Odin's_Hammer Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 i need some good forge ideas because firepit and hair dryer arnt the best aha I'm just starting to really get into this and i need some good ideas for a budget forge with an opening of about 2 feet by 2 feet i seen this one in the forums http://zoellerforge.com/firebrickforge.html and i really like this one so if you guys have any other ideas maybe similar to this id love to hear em heres me being rained out tonight with the forge im using also where to get some nice tongs? or other begining type supplies? thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 I built one of those Zoeller burners and a brick pile forge. My original had only one burner and I had to reduce the size down quite a bit to get enough heat. To have an opening 2 foot by 2 foot, you'll need a ton of burners and a huge amount of propane to feed it to get anything accomplished, not to mention a tremendous amount of bricks. The other down side I found to it was that it weighed a lot. That made it impractical to use as a "portable" forge where I could roll it out of the shop and use it when needed, then put it away for storage. Fire brick does bad things when it gets wet and you heat it, so it needs to be protected from rain. You can see my original set up had an interior of roughly 16" x 8" x 6" and one burner was totally inadequite. I reduced the interior volume to about 8" x 4" x 4" and managed to get a decent heat out of it but it took a bit of time to get things to heat up. The gas forges we had in my forge class were all 2 burner Whisper Moma Forges from NC Forge. Inside size was about 12" x 3" x 6" IIRC and I think Centaur sells them fopr around $500 plus shipping. I did find that some of my larger pieces needed to be worked on the coal forge in class because of ho large they got, but the fact I could light up and shut off the gas forge was a big plus. I'm betting by the time I got done getting the brick, gas regulator and so on I was most of the way towards simply buying one of the Whisper Momas. Most of the stuff I had like an existing gas reg didn't work right and needed to be upgraded. Eventually I'll probably sit down and build at least 2 more burners for my gas forge and probably copy the NC design and make a Kawool lined metal forge for portability. If not I'll just save the burner stuff to build a casting furnace and simply buy a gas forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 I know only a few commercial blacksmiths with a forge with a 2'x2' opening; it would cost a hundred dollars just to fire it up for a day's forging! What are you trying to do? (remember for things like swordmaking you want to only heat the area you can work before it gets cold; heating more than that degrades the metal. Only during heat treat do you need the whole length hot and it's far better to make a special forge for that rather than drive a dumptruck as your daily commuter car because a couple of times a year you need to haul a load of gravel...) As to stocking up for tools---start planning to go to Quad-State Blacksmith's Round-Up in Troy OH in late September---everything you need/want/dream about brand new, used, antique! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 Let's assume you want a forge 2'x2'x2' for conversations sake. That'd take 40, ea. well made and correctly tuned 3/4" ejector type burners, If the forge were closed. A 2'x2' door? Think doubling the # of burners. It'd freeze a 25gal./100lb tank of propane before it got up to heat, you'd need a heated 100 gal./ 400lb. tank a day to run it. Okay, this isn't an unusual desire, we all wanted WAY more than we needed when we started. No biggy, we ALL thought we could swing 10lb. hammers one handed all day, forge 2" steel into swords in a couple hours, etc. etc. Build yourself enough to get your feet wet, learn the craft and you'll find out what you really need. Most of us did. <grin> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin's_Hammer Posted August 2, 2013 Author Share Posted August 2, 2013 thank you for the pep talk, frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 (edited) Let's assume you want a forge 2'x2'x2' for conversations sake. That'd take 40, ea. well made and correctly tuned 3/4" ejector type burners, If the forge were closed. A 2'x2' door? Think doubling the # of burners. It'd freeze a 25gal./100lb tank of propane before it got up to heat, you'd need a heated 100 gal./ 400lb. tank a day to run it. Okay, this isn't an unusual desire, we all wanted WAY more than we needed when we started. No biggy, we ALL thought we could swing 10lb. hammers one handed all day, forge 2" steel into swords in a couple hours, etc. etc. Build yourself enough to get your feet wet, learn the craft and you'll find out what you really need. Most of us did. <grin> Frosty The Lucky. I wonder, just for fun, if we went a step further with this fantasy mega-forge; Take the forty 3/4" tubes and incorporate them into one giant ribbon burner with, say, a 5 x 8 hole pattern... :ph34r: Edit: I would imagine The burner would need quite a blower; thinking household furnace squirrel cage :D Edited August 2, 2013 by Dodge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 I don't know if you're going to find a cheaper to make forge than a brake drum forge. If you're resourceful you can source most of the stuff you need for next to nothing. If you just want to get up and running thats where it will cost money. Patience is a virture best learned quickly. lol. choosing the right fuel is perimount in getting a good heat. especially in a solid fuel forge like you're trying to use right now. fire wood just doesn't cut it. get some lump charcoal or if you can find it coal. you'll be surprised how much it will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 Dodge: Putting 40 individual burners in a wall would be a ribbon burner in practice if not form. The spring shop I used to visit in Anchorage had a brick pile furnace/forge about the volume we're talking about but longer, 60" or so and only a little narrower and less deep. they ran it with two big natural gas (methane) gun burners mounted to make a vortex. One burner near the top in back aiming right to left, the other bottom front aimed left to right, the exhaust port was in the center and consisted of gaps in the bricks. It worked very well for what they wanted, very even heat and very controllable. It ran all day, from open to go home. The spring shop used it to heat to critical not near as hot as we're looking for, they bent and heat treated, no forging at all. However, it wouldn't be any more than a detail to ramp that furnace up to get to welding heat, two more big gun burners would do it easy. It's need a commercial natural gas hook up and would make the meter spin like a top. However, in a production shop it was DE BOMB, it'd heat a 60" length of 2 1/4" x 1/4" spring to critical in under 1 minute and they always had a minimum of 4 in the fire. Watching the leaf spring guy work was a treat in production steel work. He'd put a leaf blank in the furnace, set the bender (Arc machine) and select the pin for the bracket turning wrench. He'd pull the blank, place it in the arcing bender and bend it, then he turned the bracket receiver ends with the wrench, take the pressure off it and put it back in the furnace. Do the other side spring while the first came back to critical, pull #1 and quench it, then put it back in to temper, at tempering color it went into an oil quench. Done. He was doing leaf springs in about 5 minutes total and doing several at the same time. It was like poetry in motion. Anyway that large a furnace/forge would almost have to be natural gas with all the headaches of getting a hook up. