Forge Table Q's

[Hayden H]

I bought a forge table, Lancaster 40 Blower (works perfectly bit small for my needs), Delta 5 inch Disc and 30 inch belt combo, and an old Sears and Roebuck 4 by 36 with 8 inch disc for $90 last year. The table has a dutch oven lid as a fire pot (I used some kiln cement to make it a tiny bit deeper), with a normal tuyere attatchment. The thing is, it takes a round fire pot, and I don't know where to get a round firepot.
The table weight 140+/-. It was originally a pump-action forge. It has a raised lip around the hole for the firepot. What brand might it be? I chipped out the cement and am mentally designing an octagonal fire pot. What problems might an octagonal firepot create? I have a 2 1/2 by 4 foot peice of 1/2 inch plate to make a fire pot with.

[David Einhorn]

Centaur Forge has round firepots, a bit pricy ($219 to $325) but they have them:
http://www.centaurfo...s/products/167/

Depending on your available equipment., you might wish to try to fabricate a round firepot from a brake drum and/or castable refractory. Also, I would ask around with local smiths and fleamarket folks to see if someone has a round firepot under their bench or in their garage.

[Hayden H]

Those are expensive.... I'd rather weld up my own out of stuff laying around. Is theri even a difference inbetween the way a rectangular fire pot burns to a circular one?

[Tom Allyn]

The table has a dutch oven lid as a fire pot (I used some kiln cement to make it a tiny bit deeper), with a normal tuyere attatchment. The thing is, it takes a round fire pot, and I don't know where to get a round firepot.

Maybe you answered your own question. How 'bout a dutch oven with the interior lined and shaped with refractory? Kitchen-use dutch ovens oven have pour spouts and aren't fully round. But camp dutch ovens, the ones with the 3 legs under them, are round and come in a variety of sizes. Just a thought. They're readily available.

[Hayden H]

Thats genius.... And the auctions comeing up to boot.... Good source for steel and random useful objects.. I'm going to the auction for a dutch oven(But the anvil and other things would look mighty nice next to my forge when its done)

[SmoothBore]

I've never seen this done, ... but I can't think of any reason why an old, cast iron lavatory sink, wouldn't make a very suitable fire pot.


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[Holzkohle]

My forge is made from the bottom of a pot bellied stove (already cracked) with a brake rotor to reduce the depth to about 4-5 inches with the tuyer and clinker breaker bolted to the rotor. Works just fine. Made with what I had on hand.

[Drewed]

.... . The thing is, it takes a round fire pot, and I don't know where to get a round firepot.

Is there something wrong with the one that came with it?

The table has a dutch oven lid as a fire pot (I used some kiln cement to make it a tiny bit deeper), with a normal tuyere attatchment

What problems might an octagonal firepot create? I have a 2 1/2 by 4 foot peice of 1/2 inch plate to make a fire pot with.

Other that perhaps some small problems with cleaning, none that I can think of.

If you want/ need a new firepot, feel free to cut he hole in the table bigger to hold the new pot. Or that makes the hole to big, lay a hunk of sheet metal over the top and use that as a new table.

[ThomasPowers]

Look for old jackstands made from the axle covers off a "banjo" rear end. I've found them in AR, NM and OH never paid more than $5 for a pair at the fleamarket or junkyard or *OLD* garage. They have a dished round shape with a pipe coming off it.

I made a firepot to replace a broken round one in an old cast iron forge I bought out of one about 25+ years ago---and have not needed the second one yet! I ground out the internal ridges and removed the bearing race in the bottom where the grate goes.

Actually this firepot is in it's 3rd or 4th forge now and I'm about ready to build the next one for it.