A new coal/charcoal forge help

[MrBackpack]

First of all, hello all.

 

So, after some long discussion with my wife about me needing a hobby outside of playing video games and modeling, I've decided to take up black/blade-smithing; something I've always wanted to do, and I have the ultimate desire to forge 'Libertas,' the sword wielded by by a character in one of my favorite books. That being said, I fully understand that I cannot go straight into forging swords, I have to crawl before I walk, walk before I can run, and run before I can fly.   

 

Now that I have my own yard to do whatever I want to do with, and I want to build myself a forge. A fellow user, Toolish, posted pictures of his forge in the "Show Me your Forge" thread that is along the lines of what I want to build: A longer, trough-style forge.

 

Now, I fully understand that most beginners use a brake drum or something similar or even folded and welded steel plate, but I have no access to one, the money to afford my own nor know-how of how to use one. Basically, I have a drill, a wood saw, and a hammer. I just got out of college, got married, and bought a house.

 

So I, while I have the plans and ideas of how this forge should be built, but what I need some help with is material selection. With the understanding that I don't have a welder nor do I know anyone that has one to help me, how do I go about building my forge?

 

I have tons of red brick that I plan on using as the outer construction and basic support and, from the little that I understand, I can use a long metal pipe along the bottom of the forge to supply air into the fire . But what do I use to build the walls of the forge that the hot coals will sit on, the fire pot/pit I believe? I've read to use fire brick, to use a homemade clay with sand, fire-cement and I'm so confused that I don't even know what to think.

 

Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.

 

 

[wpearson]

start here http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/64-solid-fuel-forges/

 

wes

[Charles R. Stevens]

I might suggest a simple and multy perpose forge. The trough forge, alla Don fogg's washtub forge is to alow you to heat a daily long object to critical for heat treat. You might want to start with something simple and learn to use it, build it kind of mojular and then you can build a specialized heat treat forge later. Swords and knives have been forged in 6" forges for more than 1000 years. A basic box 32" square and 8" deap with a twear coming in to almost the middle and some 3" of the bottom will work well (alla a side blast forge) fill it with 6" of sand, silt or lime and you can mold your own fire shape in it, modifie it, add bricks ext. ad a 32" fire resistant table to the side and a hood and your as good as anyone. With this set up you can build an adapter so you can make a trough and heat nearly 36" across. The diagonal. But you can tackle just about anything else you want to. Lots of guys (sory lady's) started out with dreams of swords and now make gates and such instead.
Some will say you don't need that big a forge, the forge fire isbut 6-8" but the extra table size and the versitility will pay you dividends.
Now for the bummer, most pearls don't stay in one house more than 5 years. A big forge may not be a selling point, and a brick one is a bear to move.