Rebuilt Forge Usage?

[SReynolds]

I have had some small fires in my rebuilt Champion forge. It is of a steel pan with cast iron air pipe. I have installed a new floor in the pan of 1/4" steel plate.

Upon building larger fires, as if I were to use it, the forge emits popping noises, like a cast iron engine block. I'm concerned that it will crack. It is old and has probably been used many times, but this worries me.

................should I have left the attatching hardware loose? Do these steel forges with cast iron air pipes normally make sounds like this? I can't imagine what will happen when I begin to sprinkle water on the hot coals!

This is my first portable unit as my other forge is fire brick/stone/morter etc. with a metal plate in the bottom. It makes no noise.

[jeremy k]

My guess would be, the noises are from expansion during the heating process. I would make sure that the holes you attached the new pan with are oversized to allow for movement ( assuming you bolted v.s welding ). It's really hard to tell without a few clean, clear pictures of how you modified the forge. I myself wet the coal, vs, adding water to a hot forge. I start the forge with dry coal, while the fire is starting I water down the coal in the rest of the forge, this way the water is never added directly tot he hot forge after the forge is heated up ( just my way ). This is for starters, from info given.

[pkrankow]

Sheet metal and cast iron forges are typically clayed on the inside to protect the metal.

Phil

[glen56]

yep listen to phil mate ,my very 1st forge gave a resounding crack when i built the fire directly on the cast ,welded it up again but a sad thing ,i just use dirt in mine ,cheers ,glen