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 I once made a brake drum forge that was my favorite billet welding forge for a number of years. What really helped it for that use was installing a sheet steel fence inside it to raise the effective depth of the firepot and to leave a gap between the end of the sheetmetal so i could stick billets in the middle of the fire easily. (It also had a mouse hole opposite the opening to allow for long pieces exiting out the back.) No welding required to add it; just bent it in a circle and slipped it in against the inner walls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 I once made a brake drum forge that was my favorite billet welding forge for a number of years. What really helped it for that use was installing a sheet steel fence inside it to raise the effective depth of the firepot and to leave a gap between the end of the sheetmetal so i could stick billets in the middle of the fire easily. (It also had a mouse hole opposite the opening to allow for long pieces exiting out the back.) No welding required to add it; just bent it in a circle and slipped it in against the inner walls. ok, I'm going to need a picture or a drawing or something to be able to visualize what you're talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windancer Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 We all want more and bigger and higher horsepower [we are men, right?]. To get back to the real world search YouTube for "coffee can forge". I have put hundreds of hours on mine and still use it sometimes. I lined a coffee can with 1" Kaowool, brushed on ITC100 [three coats] and used a little hand-held propane torch as the burner. It doesn't put out welding heat but it works fine for leaves, hooks, key chains, candle holders etc, etc, etc. This would get you started for about $50 and some labor. If you outgrow that one you will still have the hand-held torch and much more knowledge about how to build a forge. Where in Western Washington are you? I am just south of Olympia and would be happy to help you build one after you get the materials. I have since built 2 larger forges but still use this one for smaller projects. If you search YouTube for 'hot chili pepper' you can watch me making chili peppers from 3/4 inch pipe using the coffee can forge. Good luck! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 Winddancer, PM sent. But I'm not the one building a forge right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windancer Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 My Bad- too many hammers in this post :) Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin's_Hammer Posted August 3, 2013 Author Share Posted August 3, 2013 well the only reason is the metal im using is a 5 lb plate of solid steel for weightlifting i dont use my 5 lbs (for benching) and its too big for a small forge alas im nearly complete building a design i saw somewhere ill post a picture when i finish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 you could do a 5lb plate in a brake drum forge. but I must ask, why are you trying to do the whole plate at once? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin's_Hammer Posted August 4, 2013 Author Share Posted August 4, 2013 my first attempts at a sword Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
123samic Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 unless you have a power hammer that is going to be ALOT of work and the steel is probally not that great just my 2 cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 What, nobody's mentioned the 55 forge? Easy to make out of a 55 gal drum and a little pipe, just search 55 forge in the forums. Mine's an upside down lawnmower with a brake disc in the bottom, and a homemade refractory liner. Still using a blowdryer, but a blowdryer with a rheostat (dimmer switch) hooked up to it. Or you can control airflow by making some kind of gate in the intake to restrict it. something simple like a piece of metal in a slit, or a valve, homemade or otherwise, lots of options. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/36990-cam00122/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/36989-cam00121/ I'd tend to think that the plate might be mild steel since it's not being used for applications where it's directly stressed. And that's not approaching the problems of manipulating that much steel by hand and dealing with the hole in the middle. Far less work to scrounge some better steel. Have you tried any knives yet? It's a great way to start learning some of the things you'll need to know to make a sword you'll want to keep and use safely. There's a ton of great info in the knife making classes. Why go ahead and beat out a crude SLO (sword like object) when you can take a year or two, make some cool knives, and then work on a blade you'll be proud of. (And yes, i tried cranking out a gladius hispanius out of leaf spring about 2 or 3 months after I began forging. Heart breaking to put that much work into something to watch it crack, take out the bad part, reform, watch it crack, start over with a fresh piece of steel, and watch it go wrong again....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhettbarnhart Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I built this forge for a little over 100$,it has plenty of heat for doin anything from hooks to hammers.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjs Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 did this guy get banned for being an obvious troll or was it something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 did this guy get banned for being an obvious troll or was it something else? Who?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 The OP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjs Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 the OP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjs Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 The OP. where abouts in western washington? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 about the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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