ferretman Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 hello chaps ,im thinking of building a brick forge in my shed its quite a large structure 20 by 16 so i have the space but it has a wooden floor is this a crazy idea for a coal forge ,has anyone else done this or should i rip up the floor and concrete the lot just to be on the safe side ,cant really afford this but will if no other choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maillemaker Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 According to Peter Ross, wood floors were quite common in colonial smithies. His floor is made of cubes of yellow pine. He talks about it in an episode of The Woodwright's Shop. I don't remember which one, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old South Creations Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 my smithy has a wood floor. I put concrete board on the wall behind my forge and also on the floor around the forge, anvil, & vise...where I was most likely to drop something. I was also told (although I haven't done it yet) by several on this forum that you can "paint" the floors with water/borax solution and that would also help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 i have an outdoor concrete patio myself, so this is all here-say, but you could put down a layer of hardybacker (concrete backing board for laying tile) on the ground to cover the entire hot work area and grind the lip at the edges to reduce the toe-catch. similarly you could nail down a 2x4 border and fill it with sand. if you are more concerned about building an entire masonry structure for your forge over the wood floor i would save yourself some effort and make or get an iron table and brick that up as a liner. i have seen a number of nice coal forge builds from other members, take a stroll through the other postings and see if any of them strike your fancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKrzysz Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 According to Peter Ross, wood floors were quite common in colonial smithies. His floor is made of cubes of yellow pine. He talks about it in an episode of The Woodwright's Shop. I don't remember which one, though. He mentioned it is black locust set down in a way that the end grain is facing up. Locust because it is very dense and rot resistant and end grain facing up because it is more durable and I think fire resistant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 It's a shed, with a wooden floor. How thick is the floor? How is the floor/shed supported, on blocks or on a concrete base? Where is the hearth to be built? Are you going to get the position right first time? Will the floor take the overall weight of tools, steel and machinery you will be adding over time? Is this a hobby, or going to be more? Will the floor be good to use an anvil on or will it bounce? My workshop was of similar dimensions, and as circumstances changed, the hearth was moved for more efficient useage, so make sure you have it in the best place if you are going to build in brick, a metal hearth is easier to relocate. I also had two ton of stock steel on the racks after a period of time, so plan long term if you can. Think and ponder before making your decision, and good luck with it. It may be easier to isolate an end of the shed and pour a concrete floor in this smaller section than consider doing the whole floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck in Ms Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 I was wondering when someone was going to mention the strength of the floor. All those bricks add weight very fast. My forge took about 1100 if I remember correct. Plus mortar, filler and some steel. No worries however, cut the floor out, pour a good concrete foundation under the building and lay the brick up from there. As for fire hazard not a lot more than any other time. If you drop a hot piece of iron pick it up. Like any other shop keep unnecessary flammable materials well away. Fire extinguisher and/or water close by. Then enjoy your forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewOC Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 The welding training workshop at my tech college still has the same wood block floor from 50 odd years ago. Lots of sparks and gobs of spatter there! AndrewOC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 The smithy at the living museum near me has a wood floor. They teach classes there. All sorts of students dropping very hot object on the wood floor. Never had a problem with fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 In my experience gaps, nooks, crannies and such where hot bits can escape to smoulder is more concern than wood. If your floor is tight and there are no gaps where the walls meet it shouldn't be a problem. Supporting the weight is a serious concern too. this is the time to ask these questions and think about it. Thinking ahead is a GOOd thing. Good on ya. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretman Posted April 27, 2013 Author Share Posted April 27, 2013 thanks guys for all the info and advice you fellas are a wealth of knowledge for newbies to the craft cheers to you all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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