building.

Frosty

[oakwoodforge]

Well if Cheap to build right NOW is what you want, that Bbq can become a Forge-bq for little or no money using almost no tools. Tai Goo
uses one very simular. Just scrounge yourself up a chunk of steel or iron pipe 1.5 to 2 " dia about a foot long or so, Cut a hole in the side for the pipe about 1/2 way from the bottom. Buy a cheapo hairdryer at the dollar store ( $4.99), and bag of plain clay kitty litter ( $ 2.99) the no scented kind. Mix kittlylitter with wood ashes and water, line your Forge with the resulting mud and let dry for several days and you have a forge for less than $10 , about 1/3 the price of the cheapest propane regulator.


Hope this helps

Jens

[bipolarandy]

elf, for you first forge, you should go with solid fuel, coal or wood charcoal.
Stay away from gas until youv'e learned how to forge, and be comfortable around a fire.

-andrei

[oakwoodforge]

Good point Andy, an improperly built charcoal forge might not work great, while an improperly built Propane forge can go BOOM !!!
----see this article
http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=3941

[Frosty]

Good points. Safety MUST always be the first concern.

There are safety pros and cons to consider regardless of the forge you build and use. Propane is an explosively flamable gas and you have to take precautions. Never turn it on then look for your matches! Light a little wad of newspaper, put it in the forge then turn it on. Then chase down the burning wad of paper and put it out.

Propane is heavier than air and will settle in low spots forming explosive pools just waiting for a spark. Do NOT use a propane forge or store a propane tank in the basement!

On the other hand if you look at the stats for home fires, you'll find that after cigarettes, charcoal BBQs are one of the leading causes of fires. A charcoal fire can stay burning for many hours after you're done with it. Propane goes out as soon as you turn off the gas. Once the forge is cooled down there is no fire hazard.

Keep a good sized fire extinguisher near the exit.

In either case a forge consumes oxygen at a prodigious rate and produces CO. You must have good ventilation or you're going to damage your healt or in extreme cases kill yourself and maybe others living in the house.

My absolute first recomendation is to do your forging outdoors or in a separate building. An attached garage is NOT my first choice either.

Always be careful playing with fire.

Frosty

[elfshadow14]

Hey guys I got black pipe from home depot and it is the right size charcoal forge.I look at and it was not listed as galvanized.I was just wondering if there is any bad stuff I should sand off and clean before putting.It looks just like the one in the pic of the forge.


WOW I didn't read the new posts.Thanks for all the help.It should be done very soon after I get clay or cat litter LOL and put holes in the pipe.

[Archie Zietman]

Don't wait for the clay, I used dirt for a whole year. You need to wet the dirt and dig a fire pot before a fire, but it's cheap, and very versatile, and works great.

[R W]

A used truck brake drum can be made into a very good forge for solid fuel use.

R W

[thenewfam]

check out this web site

FORGES

[RainsFire]

I've used coal and am using gas currently. I cant say which I prefer because I haven't been working with gas for long. But, it is very nice being able to stick my barstock in a furnace, and pull it out hitting temp. No fire working or tending.. but I do somewhat enjoy that bit.
My forge has cost me about 50bucks.. whipped up a venturi blower (easy to make) and a pepsi fountain can coated with kaol wool and kiln ceramics and its ready to go.

[outsider]

WOW i love this place!
I have been searching the web for my forge plans and since i sold my home and now rent i need something more "portable-ish" so i found "Livley Knives" site again and then of course i came here to do more practical research and of course there is a ton of practical wisdom here and even on things i hadnt yet thought of asking about.
It's nice to find one place to set information at, one can search the web and really get lost and also find less than credible info on any topic and in the case of forges bad info can be dangerous!
So i see that somebody mentioned using coal (acorn and pea) in their ("tub") forge and was wondering if i read that correctly and how well that worked out over time?
thx folks!