I am just about to build my first forge in 15 years. My last forge was made from an old truck wheel rim. With that in mind, I found an old rim at the side of the road a few years ago and put it aside for a future forge. Now the time is here and I'm not sure if I should use it.
I was reading on the forum how it is better to have a more shallow fire pit in the forge. To that end I have scrounged an old Hibachi BBQ cast in iron, and it seems it would make a fine fire pan on the bottom of my forge.

I have an old oil drum I will cut to the appropriate length to act as a body to hold in clay or cement that I will build up around the fire pan or wheel rim. I also have an old iron table frame to use as a stand for all this and a piece of 1/4 inch steel plate to make a side board/table top beside the forge, on the table frame.

So my question is this. Do I use the wheel rim and make a deeper fire pit (possibly cut down the height of the table legs), or, do I use the BBQ pan and make a more shallow forge.

I am considering doing some casting of aluminum, so the deeper wheel rim might be better for that, but I could build a separate furnace for casting and keep this strictly for forging iron and making tools.

How should I proceed?

In the pix below I show you all the parts, with the wheel rim and the BBQ pan. If I use the wheel rim I would still cut the oil drum and use it to get a bigger area. Perhaps cut the wheel rim in half to lower the profile.

Christopher

First you should tell us what you plan to do with it! exp: I have a car and a pickup truck---which should I use on this trip? (Course I won't tell you if I need to carry large chunks of greasy rusty iron or 4 more passengers)

In general I would go with the wheel rim. You want a fairly deep fire but need the ability to slide your work piece in horizontally in the reducing part of the fire.

After a few fires you will find the sweet spot of the fireball. Why not cut a slot down the near side of the rim so when the metal hits the bottom of the slot and is horizontal, it is also aligned with the sweet spot? Sure saves tearing up the fire when you insert the metal and dig around to locate the hottest part of the fire.

Sorry, Thomas. I see your point. I like to wood carve and find the cost of tools to be a bit much. I want to be able to make my own wood chisels and garden tools. At least, this is all I have planned for now.

Wood carving tools would include, gouges of all sorts, "V" chisels, draw knives, small adz and such. As well as any tools I need to run the forge. Also some decorative stuff for the house, like coat hooks e.t.c.

Christopher

Have you read "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" by Weygers he used to carve quite a bit and so has a section on making wood carving tools in it.

I agree with Thomas, pick up a copy of Weygers book, it'll show you a lot of cool field expedient forge set ups.

I think a wheel rim is way more firepot than you want for making wood working tools, even if they're for cabin making. Go to a mechanic's shop and ask if you can have an old brake drum. They usually have to pay to have them hauled off so you may have to resist taking a bunch.

Frosty

IronPuppet, check out the following Blueprints

BP0133 the 55 Forge
BP0238 Simple Side Blast 55 Forge
BP0333 the Supercharged 55 Forge

The BP0238 Simple Side Blast 55 Forge can be built and have a working fire in about an hour. All 3 forges are capable of reaching welding temperatures. I would suggest to invest an hour or so into building one of these forges, then build a fire. If you want a deep fire, add some fire bricks and build a wall to enclose or shape the fire. Then you can better consider the proper design for the wheel rim, or break drum forge.

When you get the perfect forge design, build it and retire the 55 forge.

There are several forge designs (both solid fuel and gassers) in the blueprints section of the IForgeIron site. Use the search engine to assist you in your search.

Hi Christopher,
I made a small forge with a wheel rim, it works ok and being mild steel it was easy to weld on a swinging rest for long bars that drops down out of the way when not in use. I think the brake drum would be able to take the heat better if it is cast iron.
keith

The idea of using the tire rim as a firepot is a good one. I was thinking of doing the same thing. How is the rim for forging, does it rust out or anything? I've read mixed reviews about using a rim as a firepot.

Been a few years. I lined it with clay. It's a subsoil found in damp places on my farm.

I made my forge some 30 or so years ago. Semi trailer rim cut down with a manhole cover ring as the table. Fire pot made from fire clay with a commercial grate. Old Champion hand crank blower. Still going strong after all these years.

 

I am not a fan of brake drum forges just on a cost benefit analysis, I would suggest a 55 side-blast, JABAD, English style side blast or a plate steel side blast. In my opinion these are cheap and easy to build and burn a wider range of fuels more efficiently.

this isn’t to say that brake drum/rim forges don’t work, especially when lined with clay to make a workable ducknest, just that I think it takes less work to go the other way and they are more versatile. 

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