I have a friend named Ted who is a fellow carpenter...but he is also a very good smith. He has made custom hold-down clamps for my timber-framed sawhorses, but more importantly...he has re-kindled my interest in "pounding hot iron".

so, here's my forge build.

I started out with a junk push  lawnmower and stripped off the blade and motor, saved the deck and the handle pieces.

 

 

I went down to the local auto mechanic and bought a used brake drums off of a truck for $2.
I bought 2" black pipe fitting for the airway and ash dump.

 

 

I flipped the mower deck upside-down and cut a larger opening so that the lip of the brake drum would keep it suspended without falling through.  I mounted the mower deck to an old portable table saw stand, and attached a pair of feed bin wheels using steel nail-stakes (for setting concrete forms) as axles.

 

 

I bought a 8" cast steel floor drain and added three bolts (to help keep it slightly elevated to allow more air) and used it in the bottom of the drum to allow the air to feed the fire without the charcoal falling down the pipe.

 

 

I am currently using a two speed hairdryer for my air source, but I might opt for an antique hand crank blower...if I can find one cheap.

 

 

I did notch the drum on opposite sides so that I can lay flat stock or rod across the fire, and I have a tractor exhaust cap (not pictured) on the lower pipe to control the air flow and ash dump.

Ted also recommended that I use fire brick to try and trap the heat and force it towards the center of the "fire-pit" to help conserve fuel and have better heats. The bricks are movable and really help.

 

 

Now I just have to figure out how to mount my post-vise to the side of it, and make some type of bracket to hang my tongs from.

 

 

Here is used the upper handle for an adjustable long rest.

 

 

And these are two of the first projects...I learned that the best way to develop skills is to make tools for the forge, which then you can use to make more tools for the forge,...and so on, and so on...
Fire tender on the left and tongs on the right.

Rooster

 

 

just shows what you can do with a bit of imagination, well done. I look forward to your work 

 

Sam

WOW! I was almost done building my current forge, but I think I will strip down my old broken mower and do this, it's exactly the style I was looking for!

Nice job, and thanks!

That is brilliant! A really ingenious use of scrap! I like it. :)

Best of luck
Andy

I have to be honest...I searched and searched on multiple forums, Youtube, google images, and found most, but not all of these ideas as parts of different forges...I took what I wanted and could produce, and threw it together to come up with what I have done so far...When it comes to designing something, I try to "build a better mouse-trap", instead of trying to "re-invent the wheel"!!!

 

Thanks for the comments!!!

 

Rooster

Very inventive.  I like it.  Sorta reminds me of the wheel barrow forge I saw a while ago.  Good resourcing and use of materials.  I like that its mobile too.

very nice work, cant wait to see more of this rat rod forge! :D 

glad to see you cut away a portion of the rim to make the moving of coal into the fire pot easy

Now if we could only take the mower motor and make a 10lb treadle hammer!!!